Eteri Tutberidze interview on Russian TV

[sclloyd]

So it wasn't about the usual problems with the weight of ordinary people. We are talking about professional super-successful figure skaters balancing on the edge of human possibilities. In such a situation, 1 kilogram is already a large excess of weight, but which, of course, we will not even see.

To be honest, I'm not interested in what Zhenya said there - she talked a lot over the years and often changed her testimony. I discussed what Eteri said in this interview - she made a logically consistent statement that you distorted.

Athletes need to eat. If 1kg for a 95 pound girl is considered excessive when we can look at regular weight girls like Rika jump quads and the 3A, Aliona jump the 3A, Sasha jump a full set of quads, Wakaba Higuchi jump the 3A, anyone from the 90’s skate, Kamila jump, Anna jump, Liza jump and none of them are falling apart at the seams anymore than Zhenya was then perhaps the issue is not the weight. It is not a good enough excuse for me to say “but but they’re high level athletes”

 

[florin]

Athletes need to eat. If 1kg for a 95 pound girl is considered excessive when we can look at regular weight girls like Rika jump quads and the 3A, Aliona jump the 3A, Sasha jump a full set of quads, Waka Higuchi jump the 3A, anyone from the 90’s skate, Kamila jump, Anna jump, Liza jump and none of them are falling apart at the seams anymore than Zhenya was then perhaps the issue is not the weight. It is not a good enough excuse for me to say “but but they’re high level athletes”

No one argues with the fact that athletes need to eat. Neither I nor Eteri. Everything else is your amateur reasoning. I propose to end this topic.

 

[sclloyd]

No one argues with the fact that athletes need to eat. Neither I nor Eteri. Everything else is your amateur reasoning. I propose to end this topic.

Feel free to read my response directly before this one to yours. It is your interest to end the discussion because if not you might have to wonder why there are so many skaters without disordered eating and skin and bones weights doing much harder content than Zhenya ever did.

 

[Scott512]

Hmm, but then don't listen to her?
You do not want to listen this, but there are a lot of ppl who want to listen to her, just look at the youtube comments under that interview.
I hope it is not prime time TV that is loudly broadcasting from your neighbor TV?

But instead you going and reading that interview translation (probably via google) and then complaining that you do not need it to hear that. Looks illogical for me.

I tell it like it is while being fair.

I haven't even seen the YouTube comments on this interview. Thanks. What are the YouTubers saying?

Trust me no one is going around thinking I want to hear what EG was thinking before and after the 2018 Olympics now right before nationals the most important nationals of her career as a coach since she has several top girls competing and a top pairs team.

Not wanting to hear this now is one thing having to cover it as a fan is another. This would be like a television news reporter not wanting to hear a big story of news but then the big story breaks and not covering it. Of course he's going to cover it. So am I.

I believe Eteri said something about how Zhenya did too many shows in Japan before the 2018 Olympic season. Whaaaaaaaaat?
Whyyyyyyyyy? It's just going to inflame the Medvedeva die-hards.

She also said said something about Alina who won everything for her not wanting to work and train 12-hour days anymore. Whaaaaaaat? Whyyyyyyyy? No one needs to hear this now. Why would Alina want to work 12-hour days anymore 6 days a week when she's won everything and has that schlatters syndrome condition in her left knee?

If Kamila, Anna or Sasha win Olympic gold
will they be plotting their escape from EG and TT? I think so. I can't blame them because those 12 hour work days are tough.

I mentioned who wins the Olympic gold may be plotting their escape from the great coach. But whichever of her girls don't make the Olympic team or win silver or bronze will also quite possibly have one foot out the door. It's just the way it is in Eteris world.

I still like Eteri. Just not quite as much as I used to. She has overcome a lot in her life including a terrorist bombing in 1995 in Oklahoma City. But she sometimes needs a filter and she certainly has needed a PR firm to handle her affairs for several years now.

 

[florin]

Feel free to read my response directly before this one to yours. It is your interest to end the discussion because if not you might have to wonder why there are so many skaters without disordered eating and skin and bones weights doing much harder content than Zhenya ever did.

