Alexandra Stepanova/Ivan Bukin: "We refuse to give up"

For the first time in decades, the Olympic Winter Games in Milan took place without Russia that has been a dominant force in the sport. Russia has been banned since March 2022 from international figure skating events due to the war in Ukraine. However, a few Russian athletes participated in Milan as “Individual Neutral Athletes”, in figure skating Adeliia Petrosian and Petr Gumennik competed. The five-time Russian Ice Dance Champions Alexandra Stepanova/Ivan Bukin were not admitted.

A year ago at the Russian Championships in Omsk, there was news that some athletes might be allowed to compete at the Olympic Games. As we all know now, ice dancers were not admitted. How did you react when you learned this?

Ivan: Not just ice dancers—pair disciplines in general weren’t admitted. We keep wondering what we did wrong in couple sports.

Alexandra: The most frustrating part is that no one explains anything. Every athlete—especially one who has competed internationally, including at the Olympics—deserves to know the reasons for being banned. This isn’t a party where someone simply says, “I want you there, and I don’t want you.” If you make decisions, you must take responsibility and provide reasons. We are ready and open to hear them. Instead, it feels like we weren’t invited to a party, which is hurtful.

Ivan: It’s hurtful and it devalues everything we’ve done—almost even the competitions themselves. It makes it feel like you can just be kept out of somewhere without explanation.

When you found out, how did you react? Unfortunately, this wasn’t your first experience as you were not admitted to the Games 2018 either.

Alexandra: Honestly, it was the same. No explanation—just “no.” The second time was a bit easier than the first, but it’s heartbreaking to see sport become a tool of pressure or even humiliation of athletes. Those are strong words, I know, but any athlete in our position would probably feel the same. We can’t defend ourselves or justify anything, because the relevant documents contain clauses that prevent any constructive dialogue.
It’s a very unpleasant situation, and we’re tired of living in it. People who don’t really understand the specifics think we’re guilty of something, yet we ourselves don’t know what we’re supposed to be guilty of. Why can’t they disclose the documents openly? Every person has the right to see them—especially athletes who’ve competed internationally and have no charges against them. There should be at least some criteria.

Did you file an appeal?

Alexandra: As we were informed, the ISU’s documents in this specific case do not allow us to appeal their decision regarding neutral Russian athletes and Olympic participation in 2026. We discussed this with the federation multiple times. It seemed pointless—just a waste of time—because of how everything is structured.

Are there ongoing negotiations? Is the federation in contact with anyone?

Alexandra: Those questions should be directed to them. Everyone has their zone of responsibility. We’re athletes—our job is to train and compete.

Ivan: All rights and formal representation are handled by the federation.

Alexandra: We don’t know what’s happening behind closed doors. All we can say is that it’s painful.

You sent an open message to IOC President Kirsty Coventry. Did you receive any response?

Ivan: We didn’t. We had some hope, because she had just taken the post, she’s a woman, and she’s a former athlete—maybe something would resonate. We couldn’t just stay silent; the news was alarming. We felt we owed our supporters to ask directly. We hoped for answers or clarification, but nothing came.

Alexandra: It’s scary to live in a world where decisions aren’t discussed and no one’s accountable. It’s awful that sport now operates as if anything can be done without responsibility.
We understand the situation is complicated—we aren’t kids—but it’s important people understand us. This isn’t about asking for pity. We skate, we enjoy skating. But when decisions are made, there has to be at least a chance to understand them. Tell us how it works. Otherwise, it feels like lawlessness—no rules, no clarity. How do you play by rules when there aren’t any? Any athlete could end up in our situation, hitting a wall, not knowing what to do.

Ivan: For example, at the first Olympics we were barred from, if they had given a reason, we could have contested it—filed with CAS, gone to court. Perhaps that’s why they didn’t give any reason—because there wasn’t one they could stand behind.

Alexandra: If there are reasons, they should be documented, and we should bear responsibility where appropriate. If you disagree, say why. We’re speaking very openly because we’re tired of excusing people who are not protecting sport, but driving it further into chaos—where you don’t know what you’re allowed to do. There are no common rules. Any athlete can end up confused and stuck.

Ivan: We’ve been barred twice and we continue our career. How can we predict a third time? In our career it could be a fourth or fifth. And no one has explained why—not the first time, not the second. It’s rare, but it happens to us.

Your path has been difficult. What motivates you to continue rather than end your career?

Alexandra: Honestly, the people making these decisions motivate us most. One reason we keep going is that we refuse to give up just because a group of people decided our career won’t be where it should be. We want to decide our fate ourselves, not have it decided by those who treat sport like a closed party. That shouldn’t happen—in sport or anywhere. There must be rules; without them there’s anarchy, chaos. It’s deeply sad, but that’s how it feels. And at times, all we can do is speak into the void.

