At the skating trials of the Russian national team, Kamila Valieva appeared in new images, captivating the public with her amazing ability to transform. The figure skater is truly unrecognizable: she has changed both internally and externally, but not everyone liked these changes.
Evgeni Plushenko’s wife, Yana Rudkovskaya, was used to seeing a thin, sound 15-year-old girl with high quads and therefore sounded the alarm about Valieva’s “excess weight”. The producer did not take into account that people grow and Camila ended up having to undergo a complex operation.
Rudkovskaya’s criticism turned out to be inappropriate. But her words could have catastrophic consequences: will Valieva’s psychology really be undermined just before the doping trial?
Kamila Valieva
Photo: Dmitry Golubovich, “Championship”
Rudkovskaya criticized Valieva for being overweight
Kamila Valieva received more and more attention at the Russian national team’s skating trials in Moscow. Experts and fans wondered what shape 17-year-old student Eteri Tutberidze was in, because the figure skater is currently going through difficult times. Physically and psychologically, it is probably difficult for the athlete at this time: the changes in her body continue and there are many other problems.
Not surprisingly, Valieva failed to reach the top right away, while Kamila performed excellently on both shows. But, apparently, not everyone is ready to make some concessions to the skater, having become accustomed to the fact that “Kamila Valieva is a face, a brand,” which means the inevitable presence of quads and trixels on skates. Evgeni Plushenko’s wife, Yana Rudkovskaya, clearly expected great satisfaction from the athlete and, not seeing it, she did not stop poking Valieva, noticing that she was overweight:
“I think Camila just needs to lose weight. I want to see the Camila she was before. Obvious weight gain, I know girls don’t like to talk about it, it’s hard to keep the weight off, but it’s necessary. We spoke with Lena Radionova and we agreed that Kamila has become very sexy. For life, Camila’s current shape is beautiful. But for sport, aesthetics and forms are needed in a different way,” Rudkovskaya said in an interview with Sport Express.
What the skaters showed at the skate tests:
Yana Alexandrovna’s criticism of Camila seemed inappropriate to fans, so the producer tried to explain his position in more detail:
“For me, aesthetics and form matter in figure skating, I’m sorry. There are a number of public professions that require certain qualities. In sport, this is also the state of the body and muscles. And the discussion on this topic is not a discussion about appearance as such, but a discussion about the suitability of the qualities of the chosen profession,” he wrote on his social networks.
Valieva couldn’t get in shape due to eye surgery
Of course, Rudkovskaya has the right to express her opinion, but the timing and format of the claims were not chosen appropriately. It is at least worth paying attention to the fact that Valieva still continues to search for herself in the post-puberty period; This is very difficult for an athlete, but Kamila manages it. And this despite the fact that external circumstances act against the skater: it recently became known that student Eteri Tutberidze underwent retinal surgery:
“I prepared very well, I wanted to start the season with a quadruple. But on August 16, during a medical examination, they told me that I had a retinal tear. I had two laser coagulations and for 2 or 3 weeks I rode carefully. I went on the ice on September 6, so I reduced the load. I want to regain my physical condition, return to a state where I am happy that I showed results on the ice,” Valieva shared with journalists during the open competitions.
Kamila Valieva
Photo: Alexander Safonov, “Championship”
Obviously, no matter how hard she tried, Camila couldn’t get into ideal shape, as she followed the doctors’ recommendations. And poking her with “extra weight” is the same as telling a person in a cast to move more: painful and useless. The figure skater and her coaching staff know exactly what stage of preparation the athlete is in and little by little they eliminate the deficiencies and rough edges in skating, as it should be.
Was Valieva’s psychology undermined just before the trial?
The rapid pace of training would have caused great damage to Valieva’s physical and mental health. Tutberidze understood this clearly when he did not demand the impossible from Kamila. Unlike Plushenko’s wife, whose words can have catastrophic consequences. Sports psychologist, specialist in the field of mental development in sports, Felix Shifrin, believes that Rudkovskaya crossed the line with her statements:
“An athlete must be prepared for such value judgments coming from outside. But here we are talking about an athlete who is in the post-pubertal period, so this statement can be perceived in a destructive way. Sometimes such statements lead to the emergence of various eating disorders (for example, anorexia and bulimia), food restriction with the subsequent development of mental disorders, such as depression and anxiety,” Shifrin said in an interview with “Championship.”
Updates on the Valieva doping case:
Valieva never pleaded guilty. Details of future court hearings are known
The specialist added that he believes that Valieva’s psyche is strong enough to withstand such an attack and not fail, but for Kamila this is another test that will require some strength on her part. But now the skater needs to focus on other things: the trial for her doping case is approaching, so the athlete must be unwavering. Calmness and self-confidence are the key to success. Valieva must clearly and convincingly state her position and defend her right to justice. If she doubts herself even for a second, the case will be a failure. I wouldn’t want the hasty and tactless words about excess weight, which often affect single athletes, to undermine Kamila’s self-confidence.
