February 19, (THEWILL) – Eteri Tutberidze, the figure skating coach who has come under fire for her treatment of Kamila Valieva at the Winter Olympics, has responded by admitting she is “at a loss” in the wake of criticism from IOC president Thomas Bach.
In the women’ singles, Russia won gold and silver, although the atmosphere following the event was hardly festive. After winning the gold medal, Anna Shcherbakova expressed a “emptiness inside” while her teammates Valieva and Alexandra Trusova were disappointed.
Valieva was left heartbroken following a succession of painful falls during her performance, as Shcherbakova triumphed over Trusova, who was visibly upset with the outcome.
All of this happened when Tutberidze made news for her icy reaction to Valieva missing out on a medal in a “chilling” scene described by IOC President Bach. “Why did you let it go?” she said to Valieva in a moment caught on camera. “Explain it to me, why? Why did [you] stop fighting? You let it go after that axel. Why?”
Bach took notice and said of Tutberidze’s conduct: “When I afterwards saw how she was received by her closest entourage, with such, what appeared to be a tremendous coldness, it was chilling to see this.
“Rather than giving her comfort, rather than trying to help her, you could feel this chilling atmosphere, this distance.”
Tutberidze has now responded to Bach. “I am very grateful for the words of support,” she said on an Instagram post from another figure skating teacher, Alex Zhulin.
“I am still at a loss from the assessment of our work by the esteemed Mr Bach.”
Following the Court of Arbitration for Sport’s decision to allow Valieva to compete after a positive test, Tutberidze was subjected to great scrutiny and pressure. The International Olympic Committee (CAS) has yet to rule on whether Valieva would be permitted to keep the gold medal she won in the team event before her positive test on December 25.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
