voice face to face with the news makers. welcome back here's a recap of the top stories on our t.v. it's almost twenty five years since the chernobyl disaster but one community hit hard by the fallout has endured civs having no money to move residents have had to carry on with their lives on contaminated land. civilian casualties continue to grow in libya as the u.s. brings on a mound of drones to bear against government troops meanwhile gadhafi forces reportedly retrieved from coastal areas leaving rebels to face tribal opposition.

and a u.s. pastor in a torn is for publicly burning the koran is denied the right to protest in a muslim dominated town is instead offered designated free speech zones to avoid inciting violence well ahead of the upcoming figure skating championship in moscow spotlight sits down with the russian star of the sport event was originally due to be held in japan but russia stepped in to help following last month's earthquake that interview is up next. hello again or welcome to the spotlight the interview show our take i'm now going out and today my guest in the studio is see how the leads at this here in japan was supposed to host the world figure skating championships but after the devastating

earthquake and tsunami that called huge losses to the economy it became clear the country couldn't afford the iraq russia offered to host the championships in moscow in just a month everything was ready and the contest is kicking off tomorrow so what did it take to get us prepared so quickly here's a live picture am pm untimed secretly to. moscow is used to hosting big sports events including the biggest cage in world championships just six years ago this is asterix were a battleground for the world's best figure skaters but this time the situation was different because the city only had a month to get ready for the championship the latest preparations are being done right now but generally it seems moscow has successfully passed the stress test. current on a welcome to the show thank you thank you very much for coming well first of all you said i quote the moscow championship will be an unpredictable and particularly

tense competition and what makes you think so do you do do you want to say that that be the the change of place somehow levelled at equal the chances of everybody you know what first of all i want to say sorry for the whole japanese nation. and for all talking about the world championships. you know it's kind of interesting because when being really you for that kind of changes. figure skating is very popular here in russia. may be. first place in. a lot of the scores which the most popular now in russia and we have a lot of interesting skaters spatially skaters who'd been skating before but anyway we have lots of shaw figure skating now and their sports which we're talking

about. all the people around us talking about skating about some names. i would ask if you remember certainly the late sixty's and seventy's when soviet figure skating was number one in the world it was true then the sleep while not really very well but if you know about that everybody was watching i was recording figure skating on my own my tape recorder on the because i wanted the melodies are one of the two i want to add value to paul marianne things like that so can can we say that today figure skating is becoming as popular as it was in the times in a different way because in our sport it's completely different things if you gump it it's with their seventy's and it's huge business and it's. sport and we're not talking about the figure skating it's about all the sports. but we can say it it's in these small meant that kind of popular and i think it's going to

be korean who are going to watch the world championships here on t.v. and sure a lot of people going to watch it right on the stadium and it's a nice stadium it's a really really cool to be there you have been there is pretty new so you mentioned russia as one of the favorites can you mention other countries who are favorites of this show. are you talking about the result or you know what i'm not going to guard the results when i'm thinking about this championships because the russian national team now is kind of young and we're not really can say where are the best from the world how we can say a couple years ago when with the champions on the olympic games in figures to pull in. and now it's completely different situation now we have a new generation and these guys they're going to fight for all kind

of place in these championships and we have no leader who are going to be champion for sure oid going to be a leader in singles. on coffee and people people kill people yeah it was a best it's a good pair but they never compete on any kind of. tired competition really and you never know how it's going to be because the first that i'm going to beat on the world championships it's kind of difficult and if you're skating very good on the practice it's doesn't matter you going to be a good skater on competition and it's actually in the sport we have a completely different people some of them skating good long practice and they never going to be champions and some of them never champions on a practice but on a competition the skating fantastic how might this it mean anything for figure

skaters be any skating of the i think he has but. you will talking about our guys and our nation or team it's even more difficult when you go somewhere really for me it was like i'm sure it's for everybody because it's more responsible responsibility more people who were eating something from you all the time on t.v. somebody is talking about your nation or team and for the guys who are going to come it's much more. difficult then they go somewhere you know especially to the other side of the ocean and they can be there yeah it's hard to but you know it's not like. all country watching you listen we mentioned that we mentioned the glorious times of the use of sign of the suit figure skating with half of the collapse of the u.s.s.r. one of big problems in figure skating was that it was very good and many coaches

left the country is this problem of coaching in figure skating overcome do we have a new generation of coaches is it is it all sort of settled up or it's still like you know like after after the war you know now i can say the situation's changing because now lots of courtiers who been somewhere not here they come back because they have. condition money. we have a lot of i seeing so now it's high level i seems. some of them coming back but their generation of the guys who'd been on those years they kind of not ready for the big champs. because you know it was not really a sport in the ecology and it's different psychological things here but believe in couple years if we look forward we can. cage week

