EOK head: Controversial Henry Sildaru father bonus payment not a value call
A stipend paid to the coach and father of Estonia's sole Milano Cortina Winter Olympics medalist Henry Sildaru should not be taken to be a rehabilitation of character, Estonian Olympic Committee (EOK) president Kersti Kaljulaid said.
The decision by the EOK to award €35,000 to Tõnis Sildaru, father of Henry, 19, who won silver in the freestyle skiing halfpipe event at last month's winter games, has met with controversy.
This is mainly because Henry's older sister – and Tõnis' daughter – Kelly, also a top freestyle skier, has in recent years accused her father both of physical abuse and of embezzlement.
That case is currently with the courts.
Writing on her social media account, Kaljulaid, who was president of Estonia 2016-2021, noted she "understands that the EOK's decision to award a bonus to Henry Sildaru's coach following his Olympic silver medal has caused some confusion."
"While the decision by the EOK executive committee was unanimous, not everyone who voted necessarily relied on the same rationale. Why did I support this decision? First, I want to stress that this decision in no way rehabilitates any possible past actions or addresses Tõnis Sildaru's relationships with any particular athlete;" Kaljulaid continued.
"Kelly Sildaru's accusations against her father of severe abuse and embezzlement are still in court," Kaljulaid added. "Henry Sildaru, who is now an adult, has decided to continue working with him as a coach. This collaboration led to the silver medal. The coach of a medal-winning athlete is entitled to a performance bonus of €35,000. I support the payment of the bonus on the grounds that Henry won a silver medal and was coached by his father. This is not a value judgment."
Kaljulaid said the decision should not be taken to mean that Tõnis Sildaru's past actions should no longer be the subject of investigation. "The relevant authorities have been doing so all along, and hopefully the court will reach a fair decision in the not-too-distant future. This decision in no way diminishes Kelly's accusations against her father. I am not taking sides. I am not saying that a medal justifies everything," the EOK chair added.
On the contrary, the questions surrounding what went on are "still being discussed separately where they belong, in this case in court," Kaljulaid went on, noting this fact and the bonus award "are entirely separate issues."
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Editor: Andrew Whyte, Siim Boikov
