www.byzcath.org Forums General Discussions Town Hall Evan Lysacek

Does anyone know if Evan Lysacek, the Olympic Men's Figure Skating Gold medal winner may be part Rusyn? Per Wikipedia, Evan is a practicing Orthodox Christian and wears a three bar cross. While his surname appears to be Czech, it appears from a cursory seach via Google, that there were a number of Lysaceks who came to America from Slovakia and settled in the Cook County Illinois area where he was born. The more information we can gather, the better to use as a teaching tool for Sunday School etc... Thanks. BTW, Pluschenko is baptized, but I don't know if he is a believer. In the picture Evan Lysacek clearly is wearing his three bar cross. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d7/Evan_Lysacek_and_Frank_Carroll_2007-2008_GPF.jpg

I can't answer that question, DMD, but I also wonder about Johnny Weir.....the kids and I saw him crossing himself in the "Eastern" direction prior to both his short and long programs.

Apologies for the semi-threadjack.

From what I have seen elsewhere, Weir is not an Eastern Christian, but apparently, a lover of things Russian.

I read an article about Johnny Weir. It said that his mother and his family were raised Catholic (he is from Pennsylvania)but he practices kabballah.

Practices kabbalah? Oh my word.

Alexis

I think he is a bit flaky, so who knows. Lysacek seems to be the real deal however as he is being portrayed, at least.

Lysacek may be a practicing Orthodox Christian, Weir might be into Kabballah, at the end of the day though, no one is cooler than Shaun White.

I think I'd have to disagree. At the end of the day, the coolest one comes from the woman's side of White's sport ... a stunningly beautiful 23 year old Aussie member of the CoJCLDS, who quietly and firmly upholds values that include not smoking, not drinking, and no premarital sex, likely not an easy status to uphold in a sport that's more associated with partying and excess than it is the type of role-modeling that we'd all be proud to have associated with our own children.

Torah Bright [sports.yahoo.com]

Many years,

Neil

No no. The best is still Troy Polamalu.

Torah Bright rocked last night! Her skill and technique is just stellar. AND she is a great role model on top of that!

Being openly actively religious is a major accomplishment in the realm of sport.

Those who practice a public religion, and hold to it, set a good example for many of the more lackadaisical in society...an example much missing in our modern society.

Here is what Wiki has to say:

Lysacek is of Italian[10] and Czech descent; his great-grandfather František Lysáček, emigrated from Czechoslovakia to Chicago in 1925.[11] He is a Greek Orthodox Christian,[10] having stated that one of his most prized possessions is his Orthodox cross.[12]

He seems like a nice guy.....

I saw that online, I also saw on a geneology page that there was a Greek Catholic church near or in a Moravian village where some Lysacek's originated. That led me to surmise that somewhere along the line there was some Rusyn background in his geneology. Otherwise, I don't see where the Greek reference comes from. His cross, as pictured at wiki, is three-barred in the Slavic style. Just guessing, but perhaps he didn't want to be identified as Russian Orthodox given the rivalries between Russian and non-Russian skaters? Just a thought....

This is from an online interview with Evan: (the reference #10 from Wiki)

*Evan*: i want to go to the greek islands. I'm greek orthodox, so I've sat through countless church services in greek. I need to experience it for real now

Not sure why he chose the Greek church though...

Yeah, what's an Italian/Czech doing being raised Greek Orthodox?

Not to sound flippant, but it is interesting, is it not?

Alexis