three again but for now it's much more harder because the figure skating growing everywhere in asia they figure skating now it's huge sporting major and they have a lot of shows every year and they have a lot of fantastic skill there stuff and japanese korean chinese. now. lots of good here there is in europe and us and canada is using it it's means the whole world now growing figure skating that's why i know we can say it it's going to be one country who go on a winner all the time like it was. a real few years ago or twenty years ago and now it's even more interesting for the aurion because each competition different people. well let's take a look now at the history of figure skating in russia is this report from

spotlights the neither. he's the man who brought russia its first ever olympic gold more than a hundred years ago come upon you got the price for special eagles the spot was about inventing complicated patterns and join them on ice with the skaters boids it was only part of the olympics once at the nineteen zero eight summit games in london but that was enough upon him to become a legend of russian t.v. skating the next few turbulent decades marked by revolutions civil war stalin's repressions and then the with the nazis pigskin in russia was not given much attention a country had to wait more than fifty years for somebody to repeat violence success it was eventually done by a panel of me will also work in the lead product of they received some olympic gold and one fool will championships what's more they changed as skating haven't

introduced elements of blaine to the sport the nineteen seventies so irina rodnina not becoming the most successful skater in the history when intense excess the world championships at the same time the new upon home over and out xander off had been gaining their reputation this one of the best honest and spares of all time the collapse of the soviet union so skating rinks in russia shutting down coaches live in the country for better wages and sport losing the financial support it used to enjoy despite all that russian athletes continue to top the major figure skating bands but there's a good inclusion there is not and see who reads and just a few names associated with the russian figure skating at the beginning of the same sheree. so i'm going that was the history of russian figure skating there these were the legends but today fergus

skating is becoming more and more popular and it's becoming younger and younger and younger every day do you think this is good or bad or maybe this and this worries you you know what i can say it is good or bad because it's what i have you know i get a lot i mean kids kids are like it's kids on a second you know my side vote you know religionistic love you know not like this it's young guys but after this sport in figure skating we have some life it's kind of shores and shows people skating to you and our fifty years old and even maybe as they grow we more sure. and for orient it's not bad too because we don't need to look at the sport how it's sport because it's sport sport it's for us for eons it's for it's power life it's show anyway it's action and some

some guys in very young age the. big send world after that is skating on the shores but we we can a look at them and see the roles for many many years so what should be is that is that being younger in professional sports leaves you more time for for making money and perversely like i want to make not just money made here. you know now the figure skating is very difficult technically and you can get scared if you're already kind of old guy you know young guys they. can do something you know it's it's life or it's all sports getting like this now says. the olympic figure skating champion spotlight will be back shortly after we take a break. so stay where you all continue this interview in less than two minutes to play. the

butler. hungry for the full story we've got it fixed the biggest issues get the cuban voice face to face with the news makers on. live in a country that don't understand that there's more violence in the streets of this country than there are in the streets of baghdad. just. prior to this. trip with.

welcome back to the spotlight i'm going off in just a reminder that my guest here in the studio is anton sikharulidze of the olympic champion in figure skating we're talking about the world figure skating champion a championship that should have taken place in japan but russia has taken over after the disaster in japan and it and it's taking off tomorrow in moscow what were the strong points that's helped russia get this chairmanship because there was a competition can the united states croatia finland who else was trio were ready to host the championship but it came to moscow why not actually. ready for any kind of competition and we have a fantastic i sorry now it's you. really good i mean

well we have called else here which is going to be good for the people who count the company there and watch their world escape. championships and we have people who are figure skating and actually believe it's going to be a real championship that doesn't matter if we have just won once we were ready for that that's why i think most call for the city which is you worse because you are a professional figure skating you also today are a professional in organizing support you're doing a lot for sport in this country and internationally do you think it really is possible how is it possible to suddenly organize something which was not planned which was not in the plans not in the bud just not anywhere in such a short time in what's in one month actually is it possible you know it's possible first of all it's possible when you have money for that and now we have money for that because they look at it will go for from there i spew from the budget yeah

it's money from the. second. we have all. our deals ready for that kind of competitions and third real. experience in may a big competition here in moscow and all gears and it's many. championships in one month ok can you call it would you rather call it a stress test for the sochi olympics. yes. because it's always stressed when you have something for one month but from one side and for the other side it's kind of interesting and a gain we're going to state for i assume for the whole world we're ready for there and if we need some think we're going to do it like all the russian people ok now listen you mentioned the money you got from the state budget do you personally have

any idea can you give us the sun how much did it cost time if i actually think across it was actually a real. prize i believe it's about six million dollars something really gets it. that's not really is it is it going to pay back i mean selling tickets selling television rights you never know because when you talk about the tickets it's always. you know one of the people going to the north and if it's going to be nice where is a maybe in these days they go and. they want to go and somehow it is because it's for us it was very yeah it's really is if it's going to be different where or maybe more people come here to watch figure skating and it's depends how many people from as a country is usually actually we have lots of fans from japan lots of fans a really lot figure skating i'm not sure. they're going to come from japan to watch