First, about what "disordered eating" you are taking? You have all something mixed up. Eteri girls, on the contrary, "eat in an orderly manner" - that is, they control their nutrition. Eteri said that Zhenya deviated from the order of nutrition and consciously increased her weight. I'm talking about an interview (this is a thread about an interview). You're talking about something of your own.

Second, do you realize that in addition to weight, there are still a huge number of parameters that affect the success of a figure skater?


Okay, that's it, stop Why am I even saying all this? I'm done, you can chat about topics of interest to you with fluture for example

 

[Scott512]

She just talked in this interview about Medvedeva having weight problems (=being overweight) in 2017-18 and this causing her stress fracture. Yes, Medvedeva, the one who publicly discussed her disordered eating, weighing 43 kg at the Olympics and having to learn how to not starve herself with a nutritionist after she moved to Canada. Eteri has learned nothing.

Zhenya weighed like 90 pounds at olympics? With all that she was going through it's so remarkable that she skated at a gold medal flawless level for both of her skates. Talk about guts.

Eteri has learned nothing? Maybe two or three top girls of hers leaving her camp after the Olympics season will open her eyes. I think she would want to keep aliona so she can show that she has a mature 19 year old. skater.

 

[sclloyd]

First, about what "disordered eating" you are taking? You have all something mixed up. Eteri girls, on the contrary, "eat in an orderly manner" - that is, they control their nutrition. Eteri said that Zhenya deviated from the order of nutrition and consciously increased her weight. I'm talking about an interview (this is a thread about an interview). You're talking about something of your own.

Second, do you realize that in addition to weight, there are still a huge number of parameters that affect the success of a figure skater?


Okay, that's it, stop Why am I even saying all this? I'm done, you can chat about topics of interest to you with fluture for example

Zhenya has spoken about how she struggled for a long time with learning how to eat properly, that she had some manner of disordered eating after leaving Eteri. Julia’s problems are known.

And that of course leaves out the entirety of my other comments, which you ignored.

 

[kan01]

It is not a good enough excuse for me to say “but but they’re high level athletes”

That's what bothers me. Excusing everything with the "they're high level athletes, if they don't go through this they wouldn't be successful". Successful for how long? You train all your childhood to be seen for around two years? Is it worth the, sometimes, lifelong ailments? Evgenia can’t even turn to her left because of her back, an action most people take for granted. And I'm all for training hard and mental toughness, I used to be in sports too and would come home with bruises or a swollen hand, I know a thing or two about pain, injuries, and having to keep in shape, I'm all for that, but there's a limit, especially when it comes to children.

 

[sclloyd]

That's what bothers me. Excusing everything with the "they're high level athletes, if they don't go through this they wouldn't be successful". Successful for how long? You train all your childhood to be seen for around two years? Is it worth the, sometimes, lifelong ailments. Evgenia can’t even turn to her left because of her back, an action most people take for granted. And I'm all for training hard and mental toughness, I used to be in sports too and would come home with bruises or a swollen hand, I know a thing or two about pain, injuries, and having to keep in shape, I'm all for that, but there's a limit, especially when it comes to children.

Especially when there’s very obvious examples of skaters who perform at an even higher level who are not near as skinny.

 

[Seren]

I neither like nor dislike Eteri. She has qualities that are admirable and qualities that are problematic.

There is a reason the girls doing quads all look mostly the same. Eteri controls their weight so they can jump like they do. But that’s not a healthy or safe long term plan and is going to lead to injury- especially stress fractures and overuse injuries (I have a degree in human physiology and a doctorate in physical therapy- I do know what I’m talking about here).

If you look at the women’s skaters doing these high level skills you see injuries more often- and not just the Russians- Kihira has been out all season.

I think seeing skaters like Elizaveta and Wakaba doing high level skills is important and should hopefully be an example that you can learn these high level skills and perform them as an ‘older’ skater or a skater that has a more muscular body type.

