Eteri Tutberidze Method

[layman]

Great article on Eteri Tutberidze and her methods:

Eteri Tutberidze and the Future of Figure Skating

For many, the lasting image from the Sochi 2014 Olympic Games of was a little girl in a red coat. That girl was Yulia Lipnitskaya, then 15…

medium.com

I like the fact that the author does not sugarcoat anything...basically saying that Eteri is the skating equivalent of Larry Nasser. Every time authors (or commentators) bring up these kinds of issues with Eteri Tutberidze, the author(s) get attacked and shouted down (usually by Eteri trolls, Eteri's legions of supporters and enablers in the skating world or those in denial). Yet, there is no doubt in my mind that the author is telling the truth. It's too obvious at this point. Everybody in the skating world knows what Eteri and Co. do to little girls but no one has the courage to challenge her or call her out for her abuse (Medvedeva to her credit tried). I think it's a shameful look for skating as a whole.

 

[alchemy void]

I'm disappointed she actually isn't using the "Eteri Method" branding, because the only thing missing in skating these days is a Mitchell/Johansson - Tutberidze brawl.

 

[Coco]

The Gangs fight in the street (West Side Story)

Scene 2-7 West Side Story, 1961 We do not own this footage.

www.youtube.com

 

[muffinplus]

 

[overedge]

I'm disappointed she actually isn't using the "Eteri Method" branding, because the only thing missing in skating these days is a Mitchell/Johansson - Tutberidze brawl.

Don't forget Coach Tom Z (tm) as well!

 

[Bellanca]

I like the fact that the author does not sugarcoat anything...basically saying that Eteri is the skating equivalent of Larry Nasser.

Uh, no. You do realize why Larry Nasser is in prison, and what for, right? It's not for encouraging eating disorders, malnutrition, an extreme training environment, or a messed up coaching "method," which alone is horrific enough. No, Nasser's crimes are much more diabolical and unforgivable. If Eteri was that evil and sinister, why in the world would Evgenia even remotely consider for one second going back? I know another poster said Evgenia must be dumb, but good grief, not that dumb, or crazy. Eteri, the equivalent of Larry Nasser? That's effed up. I've heard of no evidence or proof of Nasser-type abuse. It's a very reckless and incendiary charge.

 

[insideedgeua]

Eteri does a great job with her skaters, but there are definitely some concerns about her methods. That said, to compare her to Larry Nasser is distasteful and also disrespectful to those he abused.

 

[lala]

Great article on Eteri Tutberidze and her methods:

Eteri Tutberidze and the Future of Figure Skating

For many, the lasting image from the Sochi 2014 Olympic Games of was a little girl in a red coat. That girl was Yulia Lipnitskaya, then 15…

medium.com

I like the fact that the author does not sugarcoat anything...basically saying that Eteri is the skating equivalent of Larry Nasser.

oh, no!!! How stupid!

 

[Natanielle825]

I'm not sure if the OP made a mistake but what I think they're trying to say is that Eteri is the equivalent of the Karolyis. Their training measures are undeniably abusive, I'm not gonna argue with anyone about that. And the ranch is the equivalent of Sambo-70. The environment of the ranch (if not the Karolyis themselves) allowed and encouraged Nassar's abuse. If there is a sexual predator at Eteri's school, they would have an open field. We've heard from countless gymanasts and skaters that little girls with an Olympic dream will do literally anything their coaches tell them too and that coaches will discard anyone will a self-preservation instinct. If the Karolyis were so blinded by success that they allowed the abuse to happen, Eteri could be the same way. Obviously no one has made any such accusations however that doesn't mean it can't be happening. The kids could not realize they're being abused (as with the Nassar victims), think they're in love, or believe that, like with everything else, it's worth it just for a chance to go to the Olympics.

 

[Wyliefan]

Well, there are no signs of that kind of abuse that we know of, so let's hope for the best!

 

[LoopCombo]

I'm not sure if the OP made a mistake but what I think they're trying to say is that Eteri is the equivalent of the Karolyis.

That I agree with. Much better analogy and an argument worth making. Comparing her to Nasser is hyperbolic and pretty unfair. There are rumours about her, but they are not about sexual abuse.

