Copely is the ex- and Tobbias is the current partner to Lithuania's big hope in ice dancing, Deividas Stagniūnas. Both women were born in the US, took their first steps on ice skates early in their childhoods and later became sport professionals.
It is still uncertain if Stagniūnas and Tobbias will be able to compete in Sochi Olympics in 2014.
At first they danced with American partners. For a short while, Isabella had withdrawn from ice dancing and danced ballet with a New York company, but later returned to international figure skating and was paired with Otar Japaridze, representing Georgia. This ended, however, after one season of 2007-2008. Tobias could even represent Georgia in the Olympics, but the pair broke up. Japaridze's other partner, Allison Reed, also American, was granted Georgian citizenship and the two came 22nd in Vancouver Olympics.
Vancouver 2010 was the first Olympic Games in a while without any ice skaters representing Lithuania. It is still uncertain if Stagniūnas and Tobbias will be able to compete in Sochi Olympics in 2014.
Disappointment
Both Katherine Copely and Isabella Tobias regarded their pairing with Deividas Stagniūnas as beginning of the most important stage in their career. It is quite usual to see multinational pairs on ice. The pairing usually happens in the US, as it can offer perfect training environment and wealth of great coaches, attracting talents from all over the world. Stagniūnas went to America at the age of fourteen, as he saw no career prospects in Lithuania. Nor did he have a partner, necessary in order to pursue recognition in ice dancing.
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| AFP/„Scanpix“ nuotr./Katherine Copely and Deividas Stagniūnas |
On the other side of the Atlantic, Stagniūnas' first partners were Laura Whipple and Kayla Nicole Frey, yet it was another American, Copely, who accompanied Deividas to world's best coaches Igor Shpilband and Marina Zoueva.
“We had to stay in America, as this was where our coaches worked. America has the best sport professionals in the world, therefore athletes of all fields, not only ice skaters, come here,” Copely told 15min.
Me and Deividas had achieved everything we could and therefore deserved to go to the Olympics.
Copely's and Stagniūnas's joint career ended in 2010, when Lithuania's President Dalia Grybauskaitė announced, regretfully, that the American would not be granted Lithuanian citizenship, thus effectively closing the pair's prospects of competing in Vancouver Olympics, even though they had already passed qualifications.
“Me and Deividas had achieved everything we could and therefore deserved to go to the Olympics. We didn't know if I'd get citizenship, but we hoped for it. All we could do was work hard and hope for the best. It was tough when we discovered that we wouldn't go to the Olympics. It hurts when you're prevented from following your dream,” Copely still recalls her disappointment.
It was quite dramatic for Stagniūnas too. For several months, he could not even look at his skates and though it was the end to his career. As it turned out, however, it was only Katherine's career on ice that ended.
“I believe there are reasons for everything. After the bad news, I had a trauma and couldn't skate for some time, giving me time to reflect. I saw no point in starting everything from scratch with a new partner and looking for another country – it would have been waste of time and big money,” Copely says.
Understanding for Deividas
She took a different path – started studying and became figure skating coach. “I coach now, I study and I'm enjoying what I do. I'm fully immersed in academic work, but I also keep an eye on what's happening in figure skating.” How can it be otherwise – Copely's brother is also an ice dancer and winner of bronze medal in last year's youth world championship.
Copely hopes that Stagniūnas and Tobias will be allowed to represent Lithuania in Sochi Olympics.
It's tough on him, being Lithuanian, skating all his life and not being allowed to compete in the Olympics merely because his partner is not Lithuanian.
“I know that Deividas has a new partner. They're nurturing new hopes, but I don't even want to imagine what it's going to be like for them, if they don't get the chance to skate in the Olympics. I wish with all my heart that Deividas doesn't have to go through the same disappointment again,” his ex-partner says.
She feels reserved about Tobias' chances to become Lithuanian citizen, but wants to stress that it is not Isabella but Deividas that Lithuania has to think about.
