Eteri Georgievna Tutberidze (russian: Этери Георгиевна Тутберидзе, the native name is Eteri Gogievna, russian: Этери Гогиевна;
born 24 February 1974) is a Russian
figure skating
Figure skating is a sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform on figure skates on ice. It was the first winter sport to be included in the Olympic Games, when contested at the 1908 Olympics in London. The Olympic disciplines are m ...
coach who works mainly with female
single skaters. She is head coach at the Sambo 70 skating club in
Moscow
Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 millio ...
. She has coached several skaters to success in international competitions, including 2022 Olympic and 2021 World champion
Anna Shcherbakova, 2022 Olympic silver medalist and two-time Junior World champion
Alexandra Trusova
Alexandra "Sasha" Vyacheslavovna Trusova ( rus, Александра Вячеславовна Трусова, , ɐlʲɪˈksandrə ˈtrusəvə; born 23 June 2004) is a Russian figure skater. She is the 2022 Olympic silver medalist, the 2021 Wor ...
, 2022 Olympic Team champion and 2020 Junior World champion
Kamila Valieva
Kamila Valeryevna Valieva (russian: Камила Валерьевна Валиева; born 26 April 2006) is a Russian figure skater. She is the 2022 European champion, 2021 Rostelecom Cup champion, 2021 Skate Canada International champion, ...
(Olympic gold medal is pending an investigation by the
Court of Arbitration for Sport
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS; french: Tribunal arbitral du sport, ''TAS'') is an international body established in 1984 to settle disputes related to sport through arbitration. Its headquarters are in Lausanne, Switzerland and its c ...
for testing positive for a performance enhancing substance prior to the games), 2020 European Champion
Alena Kostornaia
Alena Sergeyevna Kostornaia (russian: Алёна Сергеевна Косторная; born 24 August 2003) is a Russian figure skater. She is the 2020 European champion, the 2019–20 Grand Prix Final champion, a six-time Grand Prix medal ...
, 2018 Olympic and 2019 World champion
Alina Zagitova, two-time World champion and two-time 2018 Olympic silver medalist
Evgenia Medvedeva
Evgenia Armanovna Medvedeva (alt. spelling: Yevgenia Medvedeva; rus, Евгения Армановна Медведева, p=jɪvˈɡʲenʲɪjə mʲɪˈdvʲedʲɪvə; born 19 November 1999), is a competitive Russian figure skater. She is a tw ...
, and 2014 Olympic Team champion
Yulia Lipnitskaya
Yulia Vyacheslavovna Lipnitskaya (also spelled Julia Lipnitskaia; russian: Юлия Вячеславовна Липницкая, ; born 5 June 1998) is a Russian retired competitive figure skater. She was part of the Russian team to win the 20 ...
.
Personal life
Eteri Georgievna Tutberidze was born 24 February 1974 in
Moscow
Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 millio ...
.
[ The youngest of five children, she is half-]Georgian
Georgian may refer to:
Common meanings
* Anything related to, or originating from Georgia (country)
** Georgians, an indigenous Caucasian ethnic group
** Georgian language, a Kartvelian language spoken by Georgians
**Georgian scripts, three scrip ...
, a quarter Russian
Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including:
*Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries
*Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...
, and a quarter Armenian
Armenian may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent
** Armenian Diaspora, Armenian communities across the ...
.[ Her mother was a senior engineer at the Ministry of Agricultural Construction and her father worked at the Likhachev plant's foundry and as a taxi driver.][
Tutberidze studied at the Academy of Physical Education in Malakhovka and received a degree in choreography from the Institute of Contemporary Art.][ During her six years in the United States, she lived in ]Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, a ...
, Cincinnati
Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...
, Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
, and San Antonio
("Cradle of Freedom")
, image_map =
, mapsize = 220px
, map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = United States
, subdivision_type1= State
, subdivision_name1 = Texas
, subdivision_t ...
.[ Her daughter, Diana, was born on 16 January 2003][ in ]Las Vegas
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
.[ Diana was coached by her mother as a single skater until 2016 when, at the insistence of her mother, she opted for ice dance.
]
Skating career
Tutberidze began skating at the age of four and a half, guided by Evgenia Zelikova and then Edouard Pliner.[ After sustaining a spinal fracture and growing 22 cm, she switched from singles to ]ice dancing
Ice dance (sometimes referred to as ice dancing) is a discipline of figure skating that historically draws from ballroom dancing. It joined the World Figure Skating Championships in 1952, and became a Winter Olympic Games medal sport in 1976. A ...