 

[Tinami Amori]

This is an opinion piece, and it was written for a purpose to pour dirt over Tutberidze. Tutberidze's "method" does not exist, she was asked about it several time before and said that she has no "method" or "vision" or "system". She comes to the rink in early morning, and stays until late at night, looking at what each skater needs to learn and to correct.

There are much tougher coaches out there. Davydov for example, and he is not hiding it. We all remember Tzareva and Pogo in Kiss-n-Cry when Pogo fell with pain in her back. Buyanova yells at her girls and make them lose weight. etc..

Many Eteri's skaters gave interviews how she helped them, how they can call her anytime and she'll act like their best friend. For many skaters who could not do well in Singles, she personally arranged either a Dance or Pair partner and future. Many skaters who left her, came back when adults and made friends with her, admitting that they were too young to understand what good she was doing for them.

Polina Tsurskaya now works for her (of her own will). Medvedeva returned to train with her. Other girls' parents sit inside the rink during practices (which Eteri encourages and almost insists on), and watch what takes place on the ice, and none ever left because of "cruelty". Parents would not allow their children to be abused. So far parents' only concerns were - i want my child to get more attention and be treat like #1 (but that has to be earned).

A lot that is said about Eteri is invented, and not true. People who are full of envy spread this false info intentionally. They can't digest how one person can have so much success.

 

[greenapple]

This is someone's opinion. The person who wrote this compiled it with parts of articles and unconfirmed rumours that have floated around the Internet over time and made it a "story" - in the true sense of the word. Anyone can write anything they like - that does not make it fact or truth. There are no direct quotes from anyone, and who knows who the writer is? The only thing the person did not sugarcoat was their own unsubstantiated opinion.

 

[MacMadame]

Eteri's school and the Karolyi's are not equivalent IMO. For one thing, Eteri doesn't have a lock on the Russian team like the Karolyi's did on US gymnastics. If people don't like Eteri's methods, there are other schools and other coaches they can move to. Eteri doesn't control who makes the World and Olympic teams either. So she doesn't have absolute power over all of the skaters in Russia the way the Karolyi's did.

I don't agree with Eteri's methods. If I had a kid in skating in Russia, I wouldn't send them to Eteri. But I think it's a stretch to compare Sambo-70 to the Ranch. The dynamics are totally different.

 

[LoopCombo]

This is an opinion piece, and it was written for a purpose to pour dirt over Tutberidze. Tutberidze's "method" does not exist, she was asked about it several time before and said that she has no "method" or "vision" or "system". She comes to the rink in early morning, and stays until late at night, looking at what each skater needs to learn and to correct.

There are much tougher coaches out there. Davydov for example, and he is not hiding it. We all remember Tzareva and Pogo in Kiss-n-Cry when Pogo fell with pain in her back. Buyanova yells at her girls and make them lose weight. etc..

Many Eteri's skaters gave interviews how she helped them, how they can call her anytime and she'll act like their best friend. For many skaters who could not do well in Singles, she personally arranged either a Dance or Pair partner and future. Many skaters who left her, came back when adults and made friends with her, admitting that they were too young to understand what good she was doing for them.

Polina Tsurskaya now works for her (of her own will). Medvedeva returned to train with her. Other girls' parents sit inside the rink during practices (which Eteri encourages and almost insists on), and watch what takes place on the ice, and none ever left because of "cruelty". Parents would not allow their children to be abused. So far parents' only concerns were - i want my child to get more attention and be treat like #1 (but that has to be earned).

A lot that is said about Eteri is invented, and not true. People who are full of envy spread this false info intentionally. They can't digest how one person can have so much success.

