After a challenging season on ice, Ukrainian-born Fedirs Kuļišs, who has become a Latvian citizen, will compete at the World Figure Skating Championships in Prague.
For the young athlete, the upcoming start symbolizes more than just another competition – it is a real test of character. He told LSM.lv that he feels honored to represent Latvia on the world stage and is determined to fight for a place in the championship final.
Kuļišs calls the past season an experiment – although the results failed to repeat last year’s success, progress in certain elements is obvious, serving as a solid foundation for further growth.
“Last season was definitely more productive and better, but this one is much more promising – my skills have improved,” explained the 20-year-old. “We complicated the programme, and we can’t always cope with it. To be more precise, I can’t always cope with my nerves and emotions.”
Going forward, the athlete’s main priority will be to strengthen the new programmes so that he can return even stronger next season and be ready to fight for better results. Kuļišs also emphasizes the need to improve the artistic elements of the program, including skating composition and transitions.
“These are little things, but they often result in a lot of points being lost. The technical rating is usually high enough for me, as long as all the elements are met,” added Kuļišs.
Without the usual support
During the season, Kuļišs has gained not only valuable experience, but also a painful lesson about the importance of support in big sports. At the upcoming world championships, he will have to compete without technical specialist Raimo Reinsalu and head coach Olga Kovaļkova, who have been banned from participating in International Skating Union (ISU) competitions.
This decision was made following accusations by two-time Latvian champion Sofja Stepchenko that Kovaļkova was guilty of emotional abuse, and Reinsalu of physical and mental abuse. Both coaches deny the allegations .
“This whole situation that has developed around our club is greatly affecting my emotional state. I have become attached to my coaches and our joint trips. Throughout my career, we traveled to competitions as a family, but now I can say that this family was taken away from me at one point,” said Kuļišs.
In his opinion, the ban on participation in the competition is unfair to coaches who have dedicated more than 15 years to developing young talents. Kuļišs, who fled the war in Ukraine, says that thanks to the club’s support and trust, he was able to shine both locally and internationally.
“If it weren’t for my coaches, I don’t even know if I would be going to the world championships and representing this country right now. It’s very painful, but we’re holding on, we haven’t given up and we won’t give up,” the athlete said.
Despite the difficult situation, Kuļišs remains hopeful for a favorable outcome: “These are honest people who simply want to work and love their job. Let’s continue to train, compete, and show results. I hope everything will fall into place.”
Kuļišs failed to qualify for the optional programme at the Olympic Games in Milan-Cortina, finishing in 28th place. The result was a great disappointment for the athlete, as the intense preparation phase and the team’s high ambitions promised a much more convincing debut.
He cited the controversy surrounding the coaches as a contributory factor.
“Everything seemed blurry and chaotic, which is why the result was not there. I can’t say that I am satisfied, on the contrary – many factors influenced the fact that the result was not good, not even mediocre,” admitted Kuļišs.
However, behind the disappointment with the result lies a personal victory, and Kulish is truly pleased to be able to participate in the biggest event of the quadrennial.
“The road to the Olympics was not easy – I often thought more about learning the language to pass the citizenship exam than about the games themselves,” he explained.
Kuļišs remains optimistic about the future, setting his main goal as the 2030 Olympic Games. There, he plans to compete at a completely different level, to fully realize his and the team’s potential, rather than focusing on external factors.
The World Figure Skating Championships in Prague will be televised on Latvian Television and here on LSM from March 25th
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