. She was coached by Lidia Kabanova for two years and then joined Elena Tchaikovskaya, who paired her with Vyacheslav Chichekin.[ After briefly training under ]Natalia Linichuk
Natalya Vladimirovna Linichuk (; born 6 February 1956) is a Russian ice dancing coach and former competitive ice dancer for the Soviet Union. With partner and husband Gennadi Karponosov, she is the 1980 Olympic champion and a two-time World cham ...
, Tutberidze switched to Gennady Akkerman, her coach for the next three years. She skated with Alexei Kiliakov until he emigrated to the United States.[
During the 1991–1992 season, Tutberidze trained under Tatiana Tarasova before deciding to perform in ice shows.][ Appearing as an adagio pair skater with Nikolai Apter, she toured with ]Ice Capades
The Ice Capades were traveling entertainment shows featuring theatrical ice skating performances. Shows often featured former Olympic and US National Champion figure skaters who had retired from formal competition. Started in 1940, the Ice Cap ...
for several years.[
She worked in ice shows in the US for six years in the 1990s, including in Oklahoma at the time of the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, for which she received compensation as a survivor.
]
Coaching
Tutberidze began coaching in San Antonio
("Cradle of Freedom")
, image_map =
, mapsize = 220px
, map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = United States
, subdivision_type1= State
, subdivision_name1 = Texas
, subdivision_t ...
, Texas.[ After returning to Russia, she coached at several Moscow rinks, including a hockey rink ''Serebrianyi'', where ice time was limited for figure skaters.][ She then moved to Sambo 70 (SDUSSHOR 37) in Moscow, where she collaborates with ]Sergei Dudakov
Sergei Viktorovich Dudakov (russian: Сергей Викторович Дудаков; born 13 January 1970) is a Russian figure skating coach and former competitor who represented the Soviet Union. He is the 1989 Golden Spin of Zagreb champion ...
and Daniil Gleikhengauz
Daniil Markovich Gleikhengauz (or Gleichenhaus; russian: Даниил Маркович Глейхенгауз, born 3 June 1991) is a Russian former ice dancer and single skater. In single skating, he is the 2007 Russian junior national bronze med ...
.[
]
Seniors
Juniors
* Sofia Akatieva
Sofia Dmitrievna Akateva (russian: Софья Дмитриевна Акатьева, born 7 July 2007) is a Russian figure skater. She is the 2023 Russian champion. At the junior level, she is the 2021 JGP Russia champion, the 2021 JGP Poland ...
→ 2023 Russian champion, 2021 Russian junior champion, 2020 Russian junior silver medalist, 2021 Cup of Russia Final junior champion, 2021 JGP Poland champion, 2021 JGP Russia champion.
*
* Egor Rukhin
Egor is a Local Government Area of Edo State, Nigeria. Its headquarters are in the town of Uselu. Egor is one of the Local Government Areas that are part of the larger metropolitan area of Benin City.
It has an area of 93 km and a popu ...
(until February 2020, rejoined in 2021 after JGP series) → 4th at 2019 JGP France.
* Daniil Samsonov
Daniil Aleksandrovich Samsonov (russian: Даниил Александрович Самсонов; born 13 July 2005) is a Russian figure skater, who formerly held three junior world records for men's skating.
He is the 2020 Youth Olympic br ...
→ 2019 Junior Grand Prix Final bronze medalist, 2019
File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...
and 2020
2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global social and economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, worldwide lockdowns and the largest economic recession since the Great Depression in t ...
Russian junior champion, 2019 JGP Latvia bronze medalist, 2019 JGP Poland champion.
Former students
* Polina Shelepen [polina="" shelepen] (from age four until July 2012), two-time JGP Final silver medalist.
* Yulia Lipnitskaya
Yulia Vyacheslavovna Lipnitskaya (also spelled Julia Lipnitskaia; russian: Юлия Вячеславовна Липницкая, ; born 5 June 1998) is a Russian retired competitive figure skater. She was part of the Russian team to win the 20 ...
[ (from 2009 until November 2015), 2014 European champion, 2014 Olympic champion in the team event, 2014 World silver medalist.
* ]Adian Pitkeev
Adian Yuryevich Pitkeev (russian: Адьян Юрьевич Питкеев; born 16 May 1998) is a Russian former figure skater. The 2015 Russian national bronze medalist, he has won one medal on the Grand Prix series and two on the ISU Chal ...
[ (until March 2016), 2014 World Junior silver medalist, 2013–14 JGP Final silver medalist.
* Sergei Voronov (from mid-2013 until March 2016),][ 2014 European silver medalist, 2014–2015 GP Final bronze medalist.
