Things can get icy between married skaters
GANGNEUNG (South Korea): The next time you have a “domestic” dispute with your nearest and dearest, spare a thought for ice couple Chris and Alexa Knierim and love.
The United States figure skaters competing at the Olympics are partners on the ice, and married off it. They say you should never take your work home with you, but for the twotime former US champions, it’s unavoidable.
A heated exchange over the cornflakes needs to be quickly forgotten if, like Alexa, you have to put your total trust in the man you would have happily throttled a short time earlier.
He’s the one throwing you up in the air, spinning, and then catching you — all the while having to wear a smile.
“Yes, you can get that kind of situation, with any relationship whether you’re married or just work partners,” Chris said.
Alexa nods in agreement: “We’re human, so we still run into that sometimes. I think it’s easy for us in our situation and maybe its different for other people, but it’s an asset for us,” Chris adds.
“We know what works and what doesn’t, talking, you know how to say something the right way.
“It’s a lot of communication, we’ve learnt throughout the years of being together, what works and what doesn’t.
“We switch off the minute we get in the ring.”
Rink romance in Pyeongchang near here is by no means confined to the Knierims.
Russians Vladimir Morozov and Evgenia Tarasova, the twotime European champions, are rarely out of step whether on or off the rink.
“We had mutual understanding from the very beginning,” Tarasova said.
“I decided to listen to Vladimir in everything as he is older, but I do not remember him ever raising his voice at me.”
Her red-haired work and life companion added: “We practically do not have these situations, honestly!
“Maybe that’s our power.” With all the athleticism, artistry and emotional intelligence required in their sport, the Knierims say that life off the ice is by far the easy part.
“Outside the rink, life is easy,” explains Alexa.
“I mean, skating’s our job, that’s our income, that’s our livelihood, that’s the stress. When we go home it’s play time, it’s easy.”
But love on and off the ice does not conquer all.
The Knierim’s fellow Americans, ice dance pair Madison Hubbell and Zach Donohue ended their 2½-year romance, but kept the day job and remain a couple on ice.
“To work harder and do all of these things right, we just realised that to date, and be with each other 24/7, with our particular personalities was just explosive,” Donohue said.
“We had to ask ourselves what was more important, our on-ice partnership or our off-ice relationship?
“And we were both very clearly said the on-ice partnership is No. 1,” added his ex.