TL;DR
Olympic gold medalist Oksana Baiul is selling her $1.2 million Shreveport mansion and moving back to Las Vegas following the collapse of her Louisiana skating school dreams and a recent divorce. The figure skating icon, who became Ukraine’s first Winter Olympic champion in 1994, said she’s “heartbroken” but ready to start a new chapter working with the Vegas Golden Knights organization.
A Dream Deferred in Shreveport
Oksana Baiul, 47, once twirled her way into Olympic history. Today, she’s skating into a different kind of change.
After two years in Louisiana, the Ukrainian-born figure skater announced she’s selling her 1925 Georgian Italianate mansion in Shreveport for $1.2 million and returning to Las Vegas—a move she described as both necessary and bittersweet.
“Thank you, Shreveport! House is for sale, moving back to Las Vegas,” Baiul wrote on Facebook. “I love you all. I am sorry it didn’t work out.”
Her dream of opening a skating academy in the Pelican State “did not come to fruition,” Baiul admitted. “I can’t make a living in Shreveport. Unfortunately, I can’t. I came here to create some things, but they did not come to fruition. I have to go where the ice exists.”
Inside the $1.2 Million Louisiana Mansion
The estate Baiul is parting with is as grand as her Olympic legacy. Listed for $1,195,000, the five-bedroom, five-bath home sits on 1.3 acres on Shreveport’s Fairfield Avenue.
Built in 1925 by architect Edward F. Neild for an oil baron, the property has been meticulously restored, featuring:
- Seven fireplaces
- A gated circular driveway
- Six-car garage space
- A striking outdoor fountain
- Expansive formal rooms with vintage detailing
Baiul called it “the most beautiful mansion in all of Shreveport.”
Photos shared to Facebook show the skater walking through the halls with her skates slung over her shoulder—one last lap through a home she hoped would anchor her post-competition dreams.
From Olympic Glory to Personal Challenges
Baiul became a global sensation at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway, when, at just 16, she won the gold medal in women’s figure skating, edging out American Nancy Kerrigan and China’s Chen Lu.
Her triumph made her the first—and still only—Ukrainian to win Olympic gold in figure skating.
But her post-Olympic years have been turbulent. Baiul moved across several U.S. states—Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and eventually Louisiana—searching for stability and purpose.
In 2022, she and her husband, Carlo Farina, bought the Shreveport property for $600,000, hoping to build a skating hub for young athletes. But that dream unraveled alongside her marriage.
Divorce and Sobriety Mark a Period of Transition
In August 2025, Baiul announced that she and Farina were divorcing after 10 years of marriage. The couple shares a 10-year-old daughter, who now lives in Las Vegas.
“Dear extended fam and friends, I’m expressing myself to you this morning regarding my personal circumstances,” she posted on August 5. “My husband and I are divorcing.”
The move comes as Baiul celebrates two years of sobriety, a milestone she shared publicly. “I’ve made all of the money in the world, lost all of the money in the world,” she told local station KSLA. “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?”
A Return to Las Vegas and a New Beginning
Despite heartbreak and financial setbacks, Baiul’s next act is already in motion. She’s moving back to Las Vegas—where her daughter was born—to work with the Vegas Golden Knights organization.
Her new role involves developing and expanding skating programs within the NHL team’s community outreach division, a natural fit for a skater whose artistry once captivated the world.
“I personally never learn anything from success,” Baiul reflected. “I learn everything from tougher situations. I’m blessed and I’m grateful for everything. I will miss Shreveport a lot.”
A Legacy of Perseverance
Baiul’s journey mirrors her skating career: moments of dazzling grace followed by difficult recoveries. She’s weathered lawsuits, personal struggles, and public scrutiny—including a $45 million judgment against her in 2014 after an unsuccessful lawsuit over the use of her likeness in TV promotions.
But through every twist, fall, and comeback, she’s remained a figure of resilience.
As she closes the chapter on her Shreveport dream and steps back onto Las Vegas ice, Baiul seems to embody the lesson that earned her Olympic gold three decades ago—when you fall, you get back up and skate again.