I agree with much of Tinami’s argument: Eteri may not be unique in her strictness or unique in having students that get injured — but she has had more success, and that puts her in the spotlight. There is fiercer competition in Russia, so that adds pressure and stress for Russian skaters, but these problems of injury, short careers, and even coaching that looks to be emotionally abusive are not unique to Russia or Eteri. There are serious allegations against Mie Hamada at the moment, for example, as well as the so far disappointing senior career of her former student Marin Honda. And I feel that retired US coach Frank Carroll had a demeanor and attitude toward his students a lot like Eteri’s. But I don’t recall him being blamed for the downfall of Gracie Gold in the same way that Eteri gets blamed. I don’t think that people focus on Eteri just out of jealousy, though. No doubt, some may be jealous. But many are concerned because they genuinely like her skaters and worry about the injuries and wish they could stay competitive for longer. Personally, I see this as an issue in ladies skating period, not just in Eteri’s team: almost all of the top-scoring ladies are 18 years old or younger. Eteri has had a lot to do with pushing the boundaries in the ladies competition. Like her or hate her, she’s been a pioneer. Ladies quads and the mainstreaming of the triple axel is a paradigm shift that will take some time to adjust to. More sustainable methods and techniques or strategies may emerge, including out of Eteri’s camp. And backlash is real too: many fans dislike short careers of their favorites and watching poorly-performed difficult elements, so there is some pretty strong incentive for coaches to take this reality into account, and work to improve. There may be further rule changes and adjustments to judging in the future as well. The question of what constitutes great figure skating continues to be debated, as it always has. And concern regarding abuse of athletes by trainers is legitimate for sure. I was appalled, for example, about the abuses of women runners in track and field coming out of the Oregon Nike project last year, which is near where I live. And the program was disbanded, so there must have been some truth to the allegations. This is a serious issue that doesn’t even just affect the “little girls in pretty boxes” sports. One of my concerns about Eteri becoming a scapegoat or poster girl for all of this is that some fan accusations are based on projection, and sometimes with a blind eye turned to athlete abuses closer to home. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be talking about what actually constitutes successful coaching. Is the bottom line winning, or does athlete wellbeing play a role as well? Where and how do we draw the line, and what role should sporting federations and unions play in regulating for this?

 

[Wyliefan]

This is someone's opinion. The person who wrote this compiled it with parts of articles and unconfirmed rumours that have floated around the Internet over time and made it a "story" - in the true sense of the word. Anyone can write anything they like - that does not make it fact or truth. There are no direct quotes from anyone, and who knows who the writer is? The only thing the person did not sugarcoat was their own unsubstantiated opinion.

There were multiple direct quotes.

 

[MacMadame]

But I don’t recall him being blamed for the downfall of Gracie Gold in the same way that Eteri gets blamed.

He certainly got criticism for how he handled Gracie and how he contributed to her issues.

 

[muffinplus]

There were multiple direct quotes.

There were quotes which were "spun" in a particular way to suit this person's opinion.

Example -

"But Tutberidze’s methods of diet control are undeniably harmful. She teaches her students that they should eat as little as possible while training for long hours almost every day. "

Does this person have a quote for this? No. She takes quotes from an interview with Evgenia or what happened with Yulia and spins it as proof that Eteri actually teaches this...

One of them never even occurred:

"Daniil Gleikhengauz, Tutberidze’s main choreographer, spoke of how Anna Shcherbakova only ate two shrimps for dinner and said she was full, and he was glad that she was not obsessed with food like many other girls. "

This was a mistranslation widely posted over Twitter...if the person is using such sources to prove her points...

 

[Wyliefan]

You're conflating issues. The direct quotes I mentioned are the words inside quotation marks, not the author's own words that are not inside quotation marks. As for the shrimp issue, you yourself specified that Daniil used the word "lucky" in conjunction with a teenage girl insisting on eating only two shrimps for dinner. Take it however you like, that's not great.

 

[muffinplus]

You're conflating issues. The direct quotes I mentioned are the words inside quotation marks, not the author's own words that are not inside quotation marks. As for the shrimp issue, you yourself specified that Daniil used the word "lucky" in conjunction with a teenage girl insisting on eating only two shrimps for dinner. Take it however you like, that's not great.

He didn't even finish his sentence, which sounded like "rarely one is lucky..." so any implications about what he said or meant are just that, but I get that people just want to spin every little thing that comes out of that camp to turn it into "he was happy she was eating 2 shrimp for dinner".

As for quotes. There may be quotes nut there are no direct quotes which prove the author's statements/conclusions. I.e "Eteri starved me and told me not to eat". - that is a direct quote. So what greenapple said is accurate...

 

[greenapple]

There were multiple direct quotes.

FYI - a "direct" quote is when a writer actually speaks to someone and gets a "direct" quote. There are none in this article. They are all taken from other people's articles. As I said, this is a rehash.

 

[Wyliefan]

A direct quotation is a verbatim quotation in quotation marks. That's all it is. It doesn't have to be new, or even given directly to the author of the new article, to be a direct quotation. And a "rehash" is a valid form of article, even if the venue allows authors not to use their full names, as Medium does. Not every article is directly reported; there are all kinds of articles.