“It's hard to say anything about Isabella's chances. It depends on many factors. I think it's what Deividas needs most, I understand him. It's tough on him, being Lithuanian, skating all his life and not being allowed to compete in the Olympics merely because his partner is not Lithuanian. It's unfair to him. I understand that Olympic Games have rules and a country must be represented by its own athlete, but it's still sad that Lithuania can't be proud of Deividas,” Copely regrets.
Unbelievable success
Copely might be right in saying that nothing happens without a reason. She discovered new life path, while Stagniūnas has a new partner who gave his career a positive boost.
After dancing together for a little over a year, they won bronze medals in a prestigious “Grand Prix” competition – the first Lithuanian couple to do so after Povilas Vanagas and Margarita Drobiazko. In this year's European championship in Sheffield, Tobias and Stagniūnas took fifth place in short dance, leaving more experienced and better-known couples from Italy and Russia behind.
“This season has been exceptionally successful for us. It's no small achievement to win a medal in the first stage of “Grand Prix” while our performance in European Championship boosted our self-confidence even more. It gives hope for the next European Championship. We will learn from our mistakes and the experience we gained will let us do even better in the coming World Championship,” Isabella Tobias told 15min.
Heart and soul
Right after World Championship, which starts late March in Nice, the couple and Lithuania's Ice Skating Federation are planning to fill in citizenship application for President Grybauskaitė.
Of course, at the moment, all Tobias' and Stagniūnas' attention goes for the forthcoming championship, leaving no time or energy to worry about citizenship.
“Until World Championship is over, we can't think of citizenship. We'll take care of the issue afterwards,” Tobias says.
I wasn't born in Lithuania, but I love your country. Your people are wonderful, they keep sending me messages of support.
She knows well that her chances of representing Lithuania in Sochi are regarded as slim in Lithuania. But she refuses to give up prematurely and looks forward to learning Lithuanian.
“I don't know if I'm getting this citizenship, but I hope so very much! I wasn't born in Lithuania, but I love your country. Your people are wonderful, they keep sending me messages of support. I'm honored to be able to represent a country like Lithuania. Especially since it's where Deividas comes from. I'm happy that I'm able to skate with such a wonderful person. I'm soon starting to take Lithuanian lessons every Saturday, I'm looking forward to it very much,” Tobias says.
“Our dream is to represent Lithuania in the Olympics. I can swear to your President that if she gives me citizenship, I will give all my heart and soul to compete for Lithuania,” promises Isabella, concluding her letter to 15min with three words in Lithuanian: “Mes iš Lietuvos.”
There's hope
Lilija Vanagienė, president of Lithuania's Skating Federation, says:
“Perhaps we started taking care of Copely's citizenship too late, with barely a year to the Olympics. This time, we will apply for Tobias' citizenship much earlier. Isabella and Deividas have already shown progress and are making Lithuania's name known in the world. We hope that the authorities take into account their high achievements. Isabella has natural talent for languages – she is fluent in Russian and determined to learn Lithuanian. For obvious reasons, she cannot integrate into our society. Lithuania is unable to provide proper environment for skaters of their level and covers only one hundredth of expense that our couple requires. Isabella and Deividas are training in exceptional environment – among olympic and world champions and vice-champions. They are coached by world's best coaches. Neither they, nor athletes from other countries can understand why Deividas is being prevented from representing his country.”
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| AFP/„Scanpix“ nuotr./After dancing together for a little over a year, Isabella and Deividas won bronze medals in a prestigious “Grand Prix” competition |
How many athletes have been granted Lithuanian citizenship:
1993-1998 (President Algirdas Brazauskas): 8
1998-2003 (President Valdas Adamkus): 8
2003-2004 (President Rolandas Paksas): 4
2004-2009 (President Valdas Adamkus, second term): 0
Since 2009 (President Dalia Grybauskaitė): 0
Rules for granting Lithuanian citizenship for foreign nationals were made stricter by the Constitutional Court's 2003 decision, ruling that future merit cannot be treated as exceptional basis for granting citizenship.