I think the test for Eteri is going to be if Aliona can stay injury free as she rebuilds her technical content and tries to stay relevant for the next 4 years.

 

[florin]

There is a reason the girls doing quads all look mostly the same.

First you miss such a thing as professional selection - jockeys are small not because they have their own Eteri, but because a big jockey will not succeed and we will not know about him. The second - the statement that all Eteri girls are the same-same - is incorrect. Is the physical type of Kamila Valieva, Maia Khromykh and Sasha Trusova the same for you? Strongly disagree. They all have three different types of body structure - athletic muscular Sasha, Maia with long limbs, balanced Kamila.

 

[Scott512]

Eteri's dad

Thanks.

 

[Lzbee]

"responsibility" for what? For some reason, you and people like you imagine yourself as some kind of prosecutor on trial (and me as a "defender") But there is no trial. There is a super-successful teacher who tells interesting stories.

Responsibility for their safety and health. Especially if you forbid them from living with their primary carers.

 

[flanker]

I thought this part was very interesting

“Dad said: I have one child - a son, girls are not counted. And I wanted to prove that they count. "​

- I think no one has easy ways. Someone might say: oh, is my way so easy? The first thing that angered me and why I wanted to take place was probably laid down when I was 4 years old. Our relatives arrived from Georgia, they were sitting at the table in the kitchen, and someone asked dad: how many children do you have? He says: one son. And I pat on the back on the shoulder: Dad, there are five of us. He's like this: move away. Then I asked: dad, why? He says: the son is Tutberidze's surname, he will continue the race, and you girls do not count. So I always wanted to prove what counts.

Eteri Interview

This one struck me hard. people should not pick just pieces they want to hear (or they want to argue about).

 

[Draculus]

But Tutberidze, of course, meant that Zagitova succumbed to the bad influence of her mother.

'Bad' in which way? Can you give an example of the possible meanings?

 

[flanker]

Just one thought:
you can do anything to be a champion:
- train 12 hours a day, 6 days a week
- under-eat to maintain weight
- live alone, away from your parents
- endure strenuous training, which will most likely contribute to chronic diseases of the osteoarticular system
- be subjected to "playful" mobbing (like being pulled by your hair over an ice rink)
- be publicly accused by your coach of laziness, ingratitude, gluttony
all this on one condition: that you are not a minor and it is your mature, well-thought-out decision.

For me, this interview once again shows the reason why the age of seniors - i.e. people applying for medals in the most important competitions - should be raised to 18 years. Neither a coach nor even a parent should make the decision to undergo such training on behalf of a child. Because this child is the one who will have serious health (including mental) problems throughout his/her life if something goes wrong.

(and I don't know why but a Stockholm syndrome was also coming to my mind while I was reading it).

You never start to work on being a champion at the age of 18 whether the age eligibility is this or that. So, it can be inverted easily: you can't decide for the child it won't become a champion.

 

[flanker]

'Bad' in which way? Can you give an example of the possible meanings?

Irony.

 

[Draculus]

For me, this interview once again shows the reason why the age of seniors - i.e. people applying for medals in the most important competitions - should be raised to 18 years. Neither a coach nor even a parent should make the decision to undergo such training on behalf of a child. Because this child is the one who will have serious health (including mental) problems throughout his/her life if something goes wrong.

I'm failing to understand how this eliminates training for junior competitions, training in preparation for the first senior competition (which really starts at the age of 10-11).

 

[Draculus]

I have a question for the Eteri defenders, would you still be so adamant about defending her if she was not winning?

Well, if she is not winning - probably she would not continue with her methods. She continues with her 'methods' BECAUSE she sees that it's working. If it isn't, if a very careful/delicate attitude to a teen skaters would get better results - I'm 100% sure she would switch to different methods, she is practical.
And so her 'defenders' (and skaters) - they see that 'it's working', this is a damn good reason to 'defend' her (or want to be trained by her).

 

[Remilia]

God, the lengths some people on this forum will go through to defend anything and everything Eteri and her cohorts do is disgusting.