'Doesn't even give her a hug' – Kamila Valieva coach slammed by Aljona Savchenko - Winter Olympics 2022

Published 18/02/2022 at 11:53 GMT

Kamila Valieva departed the ice at Beijing 2022 in tears and the reaction of coach Eteri Tutberidze made headlines. “She doesn't even give her a hug,” fumed 2018 Olympic pairs champion Aljona Savchenko on Eurosport. Valieva slipped from first to fourth in the ladies’ singles after an intense week and a half in the spotlight culminated in an error-strewn free skate.

'Explain to me, why??' - Watch 'chilling' moment Tutberidze berates Valieva

Former Olympic figure skating champion Aljona Savchenko admits she cried after seeing Kamila Valieva crumble on the world stage, saying “what happened must never happen again”.

A distraught Valieva, 15, finished off the podium in the ladies’ singles after a catalogue of slips and falls, while her coach Eteri Tutberidze's first words to her were, “why did you let it go?”

Criticism is mounting on the Russian figure skating entourage after gold medallist Anna Shcherbakova admitted she “felt emptiness inside”, silver medallist Alexandra Trusova said she “will never go out on the ice again” and the cold response to Valieva’s plight.

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IOC president Thomas Bach was among those to reproach Valieva’s team, calling the behaviour “chilling”.

He also suggested a minimum age limit could be introduced to the Olympics – all three Russians were 17 or under – echoing comments from former American figure skater Adam Rippon to Eurosport.

Savchenko, the pairs champions at PyeongChang 2018, said she knew Valieva and said the saga “hurts my stomach”.

'Trusova looking angry' - Russian star very unhappy while tearful Valieva consoled

“Honestly, I cried yesterday, not from joy but from sadness,” Savchenko told Eurosport Germany.

“This is a child, 15 years old, standing there in front of the whole world. This is an incredible burden for a child. I wouldn't let her run at all and just protect her.

“What happened yesterday must never happen again. It not only hurts the sport, it hurts the Olympic feeling, the Olympic dream, which is what everybody wants.

This will give big scars for the whole sport.

Savchenko also hit out at coach Tutberidze for reproaching Valieva and urged the teenager to “find a new team”.

“The way the coach behaved - you can't treat a child like that. It's just a sad story. I can't watch this, it hurts my stomach,” Savchenko continued.

“Something has to happen. You can't let it happen like that. Even I, as a spectator, was in pain. Your protégé is your child and sometimes the child has more trust in the coach than in his own parents.

“The feeling of being picked up after such defeats is the most important thing. Yet she doesn't even give her a hug when she comes out, but asks, ‘Why couldn't you do that?’ The girl has enough pressure as it is.

Watch Shcherbakova secure thrilling figure skating gold amid Valieva drama

“For me, she already won when she went out on the ice. Anyone else just wouldn't be able to go out on the ice and present themselves.

“As a mum, I wouldn't send my kid to figure skating. Because it hurts me to see that kind of stuff.

“The first thing I would do is give her a vacation, fly away with her and experience something else besides ice.

“This girl is so burst from the pressure, destroyed. I know her personally, her mum too. She is a very down to earth person and I support her wholeheartedly.

“No matter who did what - I support her humanly to get away from all the drama and find a new team.”

Valieva tested positive for banned heart drug trimetazidine but was cleared to compete by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), partly because she was a “protected person” due to her age.”

She helped Russia to gold in the team event, becoming the first woman to land a quad jump at a Games – barely 48 hours before her positive test came to light.