ARD figure skating commentator Daniel Weiss has apologized for a controversial remark about the relationship status of Georgian skater Anastasia Gubanova. The 57-year-old called his comment "absolutely inappropriate" and regretted the backlash it caused. The athlete had achieved a personal best in the Olympic short program.
During the Olympic short program on Tuesday evening, Daniel Weiss commented as Anastasia Gubanova left the ice and awaited her scores: "Gentlemen out there, I'm really sorry, she's unfortunately taken. Married to a former Finnish figure skater." The 23-year-old Georgian, who scored a personal best of 71.77 points, was accused in an Instagram post of being degraded from subject to object. The post portrayed her as "Wifey Material" ("wife material") and had garnered over 146,000 likes by Thursday afternoon. It stated: "She is not seen as an athlete in this moment. She is evaluated as a potential partner."
In a statement to the RedaktionsNetzwerks Deutschland (RND) on Thursday, Weiss said: "Absolutely inappropriate. I'm sorry." He emphasized that he had commented on Gubanova's athletic performance with full appreciation before and after the remark. His style involves incorporating information about the athletes, many of whom he knows well. "This time I unfortunately got it wrong," said the 57-year-old, a former figure skater and German champion in 1990 and 1991.
On Thursday evening, Weiss was back commenting for ARD on the women's free skate, which began at 7 p.m. Anastasia Gubanova entered the medal-deciding phase in sixth place, while Japanese skater Ami Nakai led with 78.71 points.