it as a matter of fact people coming from abroad are russia's top olympic officials said i quote that the government. will expedite the visa process for the world figure skating championships what is being done to facilitate visa requirements because it's usually pretty hard for foreigners to get these us to come to rival if it's going to be easy for the skaters and colchis who are going to come here for their world championships and the uterus. with who is going to google different situation but anyway will try to make their easier way to russia and it's already good how they're going to be for police for sure i don't know but for sportsman's and for call just it's already there to make the open. did do the people who already got tickets for the championships in japan so you can. also know i mean

somebody could walk ticket to japan will they have any preferences to come to moscow and think i already got their ticket calculate change it for russian to get some things from you know if it's own thing since i'm not sure because i'm not involved in taking things but i'm not sure because you know i probably they will have to get good to give their money back from japan and thereby you know i think it's going to be. if they have to get there and. give it here sure it's going to work you hard to realize that it's a short time but i know you're with a sponsor so we're well out of sponsors who will be in japan and working here with eyes you are going to be in moscow ok you know this and. you mentioned how tells moscow does have a lot of luxury as we have the ritz whatever but the problem is the problem has always been that they blame roscoe for not having enough affordable hotels i mean three star four thousand the places where you can where you can get real value for money can you say as a muscovite and as

a person involved in organizing this event that this situation is changing that you can get reasonable homes in moscow. you know what. i know. which. kind of affordable and they're not bad but for moscow it's not enough for sure and believe. business here should be grown in that kind of way we have and we have to build. new hotels our fordable had theirs but their quality should be much better than now because lots of tourists who want to come here to watch the country. competition or something else they can pay seven hundred euro for night by other way they can pay two hundred dollars but they want to see the quality and here we don't have a lot of hotel like this and i believe this is the way how we should go on ok now i

know you mix a lot with lawmakers with people who take decisions in russian sports these six or whatever six seven millions that you got to organize the championship does it mean that this money will be taken out of the sports budget and that you have to save on some other sporting events in this country no no no i heard the. radio or t.v. and lots of people say oh i know that miley will be taken from some of us are sports or something like it's not this money going to be taken from their special. fund which government and it's not going to touch any kind of sport or anybody who buys that's why it's real clean think ok one of the top russian figure skating are you could cover gucci know exactly how you code is jeopardy champ uneasy and

you know her very well can you can you tell me did did this disaster that happened in japan because she she was ready to to go. to perform there did this somehow influence her readiness to who were made this in for instance a ho performance in must first of all we ask many times and there are things right with her parents and family it's all already good and bad for sure for your own for all japanese people it's kind of difficult when you think in your heart it's not just the comfortable situation to prepare for any kind of competition but from other side we'll try to tell her you know in this kind of situation you have you have to be more stronger and if you're gonna be good on ice in bed in bed moments it's all what you can do nothing else you can do you can skate for your parents for

your family and try to do your best it's going to be your present and it's going to be your heart for that nothing else you can do because it's a difficult situation ok another question to ask you and i think you already asked this question a lot but i don't think we have ever heard a full answer to that our figure skaters finally are they used to the new rules to the new method of counting and cast the ballots by the judge judging system you know it's difficult questions if you want in my. opinion i don't like new system. old system was five point nine six point zero and i love the rules and. artistic impression was really important because for me this is the future of skiing and i remember not just some jumps from some guys i

remember. programs and this is going to be in my head forever not just one spin or something like this and now it's different rules but i believe this rule is going to be a little bit change in the going to be more for koreans then now because nothing's going to be a like. this is the rules for ever and no i believe there is you're going to walk with that rules more more and more because figure skating say it again it's not just a sport for people who skate in inside this sport this is for orient this is for audience this is for people who watch figure skating and these people should be inside the program there should be inside the camp if you feel if you ask me well i did a little figure skating when i was a kid but i try to look at it more professional than

a list but i think that it's becoming less spectacular like the new system i feel like it's trying they're trying to explain to the figure skaters that do try to be better the more technical yeah that's it it's like it's like you know it's like we rush to see it's like running in a bag the guy isn't too who is the thriller but he's the best rider in the band so do you have this impression yes that's true. i believe their eyes see you and all people around figure skating and koch is the all going to. these who rules . for the people more for the audience i believe that's going to be changing a little bit mildred and it's going to be much more interesting even a for the people who watch figure skating ok i want to thank you thank you very much you're going to share her we show we show you great success for the championship and i hope our guys will do well because because the russians really

really like to have their own guys win at the rams so everyone loves that recession really was that spanking very much and just to remind but my guest on the show today was on see how their lives at the olympic champion in figure skating and that's it for now from all of us here if you want to have your say on spotlight or have someone in mind who you think i should say next time just drop me a line of calgary r.t. if you need to ask are you and let's give the show interact spotlight will be back with more from his prime comments on what was going on in and outside russia until then stay on r.t. and take it as. you george.

russian republic blends historic diversity if we see economic diversification we don't really.