A prominent Russian politician described Finland’s decision to allow same-sex pairs compete in domestic events as “ridiculous”, but others in the sport have warmly welcomed the development.
Finland’s first ever same-sex ice dancing team is slicing a pioneering path through the traditional gender-strict roles of the sport.
Emma Aalto, 19, and her 20-year-old dancing partner Millie Colling have made headlines across the world — including in The Guardian and Reuters — since Finland became only the second country in the world to allow same-sex teams compete in domestic competitions.
“It’s been quite a long journey. We waited a year for the decision to be allowed to compete. When we first got the idea, we couldn’t even train together right away,” Aalto told Yle.
Both Aalto and Colling have competed for years in singles competitions, but their shared dream of entering the team events was hindered by the International Skating Union’s (ISU) rules.
“A sad fact about our sport is that for every two hundred girls, there is one boy. Finding a partner is a tough battle,” their coach Neil Brown explained. “If you’re lucky, you’ll find a partner in your own country. Otherwise, one of you has to move. Every star has to align.”
Although Aalto and Colling can compete together in Finnish domestic competitions, they are still prevented from entering international events — such as this weekend’s Finlandia Trophy in Helsinki — by the ISU’s rule barring same-sex pairs.
The emergence of Finland’s first ever same-sex dancing team, and the global media attention they have garnered, has not been warmly welcomed everywhere.
Reactions in Russia, a country with a long history of success in figure skating competitions, have been less than encouraging.
Dmitri Svishchev, a member of the Russian parliament, told news agency Tass that the idea of a same-sex ice dancing team was “ridiculous”.
“The Finnish [Figure Skating] Association has confused figure skating with an ice show or circus. I don’t think this has anything to do with sports, and I don’t think it has a future,” Svishchev said.
Colling — who was born in the town of Gateshead, near Newcastle, in the north east of England before moving to Finland at the age of six — told Yle that the pair were not too bothered by Svishchev’s remarks.
“We saw the article about the Russian politician’s comments. We laughed at it heartily and put it out of our minds. It hasn’t affected anything,” Colling said.
“We can’t please everyone, and we don’t even try to. All the people who matter to us have responded very positively,” Aalto added.
The reaction in Russia has not been overwhelmingly negative, however. Tatiana Tarasova, widely considered the matriarch of Russian figure skating, broadly welcomed the development but said same-sex teams should first compete in their own events.
“That way, we could see how such competition develops. After that, it could be included in traditional competition programs in the way professionals see fit. In some countries, there are few boys and men in the sport. In Russia, we have enough of everything,” Tarasova told Tass.
US-based figure skating coach and podcaster Anna Kellar told Yle in October that Finland’s decision to allow same-sex pairs to compete in domestic competitions is a welcome move for the sport.
“The fact that there are so many more women gives men a special status, a lot of power and control. That can lead to unhealthy dynamics and even exploitation,” Kellar said.
Kellar produces “The Future of Figure Skating” podcast, which interviews “the change-makers and visionaries who are making the skating world a healthier and more inclusive place”, according to its own blurb.
One of these developments would be wider acceptance of same-sex pairs.
“There is a group of people who oppose it because it’s not the traditional way. But most of the feedback is positive,” Brown said.
Emma Aalto and Millie Colling were inspired to start dancing together after watching a video on social media of the two most successful female ice dancers of all time, Gabriella Papadakis and Madison Hubbell, performing at a gala event.
“As our friendship grew, Emma dared to ask if skating together was really possible,” Colling recalled.
Although their pairing has received a lot of attention, the road ahead remains uncertain — for example if they will ever be permitted to compete together internationally.
But the pair are optimistic about the future.
“We hope that people’s skating careers wouldn’t depend on things they can’t control. We would like the same world to be open to us as it is for others, because we are just the same and deserve the same opportunities,” Colling said.
