The “Russian Empress” who made Waliyeva cry

Stop it!　You knew everything, didn’t you? You knew everything. I hate this sport!　I will never stand on the ice again!

The shout echoed through the hall. The players and staff around me felt an unsettling atmosphere, and their expressions became stiff. The voice belonged to Alexandra Trusova (17) of Russia, who won the silver medal in the women’s figure skating single at the Beijing Winter Olympics.

On February 17, her coach, Eteri Tutoberise, greeted her after her free skating performance. However, Trusova refused to accept Tutoberise’s hug. “You can’t do this!” This is not the way to do it!” she exclaimed, according to several media reports, including the Spanish newspaper Marca.

“With so many people watching, there was an uproar in the hall as Trusova suddenly started screaming. She said, “You knew everything,” and “You can’t do it this way,” presumably referring to the allegations of doping by Camilla Walieva (15). I’m not happy at all with the result (silver medal). I’m not happy,’ she said, criticizing her coach in public. It could be seen as a rebellion against Toubelise.

Later in the press conference, Trusova regained her composure and explained, “I did everything I could. I did the best I could, but I wasn’t satisfied with the result. I was a little disappointed, and it might have looked like I was angry to people around me.

The words and actions of Mr. Tutobelize have been questioned by people other than Ms. Trusova. Although she was feared as “hopeless” by her rivals due to her overwhelming strength, her condition deteriorated due to the doping scandal, and she finished fourth with a series of mistakes. To her disappointment, Toubelise had some unforgiving words.

You gave up the fight. Why did you give up?　Explain it to me.

The players were “material.

And during the “Kiss and Cry” as they waited for the score to be announced, Waliwa, sandwiched between Tutoberidze and choreographer Daniil Grahengaus, was constantly being told what to do. As if she couldn’t stand it anymore, she covered her face with her hands and broke down in tears. The New York Post reported that Tara Rybinski, a former figure skater, criticized her.

I can’t even imagine how shocking this must have been for Walliewa. I’m very angry that the coaches and other adults couldn’t have made a better decision.

Tutoberidze, known as the “Empress” or “Queen of the Ice” in Russia, is an absolute master of the sport. Her students include Alina Zagitova, the gold medalist at the 2006 PyeongChang Olympics, and Evgenia Medvedeva, the silver medalist. However, many athletes drop out because they cannot keep up with Tutoberidze’s strict instruction.

Mr. Tutoberidze calls the training ground ‘the factory’ and the athletes ‘the materials,’ and he gives them thorough instructions on how to manage their personal lives. She teaches them how to put on makeup, how to walk, and even how to talk. When Medvedeva misses a jump during practice, he says, “Do you like to fail?　Then I’ll help you fall over,’ he reprimanded her. After the PyeongChang Olympics, Zagitova temporarily withdrew from competition, saying she was ‘burnt out.

Practice is tough. It is natural for athletes to train for 12 hours a day. If they don’t perform as well as they want to, they are scolded loudly, “Pack your bags and go home! If they don’t perform the way they want to, they are loudly scolded. In fact, Zagitova was once excommunicated by Toubelise.

Perhaps because of her strict coaching, the lives of all her students were short. Yulia Lipnitskaya won the team gold medal at the Sochi Olympics in 2002, but retired at the age of 19 after suffering from anorexia. Medvedeva also withdrew from competition due to a back injury,” said a skating federation official.

Russia, as a nation, fully supports its athletes and training facilities. (Skating Federation official) Russia fully supports athletes and training facilities as a state, and Mr. Tutobelise, under the mission of the state, manages not only the training of athletes but also their lives in general. Depending on the decision of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), Mr. Tutoberidze may be subject to serious punishment.