Success in figure skating sometimes brings a cost, and the latest doping controversy involving Russian skater Kamila Valieva has brought her instructor, Eteri Tutberidze, into harsh public scrutiny. Skaters taught by Tutberidze have been the dominant force in the sport for the past eight years. Valieva’s professional career was marred by the recent doping penalty she received and has once again raised doubt about Tutberidze’s involvement.

Many are curious about the Russian coach at the center of all this as the globe concentrates on how serious the doping situation is. Is it possible that this incident will catalyze more examination of Tutberidze’s training regimen, which has been characterized as rigorous, if not cruel?

Everything you need to know about Kamila Valieva’s coach

49-year-old Eteri Tutberidze’s unique journey took her from being an ice dancer in the United States in the 1990s to heading up to become the teaching staff for one of the most talented figure skaters in Russia. Tutberidze began her coaching career in the United States, where she spent six years working in ice performances. She did, however, eventually return to Russia and became a member of the Moscow Sambo-70 club.

In under ten years, Tutberidze—a single mother with limited resources or connections—defied all odds and rose to become a legend in the Russian figure skating coaching school. In the 2014 Sochi Olympics her then 15-year-old student Yulia Lipnitskaya rose to stardom with Tutberidze’s help.

Since that time, Tutberidze has continuously turned Russian skaters into stars, which in turn gave her awards like the 2020 ISU Coach of the Year and the 2018 state honor from Russian President Vladimir Putin. Nonetheless, Tutberidze’s role in doping incidents has once again been called into doubt after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) sanctioned Kamila Valieva a four-year skating ban including the submission of her gold medal. While this wasn’t the first time, the Russian prodigy had kept Tutberidze in harsh headlines.

Aftermath of the 2022 doping scandal delay

Tutberidze was not linked to Valieva’s positive test result for a prohibited drug back in 2022, which was also not formally revealed. However, the greater attention focused on Tutberidze’s training regimen, which was notorious for being harsh and unsafe came under closer examination.

Critics contend that her program propels young skaters to the pinnacle of popularity just to dump them; leaving some of them with reportedly lifelong eating issues and serious injuries reported Washington Post.

READ MORE: How Many Medals Will Russian Figure Skater Kamila Valieva Lose After The 4 Year Doping Ban?

Widely known for meticulously supervising skaters’ weights and subjecting them to strenuous, repeated training that was taxing on their physical health. Many wonder if these gifted young athletes are paying too much for the pursuit of success on the ice as a result of the Kamila Valieva scandal, which calls into question Tutberidze’s coaching philosophy.

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