Figure skating is a seemingly beautiful and smooth sport. However, inside everything boils cleaner than in the crater of a volcano. Athletes quarrel with coaches, coaches quarrel with each other… Only in recent years can one remember several high-profile scandals: from the revelations of Elizaveta Nugumanova to the skirmish between Evgeni Plushenko and Sofia Fedchenko.
One of the most famous conflicts in the history of the figurine occurred between Tatyana Tarasova and Irina Rodnina. What didn’t the great coach and the three-time Olympic champion share?
“I didn’t consider him a mentor.”
Since 1964, Rodnina worked under the direction of Stanislav Zhuk. Together with this specialist she became Olympic champion in Sapporo (1976). Then the skater was still skating in pairs with Alexei Ulanov. She also had numerous successes at the world and European championships.
In 1972, Rodnina partnered with Alexander Zaitsev. It was Zhuk who recommended the new partner to the talented figure skater. The duo enjoyed a colossal triumph with numerous victories in all major figure skating tournaments, including two Olympic Games.
Photo source: RIA Novosti
However, in relations with Zhuk, not everything was too easy. In 1974, Rodnina finally got tired of working with the coach and wanted to move to Tatyana Tarasova’s group. At the same time, the figure skater did not perceive the new coach as a mentor. This is understandable: Tarasova was not even 30 years old at that time!
— Tarasova was still a very young coach at that time. Maybe that’s why I didn’t consider her my mentor. A co-worker, yes. But not a coach. I came with such baggage in technology, knowledge, methods and tactics that she wasn’t even close to it. “Who taught who is a big question,” Rodnina later said, according to RIA Novosti.
Journalists conveyed these words from a former student to Tarasova. The honorable USSR coach responded harshly, saying that she practically did Rodnina a favor when she brought her into her group. However, this is just a side story to the conflict. The main plot of it began in 1981, when Rodnina decided to start training independently.
Don’t you share a choreographer?
Rodnina wanted to work with trustworthy people. One of them was the choreographer Elena Cherkasskaya, who was part of the Tarasova headquarters. According to Rodnina, she personally asked Tarasova to allow the former Bolshoi Theater soloist to join her group.
— I came to Tarasova to train. “Tanya,” I say, “that’s the story. I was offered to form my own group and naturally I want to work with mine. Would you like me to start with Lena? Tanya replied: “Yes, of course, friends are very important. Only with a friend can you start a great business.” I tell Lenka: “Everything is fine. Tarasova is not against it,” Sport-Express quotes Rodnina.
Photo source: RIA Novosti
However, then, as the skater said, she witnessed a scandalous scene. Tarasova attacked Cherkasskaya right during training, accusing her of treason. Tatyana Anatolyevna, however, refutes this story. According to her, she stopped collaborating with the choreographer as soon as Rodnina completed her sports career.
The conflict continues to this day. Tarasova and Rodnina periodically exchange criticism through the press: they even went so far as to direct insults. Tatyana Anatolyevna called the former student a “fool” and said that the coach “had something wrong with his brain.” Rodnina once reviewed Tarasova’s commentary style on television, saying that she only “tells stories” and does not speak in essence.
“I never answer him, I’m above that.” I don’t care what she says about it because millions of people write to me and thank me for commenting. She hasn’t noticed it at all for a long time. I think that people working in the State Duma have many questions that they must answer before the Russian people. “And I will answer for my comments,” Tarasova responded in an interview with Moscow Speaks.
However, there are prerequisites to resolve the conflict. Last year, when reports surfaced about Tarasova’s health problems, a State Duma deputy wished the former coach good health. I would like to believe that someday the honorable figures of Russian figure skating will come to mutual understanding.
