Sotnikova's memories and praise from Baker
The Russian figure skater Adeline Sotnikova will have a long recovery after the operation, however, the athlete herself feels good and even finds reasons for joy. February 20 marks the sixth anniversary of her victory at the 2014 Home Olympics. She dedicated a post to this event, in which she thanked everyone involved in this triumph.
“My #dreamteam. I want to congratulate my team on our holiday, ”Sotnikova wrote on Instagram.
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Posted by 𝓐𝓭𝓮𝓵𝓲𝓷𝓪 𝓢𝓸𝓽𝓷𝓲𝓴𝓸𝓿𝓪 (@ adelina_sotnikova14) Feb 19, 2020 at 9:50 am PST
In Sochi, Sotnikova became the first domestic single player who managed to win the gold of the Olympic Games. Four years later, her achievement was repeated by Alina Zagitova.
Meanwhile, the student Eteri Tutberidze herself, who announced her career suspension last December, took part in the Art on Ice series of ice shows that ended in Switzerland. There she introduced two new numbers and tried herself in pair skating. Her partner was local pop singer Bastian Baker.
The musician was delighted with the collaboration with the Russian woman, and dedicated the event an emotional post on social networks. He noted that it was an honor for him to perform the song during the performance of the Russian woman.
“When the organizers said that I would ride with you, I was very happy, but, I confess, a few seconds before the first performance I was so nervous that my legs were trembling! Thank you for trusting me. You are an amazing girl, both on ice and beyond! ” - wrote Baker.
In addition to Zagitova, other famous figure skaters took part in the show, including two-time Olympic champions Tatyana Volosozhar and Maxim Trankov, as well as newly-made world champions in ice dancing Victoria Sinitsina - Nikita Katsalapov.
“Nikita and Victoria, you are one of the most beautiful couples I've ever seen. You can be sure that your names will forever remain in my memory. I will follow your careers and wish you all the best! ” - added Baker.
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Publication by Bastian Baker (@bastianbaker) Feb 18, 2020 @ 7:37 am PST
Zagitova’s self-confidence and Tutberidze’s rigidity
The other day, a documentary film “Queen Zagitova: The Truth About a Career” was released in Japan, which included a large interview with the skater. In it, she talked about her attitude to modern trends in figure skating, as well as about her life outside the rink.
So, the 2019 world champion said that she does not feel a real threat from younger rivals - Anna Shcherbakova, Alena Kostornaya and Alexandra Trusova.
"This is normal. Two years ago, it was exactly the same. I was a symbol of a new era, because I jumped everything in the second half of the program, I had the most complex cascades in the world. Complicating is always good. You must try to do everything that you are capable of. It will be so for every generation, and I think that this progress can never be stopped, ”Zagitova shared her opinion.
In addition, she spoke about the problems that she had during the post-Olympic season, which ultimately led to a temporary suspension of her career.
“The decision was not made spontaneously. We talked a lot about this with Eteri Tutberidze. And they concluded that I needed a little rest. It feels like I'm burned out. After the Olympics in 2018, she practically did not rest. I hope that I will be able to maintain my form, ”concluded Zagitova.
In addition to the story of the skater, the film also has an interview with Tutberidze. However, the mentor was unhappy with the way some foreign media interpreted her words about the ward.
“Translation difficulties. I’m supposedly reading my interviews and wondering. Is it really impossible to translate normally so that the essence of what is said is not distorted? This is a causal relationship that I don’t want to communicate with the media, ”Tutberidze wrote on Instagram.
From the quotes in the Japanese media, it can be concluded that the specialist allegedly never considered Zagitova talented, although the data she possessed inspired hope. In fact, the coach said that at the beginning of their cooperation, Zagitova had rather weak skating.
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Publication by Eteri Tutberidze (@ tutberidze.eteri) Feb 18, 2020 at 7:42 PST
The fact that Tutberidze can be tough is known to everyone in the world of figure skating. However, the world champion in 1993, and now the coach Alexander Zhulin, told how she can be in anger. According to him, the conflict between the mentor and her former student Evgenia Medvedeva could have been avoided if the skater had not been afraid to come with an apology.
“Why didn't Zhenya give Tutberidze flowers? I was afraid that she would simply hit her on the head and break her head. Eteri is an emotional person. Now she would not have done so, but at that moment it seemed that she could. My wife was just scared. I really believe that it was so. Although it was possible to come in a helmet. Will they make peace? I think they did not quarrel, ”Zhulin suggested in an interview with Elena Rodina’s YouTube channel.
Conflicts in figure skating are a frequent occurrence, and one of them flared up after Zagitova left. Recall that Evgeni Plushenko, who heads his own academy, said that Tutberdze works only with experienced athletes. In response, her team accused the Olympic champion of incompetence. Two months later, the Olympic champion assured that the incident was over, but noted that to some extent such situations were beneficial.
“The discussion in the information field turned out to be not bad either. Our people love it, the public is excited. And not only here, all over the world. We translated our dialogue with Tutberidze into all languages of the world. But each made his own conclusions. Next time, maybe we will solve the problems differently! ” - quotes Plushenko's Sport Express.
In addition, he commented on the situation in Russian figure skating in general. In his opinion, athletes need competent management, since at the moment the only source of their income is the fees for participating in the show.
“Even Zagitova and Medvedev earn very little for themselves. I understand that these amounts are large for many, but taking into account their results and the image’s popularity, they should receive completely different money, ”Plushenko complained.
Kostornaya's expectations and the potential of Tuktamysheva
Another title was added to the numerous regalia of the winner of the Grand Prix finals and European Championships Alyona Kostornaya. The Silver Doe Award Ceremony, organized by the Federation of Sports Journalists of Russia, was held in Moscow. Student Tutberidze was among the 10 laureates for the past year.
The skater admitted that the nomination came as a surprise to her and added that such awards motivate her to improve and work on. In addition, she shared her expectations from the upcoming World Cup, which will be held from March 16 to 22 in Montreal, Canada.
“For me this will be the first competition of this rank, there is always a rivalry with Rika Kihira, but I do not follow her, but work on my elements. I managed to relax, but I have already started training. The mood is good, I’m getting ready for the tournament, ”Kostornaya quotes the“ Championship ”.
Meanwhile, 2015 world champion Elizaveta Tuktamysheva continues to prepare for the new season. She did not manage to qualify for the national team for the championships of the continent and the world, and therefore decided to devote the remaining time to strengthening her program. At the Russian championship, she fell on the fourth sheepskin coat, but according to coach Olga Grigoryeva, she has the potential to fulfill this element.
“It was Plushenko who was brilliant - he could at least roll over his head and still leave the jump. In competitive conditions, skaters often wind themselves up, in a hurry to quickly make the most difficult element. This is exactly what happened with Lisa. But I'm sure she will finalize her quad and perform it brilliantly. The girl has fantastic jumping talent, ”the Match TV website quotes Grigoriev.