* Serafima Sakhanovich (during 2014–2015 season),][ 2015 World Junior silver medalist, 2014–2015 JGP Final silver medalist.
* Polina Tsurskaya ][ 2016 Youth Olympic champion, 2015–16 JGP Final champion.
* Ilia Skirda JGP event silver medalist at two JGP events, qualified for 2016-17 JGP Final.
* Daria Panenkova (until July 2018), JGP event gold and silver medalist, qualified for 2017-18 JGP Final.
* Anastasia Tarakanova (during 2017-2018 season), 2017–18 JGP Final bronze medalist.
* Alena Kanysheva (during 2019-2020 season), 2018-19 JGP Final bronze medalist.
* Alexey Erokhov (until July 2020), 2018 Junior World champion.]
* Elizaveta Berestovskaya (until May 2021)
* Elizabet Tursynbayeva
Elizabet Tursynbaeva ( kz, Элизабет Тұрсынбаева, ''Elizabet Tūrsynbaeva''; born 14 February 2000) is a Kazakh retired figure skater. She is the 2019 World silver medalist, the 2019 Four Continents silver medalist, the 20 ...
(2012-2013, June 2018 - September 2021), 2019 World silver medalist, 2019 Four Continents silver medalist, 2019 Winter Universiade
The 2019 Winter Universiade (russian: Зимняя Универсиада 2019), the XXIX Universiade, was a multi-sport event for student and youth athletes which took place from 2 to 12 March 2019 in the Russian city of Krasnoyarsk. The 2019 W ...
silver medalist.
* Diana Davis
Diana Sergeevna Davis (russian: Диана Сергеевна Дэвис, born 16 January 2003) is an American-born Russian ice dancer who represents Russia. With her partner, Gleb Smolkin, she is the 2021 CS Warsaw Cup champion and the 2022 Ru ...
(until 2016 as a single skater, daughter of Eteri Tutberidze)
* Kamilla Gainetdinova
Kamilla Ralifovna Gainetdinova (russian: Камилла Ралифовна Гайнетдинова; born 12 October 1997) is a Russian pair skater. With former partner Ivan Bich, she is the 2013 JGP Belarus champion and a two-time (2012, 2013) ...
(as a single skater)
* Yasmina Kadyrova (as a single skater)
* Polina Korobeynikova (as a child)[
* ]Daria Pavliuchenko
Daria Maksimovna Pavliuchenko (russian: Дарья Максимовна Павлюченко, born 31 December 2002) is a Russian pair skater. With her skating partner, Denis Khodykin, she is the 2020 European bronze medalist, the 2019 Internati ...
(as a single skater)
* Vladimir Samoilov
* Vladislav Tarasenko (as a single skater)
* Alena Kostornaia
Alena Sergeyevna Kostornaia (russian: Алёна Сергеевна Косторная; born 24 August 2003) is a Russian figure skater. She is the 2020 European champion, the 2019–20 Grand Prix Final champion, a six-time Grand Prix medal ...
(2017–2020, March 2021–March 2022), 2020 European champion, 2019 Grand Prix Final champion, 2018 Junior Grand Prix Final champion, 2018 Junior World silver medalist
* Veronika Zhilina (as a child)
* Evgenia Medvedeva
Evgenia Armanovna Medvedeva (alt. spelling: Yevgenia Medvedeva; rus, Евгения Армановна Медведева, p=jɪvˈɡʲenʲɪjə mʲɪˈdvʲedʲɪvə; born 19 November 1999), is a competitive Russian figure skater. She is a tw ...
2013–14 Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final
The 2013–14 Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final was an international figure skating competition in the 2013–14 season, held together with the ISU Junior Grand Prix Final. The combined event was the culmination of two international series — t ...
junior ladies bronze medalist, 2014 World Junior Figure Skating Championships
The 2014 World Junior Figure Skating Championships was an international figure skating competition in the 2013–14 season. Commonly called "World Juniors" and "Junior Worlds", the event determined the World Junior champions in the disciplines o ...
bronze medalist, 2014–15 Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final
The 2014–15 Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final was an international figure skating competition in the 2014–15 season, held together with the ISU Junior Grand Prix Final. The competition was held from December 11 to 14, 2014 in Barcelona, Spai ...
junior ladies champion, 2015 World Junior Figure Skating Championships champion, 2015–16 Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final ladies champion, 2016 World Figure Skating Championships champion, 2016 European champion, 2016–17 Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final ladies champion, 2017 World Figure Skating Championships champion, 2017 European champion, 2018 Olympic Games team silver medalist, women's singles silver medalist.