Despite everything, you keep skating. How do you find new programs, music, and themes?

Alexandra: Even if international competitions are closed to us, we’re not closed off from the international world. We watch our colleagues, learn, and keep track of trends on the international stage. We evaluate our weaknesses and strengths and search for ideas.

Ivan: We still orient ourselves to international athletes. We follow ISU rules and yearly updates. After the Olympics there are usually changes in ice dance—for instance, to the Rhythm Dance —and there are countless nuances. Even international teams struggle to keep up. We see pairs change elements from one event to the next because of new clarifications. We watch each other and learn what looks right in choreography, which elements and entries/exits for steps work best, whether ours are interesting enough. We grew up with them—from the junior level alongside the likes of Madison Chock, Madison Hubbell, Piper Gilles, and of course Papadakis/Cizeron. We’ve known many of them for years, and there’s a warm feeling seeing them at events. In seniors, we met others we hadn’t faced before—Americans, Canadians, many more. We want to watch them because we’ve known them so long: how they develop, what they invent, how they change from one event to the next. It’s very interesting.

Who stands out to you this season?

Alexandra: It’s hard to single out anyone—everyone has their strengths. As athletes, we look deeply, analyzing, not just saying “oh, that was great.” We have a human, respectful attitude toward all, and we wish everyone luck. An Olympic season is tough; we want more humanity, fewer fights—let’s do what we love. We respect and understand the effort this sport takes. We wish everyone the best—whatever will be, will be.

Ivan: We were all eagerly waiting to see Guillaume return.

Looking ahead to the 2030 Olympics—do you aim for that?

Alexandra: We get asked that a lot. Athletes don’t like making very long-term promises, but yes, we’d like to keep going and hope everything works out.

Ivan: Even before the current Olympic admission issues, we talked with the federation about continuing toward 2030. Coaches encouraged us—“let’s work, let’s endure, let’s invent, try new lifts and programs.” To be clear, no one is forcing us—this is our joint decision. After we were denied, we understood it wasn’t about anger or principle; it’s a measured, thoughtful choice.

You both have families. Alexandra, your daughter is three, and Ivan, your son is four. How do you balance family life, children, and sport?

Alexandra: We’re very grateful to our families. Sport demands huge time and energy, and we’re lucky—on both sides our families understand and support us. The kids understand in their own way. Not the big things yet, but the basics.

Ivan: My son Tioma tells me, “Dad, time to skate—go work!” He’s my little motivator. Having children is an integral addition to our sports life—it’s part of who we are now.

Alexandra: It’s good for the kids, too. They see what their parents do, that hard work matters. No matter how difficult, you keep going. With all the new technologies that can be overwhelming, it’s important they have a simple example: you must work, overcome, and strive.

What about them following in your footsteps?

Ivan: I don’t know any top-level athlete who strongly pushes their child into the same sport.

Alexandra: I listen to what my child wants. It’s better to catch their own impulse and support it than to impose: “You must do choreography, stretching, off-ice.” If a child gets on the ice and falls in love, you don’t deny that. But you also consider specifics—height, body type, natural predispositions. Our experience helps us see what suits whom.

Ivan: Sport is not just talent and hard work—there’s luck. You can work 500 hours and still, not always…

Have they tried skating?

Alexandra: My daughter hasn’t yet; she’s still very little.  I’ll think about it.

Ivan: Tioma has been on skates three times. He didn’t feel any aversion—he liked it. There were many girls; he chased them all. Everyone carried him, skated with him. He enjoyed it.

On Russian Nationals: this year you won convincingly—with a 5-point margin—but earlier margins were higher. How do you assess domestic competition?

Alexandra: It’s growing.

Ivan: This question isn’t really for us. Each athlete is focused more on themselves than on others. The most important thing is to be better than your past self and grow in your craft, rather than watch who’s closer or farther away. Results vary from start to start, not just year to year, so it’s hard to judge in broad terms. In the end, placements are what they are, and real competition can only be assessed over a long period. We can say we have very strong young teams right now, and we’re happy to see them progress. That’s important for them and for us—there’s no competition without competitors. Even if someone wins abroad by 40 points, it doesn’t mean they lack internal competition at home.

Stepanova: Perspectives are subjective—people see things differently. We see that the young teams work hard, and we wish them luck. We want patience and health for all.

Interview: Tatjana Flade and Natalia Boku
Photos: Olga Timokhova and Tatjana Flade