Alexander Zhulin: “Tutberidze is a super coach up to the age of 17. Her training intensity, motivational methods, and approach work exceptionally well for younger girls. They aren’t accustomed to questioning or debating.”

Alexander Zhulin shared his thoughts on Eteri Tutberidze’s coaching approach

original source: RTVI

Alexander Zhulin shared his thoughts on Eteri Tutberidze’s coaching approach, praising its effectiveness for young athletes under 17 while highlighting challenges in working with more experienced skaters. Here’s a translation of his comments.

Alexander Zhulin shared his thoughts on Eteri Tutberidze’s coaching approach, praising its effectiveness for young athletes under 17 while highlighting challenges in working with more experienced skaters.

“Eteri is a super coach, I would say, up to the age of 17 – before an athlete turns 17,” said Alexander Zhulin in an interview with RTVI. “Her training intensity, motivational methods, and approach work exceptionally well for younger girls. They aren’t accustomed to questioning or debating; they simply follow instructions.

However, when an athlete becomes more experienced, you have to communicate with them differently and convince them. You can’t just tell them, ‘You’re doing two run-throughs today.’ They might respond, ‘Why? What did I do to deserve that?’ A coach needs to learn how to motivate them in the right way. With younger athletes, it’s simpler – they don’t question. If you tell them two run-throughs, they’ll do two. If you say three, they’ll do three.”

Zhulin also discussed the impact of physical changes on skaters’ ability to perform difficult jumps. “When you accumulate not just muscle and bone but also some fat, those complex jumps become impossible. Ask Zagitova now – she looks fine these days, but she’ll never jump a 3+3 combination like she did before.

But if you were to ask her whether she regrets winning the Olympics at age 15, she’d undoubtedly say ‘no’ and express immense gratitude to Eteri. Tutberidze prepared her perfectly at that age, and Zagitova peaked at the right moment. At 19, winning would’ve already been impossible,” Zhulin said.

Related topics: Alexander Zhulin, Eteri Tutberidze