The transition of two-time world champion among juniors Alexandra Trusova from the coaching group of Eteri Tutberidze to the academy, Evgeni Plushenko, has become without exaggeration the main sports event of recent days. The figure skater completed four years of cooperation with one of the most titled specialists, with whom she achieved all her significant successes and broke several world records.
According to Alexander Zhulin, an ice dancing coach, there is nothing unexpected in Trusova’s departure from Tutberidze. Recently, the figure skater has appeared in the shadow of her classmates Alena Kostornaya and Anna Shcherbakova, and this could affect her decision, the specialist said in a conversation with RT.
“I was not at all surprised at Trusova’s transition, because judge for yourself what Tutberidze’s account is now for her? Third, Kamila Valieva will also be added, which will also make serious competition. It seems to me that Sasha felt that it was better to be the first with Plushenko than the third or fourth with Tutberidze. Not Shcherbakova and Kostornaya, but Trusova left. Apparently, he just wants some changes. During quarantine, Trusova had time to think, because there are so many advisers around. I don’t know if this was a balanced decision, ”Zhulin said.
Answering a question about whether Trusova will have time to go through Plushenko’s adaptation to the 2022 Olympic Games, the coach noted that he did not consider her the main contender for the victory.
“It is too early to speak about Trusova’s preparation for the Olympics, she can go through in 2023. I believe that if Valieva does not gain weight and does not lose her fantastic shape, then most likely she will be the main contender for the victory, despite the great Kostornaya and Shcherbakova. But these are girls. As the great Mishin said, to train girls is the same as watering the desert. Therefore, their decisions can be spontaneous and unpredictable, ”Zhulin added.
Rafael Harutyunyan, mentor of Nathan, reacted to the change of coach at Trusova.
“Any coach, I think, would be interested to work with an athlete who is in the top ten of the world. It’s just that all Russian athletes are very dependent on the conditions created for them: a step to the side is regarded as an escape, and historically we know what this leads to, ”Harutyunyan told RT.
Honored trainer of the USSR Tatyana Tarasova reminded Plushenko of the responsibility that he now bears for one of the most gifted athletes in the world, and noted that working with Trusova can take the most double Olympic champion to a new level.
“Eteri Tutberidze has many more pupils who can replace Alexander Trusov. It happens that students move from one coach to another. A change of coach is always a lottery. Eugene took under his coaching a very good girl, world record holder. This is a huge responsibility that falls on him. I would like for him to succeed. This is an opportunity for him to join the coaching family, ”Tarasova told the Championship.
Trusova’s departure from Tutberidze to Plushenko reminded the world champion in ice dancing, Ilya Averbukh, who was sensational about Alexey Yagudin’s transition from Mishin to Tarasova, who helped the athlete win the Olympics.
“Sasha Trusova is a very talented, gifted and even brilliant girl. She is the record holder for the number of quadruple jumps and brilliantly performed last season. She is our pride, she can only wish good luck. The Tutberidze group goes through what the teams of all the great coaches went through: when a large number of talents gather, someone leaves the group. This has happened at all times. Sometimes the transitions paid off. For example, Yagudin left Mishin, who taught him all the techniques, and Tarasova helped him to reveal his artistry and fighting qualities and win the 2002 Olympics, ”Averbukh paralleled in a conversation with Sport Express.
One of the latter commented on the departure of her student Tutberidze herself. She noted that her team will continue to educate new skaters and new specialists. She also hinted that the trainer Sergey Rozanov, who left with Trusova, could get a better offer at Plushenko Academy.
“Of course, it’s impossible to get used to the care of athletes. After all, working together, over time we become a family, overcoming constantly arising obstacles on the way. Good athletes and specialists will always be invited and offer more favorable conditions. How to respond to these offers is everyone’s decision. But our team is different in that we ourselves educate and create these athletes and specialists. Of course, we will never offer more attractive conditions, otherwise confidence will be lost. Working together, we give part of our lives, part of ourselves, ”wrote Tutberidze in her Instagram.
Former Trusova choreographer Daniil Gleichengauz denied rumors in the media that the athlete left the training group due to lack of attention on his part.
“Of course, this is an absolute farce. It’s impossible to make Sasha a unique athlete who is in the Guinness Book of Records and is fighting for a leading position without working properly. How can a team not bet on one of its main athletes, who performs this season for adults? The work was huge. Everyone could see Sasha’s uniform on the eve of the world championship for a well-known reason on the video that she posted on her Instagram, ”the press service of the Russian Figure Skating Federation quotes him.
The choreographer assured that the Tutberidze team did everything possible to prepare Trusov for the competition.
“Sometimes not everything worked out at competitions, but the task of our coaching staff was to prepare each athlete for the start as much as possible, so that the skater was at the peak of his form. And then they go on the ice, compete with each other, and their judges evaluate their skating. We worry about everyone. They are all our athletes, and we support everyone as our relatives, because we spend more time with them than with anyone else in life. Therefore, to say that Sasha did not have enough attention ... This is absolutely not so. We spend with the skaters on ice almost all the time and give ourselves completely to work, ”the specialist added.