It’s 2018, and everyone’s eyes are on the Pyeongchang Olympics. Alina Zagitova has just shocked the world by winning an Olympic gold medal in women’s figure skating at just 15, snatching the win from her older teammate Evgenia Medvedeva. While the audience is ecstatic at the thought of this rivalry continuing for another Olympic cycle, feelings behind the scenes are a lot more complicated. Tensions are high, especially between these figure skaters and their coach, Eteri Tutberidze. A storm is brewing. Tutberidze may be strong enough to stay on her pedestal, but these old, injured figure skaters are not.
Part 3: Deserted, Deserter
After the Pyeongchang Olympics, Medvedeva is distraught. Though only 19 years old, her brightest dream has been crushed, and she has nowhere to go. Tutberidze has a new star, and she is left to quietly wither away in the background. Understanding that staying will not get her anywhere, she leaves Tutberidze for Canadian coach Bryan Orser. Tutberidze is enraged. How could she not be, when a star she has coached since childhood leaves for a presumptuous foreigner? She leaves it be. If Medvedeva cannot see reason, she will simply show her that a skater is nothing without the name of Tutberidze behind her.
It isn’t an easy path. While Zagitova won Olympic gold in Pyeongchang, her technique starts to deteriorate almost immediately after, and she doesn’t medal at all in Worlds. But Tutberidze trains her hard, and Zagitova is desperate to remain on top of the world. It works. In every major podium in 2019, Zagitova wins. Medvedeva leaves with only a bronze medal, at most. In a massive victory for both Tutberidze and Zagitova, albeit for different reasons, Zagitova wins gold at the 2019 World Figure Skating Championships.
Part 4: The Expiration Date
Fans are excited to see more of Zagitova, but her body has other ideas. Not even a few weeks later, Zagitova announces of Russian television that she is taking a “pause” in figure skating. At only 17, she cites a “lack of motivation” to continue competing in this demanding sport. Since then, she has not competed in any major competitions, and is effectively considered retired.
While Medvedeva was not going to regain her former title as the queen of the figure skating world, she was still skating at 20 years old. Coming from a line of Tutberidze skaters, at this point notorious for shining bright and dying young, she was lucky to escape uninjured. But in September of 2020, in a move that shocks the world, Medvedeva announces her return to Team Tutberidze.
Maybe she wanted to regain her former brilliance. Maybe the Russian federation left her with no other choice. Medvedeva graces the Tutberidze’s halls once more, but the harsh training methods that worked for young girls no longer worked at Medvedeva’s adult body. She announces her retirement at 21 years old. In a heartbreaking interview, she reveals that Tutberidze’s training left her unable to turn her back to the left side.
The old guard of Team Tutberidze are all gone. Tired, old, injured. But with decay comes new growth, and the army of juniors Tutberidze is training brings with them the Quad Revolution. Tutberidze’s skaters are more numerous than ever, and the competition to establish themselves as the best in the rink is only getting fiercer. Among the many skaters performing triple axels and other advanced jumps in Tutberidze’s rinks, only one can have it all.
Sources:
– https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydLDPmuevKg
– https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpRn9dscgp0
– https://spec.hamilton.edu/olympic-figure-skatings-issues-run-much-deeper-than-the-valieva-scandal-51bbeea67424
– https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqtHSvkPWPk
– https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIks0zSQ74w
Part 3: Deserted, Deserter
After the Pyeongchang Olympics, Medvedeva is distraught. Though only 19 years old, her brightest dream has been crushed, and she has nowhere to go. Tutberidze has a new star, and she is left to quietly wither away in the background. Understanding that staying will not get her anywhere, she leaves Tutberidze for Canadian coach Bryan Orser. Tutberidze is enraged. How could she not be, when a star she has coached since childhood leaves for a presumptuous foreigner? She leaves it be. If Medvedeva cannot see reason, she will simply show her that a skater is nothing without the name of Tutberidze behind her.
It isn’t an easy path. While Zagitova won Olympic gold in Pyeongchang, her technique starts to deteriorate almost immediately after, and she doesn’t medal at all in Worlds. But Tutberidze trains her hard, and Zagitova is desperate to remain on top of the world. It works. In every major podium in 2019, Zagitova wins. Medvedeva leaves with only a bronze medal, at most. In a massive victory for both Tutberidze and Zagitova, albeit for different reasons, Zagitova wins gold at the 2019 World Figure Skating Championships.
Part 4: The Expiration Date
Fans are excited to see more of Zagitova, but her body has other ideas. Not even a few weeks later, Zagitova announces of Russian television that she is taking a “pause” in figure skating. At only 17, she cites a “lack of motivation” to continue competing in this demanding sport. Since then, she has not competed in any major competitions, and is effectively considered retired.
While Medvedeva was not going to regain her former title as the queen of the figure skating world, she was still skating at 20 years old. Coming from a line of Tutberidze skaters, at this point notorious for shining bright and dying young, she was lucky to escape uninjured. But in September of 2020, in a move that shocks the world, Medvedeva announces her return to Team Tutberidze.
Maybe she wanted to regain her former brilliance. Maybe the Russian federation left her with no other choice. Medvedeva graces the Tutberidze’s halls once more, but the harsh training methods that worked for young girls no longer worked at Medvedeva’s adult body. She announces her retirement at 21 years old. In a heartbreaking interview, she reveals that Tutberidze’s training left her unable to turn her back to the left side.
The old guard of Team Tutberidze are all gone. Tired, old, injured. But with decay comes new growth, and the army of juniors Tutberidze is training brings with them the Quad Revolution. Tutberidze’s skaters are more numerous than ever, and the competition to establish themselves as the best in the rink is only getting fiercer. Among the many skaters performing triple axels and other advanced jumps in Tutberidze’s rinks, only one can have it all.
Sources:
– https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydLDPmuevKg
– https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpRn9dscgp0
– https://spec.hamilton.edu/olympic-figure-skatings-issues-run-much-deeper-than-the-valieva-scandal-51bbeea67424
– https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqtHSvkPWPk
– https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIks0zSQ74w
