Skaters from Estonia hosted at Calgary
Helgi Leesment
The Alberta Estonian Heritage Society (AEHS) hosted a reception for figure skater Jelena Muhhina and coach Irina Kononova from Estonia on Monday March 20.
They were in town for the 2006 World Championships in Calgary. All current AEHS members had received invitations. The reception was attended by 21 people, including the guests of honour. It was a wonderful opportunity for chatting and meeting new people. Some had signed up for AEHS membership but had not yet attended any events, others drove a couple of hundred kilometers and met for the first time people who live close to their home. Each person brought a plate of nibblies or a bottle of wine which was all shared along with the coffee and other items provided by hosts Peter and Helgi Leesment.
Coming directly from a late practice on the competition ice, the seventeen year-old current Estonian women’s figure skating champion was charming and gracious, wearing her team uniform. In turn, she was made to feel special by all the attention showered upon her and the many photographs which were taken that evening.
The Alberta Estonian Heritage Society had earlier sent them flowers plus a basket of fresh fruit and chocolate assembled and delivered by Helle Kraav. Both gifts were appreciated by the representatives from Estonia who had a hectic 10-day schedule of practices, competition, meetings and social events organized by the International Skating Union and Skate Canada.
Thanks to local AEHS members, arrangements were made for Jelena and her friend from Latvia and their two coaches to have a private practice on the ice rink at the Westside Recreation Centre. Neither young lady qualified to advance to the Ladies’ Short Program, the next level of competition. The more experienced Pairs skaters, Diana Rennik and Aleksei Saks of Estonia, were scheduled to participate after finishing 17 th at the Torino Winter Olympic Games in February but, unfortunately, Diana became ill and so the pair was unable to travel to Calgary.
Jelena’s Baltic compatriots, ice-dancers Margarita Drobiazko and Povilas Vanagas of Lithuania finished just out of medal position, coming fourth in their field. At the Gala Performance following the end of the competition, the Lithuanians received a standing ovation from a near sell-out crowd in response to their pirate-themed performance involving a swordfight on ice-skates. All three Baltic nation flags hung from the Saddledome ceiling during the entire competition and were carried by local skaters in a salute at the closing Gala event.
Irina Kononova, who has been a coach for 27 years, tells us there are about 600 figure skaters in Estonia with the sport being in a developing phase and having considerable potential. Among her many students are ice-dancers 17- year-old Grethe Grunberg and 19- year-old Kristian Rand who placed 9 th in the recent Junior World Figure Skating Championships.
AEHS member Livia Kivisild brought rock salt to alleviate Jelena’s sore throat upon her arrival in Calgary and later took her to the top of the Calgary Tower. There Jelena was fascinated by the view and a temporary dinosaur display. She was also impressed by Calgary’s covered walkway system, the cowboy culture and the number of tall buildings.
Jelena Muhhina has now returned to Tallinn and her Lasnamäe High School grade 11 class where she studies Estonian, English and French, with Russian being her native tongue. In addition she dedicates 12 – 18 hours per week to figure skating plus time to travel to various international competitions throughout the skating season.
AEHS members have memories of a cheerful social gathering where they met some new, some familiar members, and enjoyed chatting with a national champion and her coach.
