The 2018 Olympic champion in pair skating Alena Savchenko condemned the behavior of coach Eteri Tutberidze in relation to figure skater Kamila Valieva. She is quoted by Eurosport.de.
“Coaches need to understand that punishments that were relevant 100 years ago are unacceptable today. Perhaps what happened was a sign of the need for change. I think that the children in the Tutberidze group are suffering, ”said Savchenko. She noted that the blame for the unsuccessful performance lies not with Valieva, but with the coaches, because they treated her like that.
Savchenko stressed that coaches must be professionals, especially when it comes to the psychological aspect. “I can’t judge the work of a coach – I just saw the same thing as everyone else. And this is enough for me, ”the athlete shared.
President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Thomas Bach criticized the coaches of Kamila Valieva for “coldness” after her performance in the free program of the Olympics. “I saw how coldly she was received from the ice by her coaches. It just shocked me, it was some kind of a gesture of separation, ”Bach was surprised.
Valieva failed to keep the lead after the short program and took fourth place in the individual figure skater tournament at the Beijing Games. Earlier, the athlete became a participant in a doping scandal. Her test dated December 25, 2021 tested positive for the banned drug trimetazidine. The World Anti-Doping Agency and the International Olympic Committee sought to remove the figure skater, but the Court of Arbitration for Sport allowed Valieva to participate in the Games.
Source: Lenta
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