* Alexandra Trusova
Alexandra "Sasha" Vyacheslavovna Trusova ( rus, Александра Вячеславовна Трусова, , ɐlʲɪˈksandrə ˈtrusəvə; born 23 June 2004) is a Russian figure skater. She is the 2022 Olympic silver medalist, the 2021 Wor ...
(2016–May 2020, May 2021–October 2022) 2022 Olympic silver medalist, Two-time European bronze medalist (2020
2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global social and economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, worldwide lockdowns and the largest economic recession since the Great Depression in t ...
, 2022
File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretariat; The global monkeypo ...
), 2019 Grand Prix Final bronze medalist, 2019
File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...
and 2022
File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretariat; The global monkeypo ...
Russian silver medalist, 2020 Russian bronze medalist, Two-time Junior World champion (2018
File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the Unit ...
, 2019
File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...
), 2017 Junior Grand Prix Final champion, Two-time Russian Junior champion (2018
File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the Unit ...
, 2019
File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...
).
* Morisi Kvitelashvili
Morisi Mikhailovich Kvitelashvili ( ka, მორის ყვითელაშვილი, ; russian: Морис Михайлович Квителашвили, born 17 March 1995) is a Russian- Georgian figure skater who currently represents ...
2020 European bronze medalist, 2021 Rostelecom Cup champion, Two-time Rostelecom Cup silver medalist (2018
File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the Unit ...
, 2020
2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global social and economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, worldwide lockdowns and the largest economic recession since the Great Depression in t ...
), 2018
File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the Unit ...
and 2022
File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretariat; The global monkeypo ...
Olympian, 2022 Worlds 4th place
Controversies
Tutberidze's coaching methods have been criticized by fans, journalists and skaters, especially in the wake of Kamila Valieva's doping scandal at the 2022 Beijing Olympics.[Multiple sources:
*
*
*] The knowledge of the Sambo-70 club encouraging dehydration, starvation and unchanged practice regime despite injuries had been public before Beijing, and critics had also noticed Tutberidze's students regularly retiring with serious injuries before the age of 18. Several of her male students, such as Daniil Samsonov
Daniil Aleksandrovich Samsonov (russian: Даниил Александрович Самсонов; born 13 July 2005) is a Russian figure skater, who formerly held three junior world records for men's skating.
He is the 2020 Youth Olympic br ...
and Adian Pitkeev
Adian Yuryevich Pitkeev (russian: Адьян Юрьевич Питкеев; born 16 May 1998) is a Russian former figure skater. The 2015 Russian national bronze medalist, he has won one medal on the Grand Prix series and two on the ISU Chal ...
, also suffered serious injuries under her training.
Valieva's doping controversy during the Olympics in 2022 saw a new wave of critical articles and figure skaters speaking out, with Romain Haguenauer, who coaches in Montreal
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple ...
, claiming that Tutberidze's training is "abusive, military even" and that "she wouldn't be allowed near children" if she used those practices in Montreal as a coach. Choreographer Benoît Richaud also spoke about the unsustainability of those methods and shortened careers. Figure skaters Adam Rippon
Adam Richard Rippon (born November 11, 1989) is an American figure skater. He won the 2010 Four Continents Championships and the 2016 U.S. National Championships. Earlier in his career, he won the 2008 and 2009 World Junior Championships, the ...
and Katarina Witt
Katarina Witt (, ; born 3 December 1965) is a German former figure skater. A two-time Olympic champion, Witt is regarded as one of the greatest ladies' singles figure skaters of all time. Her Laureus profile states "she is remembered most for ...
publicly expressed support for Valieva, claiming that "adults around her have completely failed her" (Rippon) and that "the responsible adults should be banned from the sport forever" (Witt).
IOC
The International Olympic Committee (IOC; french: link=no, Comité international olympique, ''CIO'') is a non-governmental sports organisation based in Lausanne, Switzerland. It is constituted in the form of an association under the Swiss ...
president
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
* President (education), a leader of a college or university
* President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...
Thomas Bach
Thomas Bach (born 29 December 1953) is a German lawyer, former Olympic foil fencer and Olympic gold medalist, serving as the ninth and current president of the International Olympic Committee since 10 September 2013. He is also a former memb ...
expressed concern for Valieva's wellbeing, commenting " alievawas received by her closest entourage with what appeared to be a tremendous coldness, it was chilling to see this, rather than giving her comfort, rather than to try to help her." The Kremlin responded that "the harshness of a coach in high-level sport is key for their athletes to achieve victories."
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tutberidze, Eteri
1974 births
Living people
Figure skaters from Moscow
Russian figure skating coaches
Russian people of Armenian descent
Russian people of Georgian descent
Female sports coaches