Beijing Olympics, Valieva and the others: disposable girls for the terrible teacher Tutberidze

There is a gray eminence, Kamila Valieva’s coach, behind the case that has been shaking the Olympic world for a couple of days. She is Eteri Tutberidze, a 47-year-old lady from Moscow, half Georgian blood, one fourth Russian and one fourth Armenian. Dad was (also) a taxi driver, mom was an engineer at the ministry of agricultural policies. Eteri, the youngest of five children, a degree in physical education from Malakhova University, skated as a young girl. She individually first, doing dance pairs then. Even if guided by legendary teachers such as Tatiana Tarasova, Natalia Linichuk and Elena Tchaikovskaia, she has never made it through. But she must have learned the trade from them. Indeed, art. If skating is, in Russia – between love and tradition for music and classical ballet – even more so.

Dynasty

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Eteri does a six-year apprenticeship in the United States between Oklahoma City, Cincinnati, Los Angeles and San Antonio. She left to participate in shows and Gala, ended up following some little girls on third-rate tracks and becoming the mother of Diana, born in Las Vegas in January 2003. Back in Moscow, on the balustrade she begins to get serious. Before her the apprenticeship, with ice-hours torn here and there, then in 2008 she landed at Sambo 70, a prestigious club with 52 years of life. This is where Eteri becomes “Mrs. Tutberidze”. La Gazzetta deals with her for the first time on February 8, 2012, ten years ago. At the Russian junior championships, 13-year-old Julia Lipnitskaia, her pupil already winner of the Grand Prix of the category, amazes with unprecedented combinations of jumps and a screaming total score. It is the beginning of a dynasty, of the “Team Tutberidze”.

Meteors

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From there, in a continuous jet, from his school come very young girls who dominate the world. Julia, in 2014, wins the European Championships and is second at the World Championships. Then it is the turn of Evgenia Medvedeva (two world and continental golds), then of Alina Zagitova, gold at the PyeongChang 2018 Games. And then, in the next generation, of phenomena such as Alena Kostornaia, Anna Shcherbakova and Alexandra Trusova. Up to baby Valieva (born in 2006), the most extraordinary. The girls, minors, seem to be made with a stencil. Mrs. Eteri, with them, is severe, ruthless. She imposes strict rules, strict diets, exhausting hours of work, endless repetitions. She demands a lot and, from a human point of view, gives nothing in return. She even puts them in opposition. Some live in ups and downs, but always starting from a notch above the others. Technically they become perfect jumping machines. Triples and quadruples as if it were raining. But they last for three or four seasons. Then they disappear. In the environment, those who make war on it, even speak of Sambo 70 as a concentration camp. And he says that he feels more affection for the inseparable dog than for his own athletes. “To whom – she maintains – one should not love. I work little with the boys because they need to feel loved, they want pity and compassion”. Two years ago there was a mutiny: Kostornaia and Trusova fled to St. Petersburg from Tsar Evgeny Plushenko. Except then return to the fold. Eteri directs, imposes its own law: and on the track she relies on the coach Sergei Dudakov and the choreographer Danil Gleikhenhauz, the engines of the club. Valieva is the most precious gem: she seems unbeatable. But behind her the 14-year-old Sofia Akateva is already pawing. What is the secret of such success? Someone, in these hours, maliciously imagines having discovered it. With the possible, very serious consequences.