Baiul, who won gold in 1994, is returning to Las Vegas amid a divorce and says she “can’t make a living” in Shreveport.

They say champions rise after every fall—but what happens when the ice itself melts beneath your feet? For Oksana Baiul, the Ukrainian figure skating sensation who captured gold in 1994, that question has become painfully real.

The 47‑year‑old announced that she will be selling her Shreveport, Louisiana mansion and returning to Las Vegas after admitting she simply “can’t make a living” where her dreams once glinted.

What looked like a bold new chapter has crumbled into heartbreak, as Baiul grapples with failed business plans, a pending divorce, and the chilly reality of starting over.

When Baiul relocated to Louisiana in 2022 with her husband, Carlo Farina, she envisioned building a skating legacy in the Deep South—opening a training school, nurturing talent, and perhaps carving a fresh path beyond her Olympic triumphs.

The grand Georgian‑Italianate estate they purchased, for roughly $600,000, was exquisitely restored over three years and featured five bedrooms, six garages, seven fireplaces, a gated driveway, and a sweeping fountain that could even serve as a skating rink in winter.

She listed it in September 2025 for nearly $1.2 million, a symbolic and emotional pivot away from the life she tried to forge.

“Thank you, Shreveport!!! House is for sale, moving back to Las Vegas … I love u all. I am sorry it didn’t work out,” she wrote on Facebook, her sorrow echoing in every word.

Despite her stature and past victories, Baiul’s ambition collided with harsh economic realities.

She confessed publicly, “I can’t make a living in Shreveport. Unfortunately, I can’t,” adding that while she “came here to create some things, but they did not come to fruition. I have to go where the ice exists.” The shimmering promise of a skating school never took shape.

The financial pressure mounted, especially as she navigates a separation from Farina, announced in August, after ten years of marriage. Their 10‑year‑old daughter has already moved back to Las Vegas, adding another layer of urgency to Baiul’s departure.

Though she has had moments of viral joy—like skating on her frozen driveway during rare Louisiana cold snaps—the momentum was never enough to sustain her vision.

In interviews, Baiul has been candid about her rollercoaster life: “I’ve made all the money in the world, lost all the money in the world,” she told local media.

“I’ve been married, now I’m divorced. But, if you fall down on the ice, can you imagine how many times I had to fall down and get up?” The metaphor cuts deep.

For decades, she carried the weight of Olympic glory, legal battles over image rights, and financial disputes—like the multi‑million lawsuits she once filed alleging misuse of her likeness and theft by former agents.

Now, she faces a different fight: to rebuild from personal and professional rubble.

Her move back to Las Vegas is not merely sentimental—it reflects survival. Baiul has accepted a role within the Vegas Golden Knights organization, working with their skating programs to grow the local community.

It’s a return to a familiar arena, one where ice is no longer a fantasy but a reality. “I personally never learn anything from success.

I learn everything from tougher situations,” she told local stations. Still, leaving Shreveport will sting. The mansion was not just property—it was a physical manifestation of hope, a stage for her second act. Its loss is more than financial; it’s symbolic.

The emotional weight bears down hardest on her family. Her mother’s and daughter’s memories echo in every corner of that estate. Abandoning it is like turning a page before she’s ready.

Yet Baiul knows: if the rink won’t come to her, she must return to where it already exists. Back in Vegas, she may find footing again—this time with less flash, more grit, and a renewed focus on reinvention.

This moment is a study in resilience. A girl who once glided to gold on global ice is now walking through fire. And though she’s lost much, Baiul isn’t giving in.

She’s closing one painful chapter and preparing to skate on toward the next one—with determination, heartache, and the faint glimmer of renewed purpose lighting her path.