Honored coach of Russia Tutberidze questioned Evgeni Plushenko's coaching abilities
Photo: Valery Sharifulin / TASS
Honored coach of Russia Eteri Tutberidze refused to consider the two-time Olympic champion Evgeni Plushenko a competitor. Her words are quoted by RIA Novosti with reference to the broadcast of the First Channel.
“Is he there?” – answered Tutberidze when asked about Plushenko the coach who lures athletes from her group.
She stressed that she does not understand what the coaches have to do with it. “Look, if our athletes are good, they will be welcome everywhere. If they are bad, then nobody needs them, ”Tutberidze said.
The conflict between the coaching staffs of Plushenko and Tutberidze began after Alexander Trusova and Alena Kostornaya moved to the group of the two-time Olympic champion from Sambo-70 in 2020. Plushenko was accused of poaching athletes, he denied this fact. This season, the skaters are back.
Tutberidze has trained several Olympic champions, as well as the winners of the world and European championships in women's single skating. Among her pupils are Yulia Lipnitskaya, Alina Zagitova, Evgenia Medvedeva, Anna Shcherbakova, Kamila Valieva and others.
