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CNN Live Today

Interview With Oksana Baiul

Aired February 24, 2004 - 10:22   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Can you believe it? Ten years ago today a tiny 16-year-old figure skater from the Ukraine took the ice and stunned the crowd. Oksana Baiul's powerful performance won her the gold medal at the 1994 Winter Olympic games. After her win at Lillehammer, Norway, Baiul moved to the U.S.
Over the years she's survived the inevitable highs and lows that come with sudden celebrity at a tender age. Now at 26 she skates professionally. And she is our guest today to look back and look forward as well. Oksana, good morning.

OKSANA BAIUL, OLYMPIC SKATER: Good morning. Good morning.

KAGAN: When I heard ten years ago today, I don't know about you, I don't think you can feel old when you're 26.

BAIUL: Well.

KAGAN: Made me feel old. Can you believe it was ten years ago?

BAIUL: Yes, I can. But right now, my gold medal weighs so much more than when I was 16.

KAGAN: How's that?

BAIUL: I've learned so much more. I wish I could have that much of knowledge when I was 16. But you know, you live your whole life and have you to learn it.

KAGAN: Let's talk about that. First of all, take us back to that day ten years ago. That's the thing you remember the most? I remember this tiny little fragile almost a bird looking little girl with a big gold medal around her neck.

BAIUL: That, and I remember I made my country to be very proud because I was the first Olympic gold medalist who won the gold medal for the Ukraine. And I was very proud of it.

And you know, I achieved my mom's dream because my mom passed away when I was 13-years-old. And for the first time in my life, I never knew my father. And I recently went back to the Ukraine and met my father for the first time.

KAGAN: Tell us a little bit about that. You just went back in September. This is a man who left your life early on when you were 2 or 3.

BAIUL: I have no memories of him.

KAGAN: Since then you lost your grandparents, long time coach, your mother. How was that to reconnect with your father?

BAIUL: It gave me such strength because when I came back to the states -- I love New York. I live in New York. New York is my city. I feel great.

And I've also reconnected with a lot of people who I knew when I was younger back there in Dnipropetrovsk. That's my hometown where I was born.

And when you're getting older and you're more maturing, it was tough for me to live as -- it was very tough for me to sort of -- came to the states when I was 16, and live without anybody's sort of...

KAGAN: Without any guidance.

BAIUL: ... without any parental guidance. Exactly.

KAGAN: You did have a rough road when you came here.

(CROSSTALK)

KAGAN: ... this success. And not only did have you to grow up and learn all of the stuff without guidance, you had to do it publicly. Could anything have been done differently or was that something you had to go through?

BAIUL: I feel very happy and content right now. I'm happily engaged, and I'm back on tour. I'm with Smuckers Stars on Ice. Actually, I'm doing 60 shows around America. And I'm back on the ice, I'm skating. And the crowd helps me. My fans, they've been there for me no matter what I do, and I'm so thankful for them.

KAGAN: It really seems like you're on the road to even continued success, and it's well earned. As you said if you knew then what you know now, but thank goodness you know it now.

We wish you well. And congratulations, ten-year anniversary. What a thrill.

BAIUL: Thank you.

KAGAN: Oksana Baiul, thanks for being us.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired February 24, 2004 - 10:22   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Can you believe it? Ten years ago today a tiny 16-year-old figure skater from the Ukraine took the ice and stunned the crowd. Oksana Baiul's powerful performance won her the gold medal at the 1994 Winter Olympic games. After her win at Lillehammer, Norway, Baiul moved to the U.S.
Over the years she's survived the inevitable highs and lows that come with sudden celebrity at a tender age. Now at 26 she skates professionally. And she is our guest today to look back and look forward as well. Oksana, good morning.

OKSANA BAIUL, OLYMPIC SKATER: Good morning. Good morning.

KAGAN: When I heard ten years ago today, I don't know about you, I don't think you can feel old when you're 26.

BAIUL: Well.

KAGAN: Made me feel old. Can you believe it was ten years ago?

BAIUL: Yes, I can. But right now, my gold medal weighs so much more than when I was 16.

KAGAN: How's that?

BAIUL: I've learned so much more. I wish I could have that much of knowledge when I was 16. But you know, you live your whole life and have you to learn it.

KAGAN: Let's talk about that. First of all, take us back to that day ten years ago. That's the thing you remember the most? I remember this tiny little fragile almost a bird looking little girl with a big gold medal around her neck.

BAIUL: That, and I remember I made my country to be very proud because I was the first Olympic gold medalist who won the gold medal for the Ukraine. And I was very proud of it.

And you know, I achieved my mom's dream because my mom passed away when I was 13-years-old. And for the first time in my life, I never knew my father. And I recently went back to the Ukraine and met my father for the first time.

KAGAN: Tell us a little bit about that. You just went back in September. This is a man who left your life early on when you were 2 or 3.

BAIUL: I have no memories of him.

KAGAN: Since then you lost your grandparents, long time coach, your mother. How was that to reconnect with your father?

BAIUL: It gave me such strength because when I came back to the states -- I love New York. I live in New York. New York is my city. I feel great.

And I've also reconnected with a lot of people who I knew when I was younger back there in Dnipropetrovsk. That's my hometown where I was born.

And when you're getting older and you're more maturing, it was tough for me to live as -- it was very tough for me to sort of -- came to the states when I was 16, and live without anybody's sort of...

KAGAN: Without any guidance.

BAIUL: ... without any parental guidance. Exactly.

KAGAN: You did have a rough road when you came here.

(CROSSTALK)

KAGAN: ... this success. And not only did have you to grow up and learn all of the stuff without guidance, you had to do it publicly. Could anything have been done differently or was that something you had to go through?

BAIUL: I feel very happy and content right now. I'm happily engaged, and I'm back on tour. I'm with Smuckers Stars on Ice. Actually, I'm doing 60 shows around America. And I'm back on the ice, I'm skating. And the crowd helps me. My fans, they've been there for me no matter what I do, and I'm so thankful for them.

KAGAN: It really seems like you're on the road to even continued success, and it's well earned. As you said if you knew then what you know now, but thank goodness you know it now.

We wish you well. And congratulations, ten-year anniversary. What a thrill.

BAIUL: Thank you.

KAGAN: Oksana Baiul, thanks for being us.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com