First of all this is what's happening in Russia and Japan, it's not just an Eteri thing: figure skating is much more popular in those countries, even Mie Hamada picks her favourites from a poll of hundreds or thousands.
Then yes that could be an advantage but it's way more challenging than coaching just one or two skaters:
- First coaches and parents sends you a kids based on your successes but Eteri started this from scratch: 10 years ago she was alone against CSKA, Russia's first choice in figure skating.
- Second, when you have the reputation, then you have to manage a very large group of skaters and that means less time to spend with each skater.
- Third, competition means pressure. Look at Moris Kvitelashvili, when he was competing for Russia he had never skated well internationally and everyone thought it was because the lack of talent but now he's competing for Georgia and at the Europeans he was a jumping machine.