In short, argue with the premise all you want, but the format, and the quotes, are perfectly valid. I've been an editor and writer my entire adult life, trust me on this.

 

[overedge]

If someone eats two shrimps for dinner and says they are full, there is something disordered about their eating, regardless of what they claim about their relationship to food.

 

[overedge]

FYI - a "direct" quote is when a writer actually speaks to someone and gets a "direct" quote. There are none in this article. They are all taken from other people's articles. As I said, this is a rehash.

Pretty much every news story includes information from previous stories or other sources (hopefully fully credited).

 

[layman]

Eteri does a great job with her skaters, but there are definitely some concerns about her methods. That said, to compare her to Larry Nasser is distasteful and also disrespectful to those he abused.

Child abuse is child abuse is child abuse. There are not some forms of child abuse that are more acceptable than other forms of child abuse. Starving children is not acceptable. Terrorizing, verbally harassing and threatening children is not acceptable. Playing mind games on children is not acceptable. Putting children in circumstances and situations where they may be injured or harmed is not acceptable. You can't say that what Larry Nasser did was wrong but not what Eteri is doing. It's either all wrong or it's not.

People ask, "why does Valieva never smile," "why does she look so miserable?" Because she is hungry and she is afraid. If you see child abuse and you don't say or do something about it, you are an accomplice. The skating world has become an accomplice to child abuse.

 

[Erin]

Eteri's school and the Karolyi's are not equivalent IMO. For one thing, Eteri doesn't have a lock on the Russian team like the Karolyi's did on US gymnastics. If people don't like Eteri's methods, there are other schools and other coaches they can move to. Eteri doesn't control who makes the World and Olympic teams either. So she doesn't have absolute power over all of the skaters in Russia the way the Karolyi's did.

For a good chunk of the Karolyis’ career, their role was similar to what Eteri’s is in Russia. From 1982 through 1996 (with a short break after their 1992 “retirement”), they were personal coaches of students and not in charge of the overall US team. Students could and did leave them, e.g. Kristie Phillips left for SCATS for a brief time in early 1988, Brandy Johnson went back to the Browns (her old coaches) after the 1988 Olympics, Julissa Gomez left for Al Fong, Erica Stokes left for Steve Nunno, etc. All of those gymnasts had pretty bad scars from their time with the Karolyis in spite of their ability to leave. The Karolyis did have political pull during that time, which discouraged leaving, but that’s also similar to Eteri. To me, the comparison to them in that era is apt.

 

[DreamSkates]

I would like to know how the author of the article knows this specific information? I've heard these things before but can't take them as fact without valid sources.

 

[Tinami Amori]

People ask, "why does Valieva never smile," "why does she look so miserable?" Because she is hungry and she is afraid.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CCXJLWbJYl_/

https://www.instagram.com/p/CCVWbDIp-5V/

https://www.instagram.com/p/CBniyVZJs9w/

https://www.instagram.com/p/B_xoq8pJCQD/

etc.....

.... plus, there is an old saying in Russia "smiling without a reason is a sign of stupidity".

 

[Japanfan]

Parents would not allow their children to be abused.

Unfortunately, some would.

In the book 'Little Girls in Pretty Boxes', author Joan Ryan commented that even after the Karolyis' methods were known, parents continued to send kids to them, because they were known to produce results.

 

[ЭPiKUilyam]

I'm not sure if the OP made a mistake but what I think they're trying to say is that Eteri is the equivalent of the Karolyis. Their training measures are undeniably abusive, I'm not gonna argue with anyone about that. And the ranch is the equivalent of Sambo-70. The environment of the ranch (if not the Karolyis themselves) allowed and encouraged Nassar's abuse. If there is a sexual predator at Eteri's school, they would have an open field. We've heard from countless gymanasts and skaters that little girls with an Olympic dream will do literally anything their coaches tell them too and that coaches will discard anyone will a self-preservation instinct. If the Karolyis were so blinded by success that they allowed the abuse to happen, Eteri could be the same way. Obviously no one has made any such accusations however that doesn't mean it can't be happening. The kids could not realize they're being abused (as with the Nassar victims), think they're in love, or believe that, like with everything else, it's worth it just for a chance to go to the Olympics.

Um, no. (moddos?)