Eteri Tutberidze: “Only Medvedeva had a philosophy like Alysa Liu’s – she truly enjoyed competitions and interacting with others.”
Eteri Tutberidze compares Alysa Liu’s philosophy to that of Evgenia Medvedeva, emphasizing the importance of enjoying the sport and recognizing the privilege of reaching the top.
original source: Sports
Coach Eteri Tutberidze answered the question of which of her students most resembles American figure skater Alysa Liu. Here’s a translation of her comment.
“Q: After the Games in Milan, many are discussing Alysa Liu, her philosophy, and approach to the sport. Which of your athletes is most similar to Alysa in this respect?
Eteri Tutberidze: Such a philosophy was probably only found in Zhenya Medvedeva, because she simply seemed to enjoy competitions and interacting with others. That’s just the kind of person she is. Sakamoto isn’t like that, Amber Glenn isn’t like that, but that doesn’t mean someone is good or bad.
And let’s not forget: if Sakamoto [at the Olympics] had added a single toe loop to her triple flip, she would have won. That doesn’t mean Alysa Liu is strong or weak. In these competitions, it was Sakamoto who lost – not to diminish Alysa Liu, because she had a wonderful season. And it’s great that she found the strength to return and enjoy this period.
That’s what I really want these girls to do. I’ve said many times that I still believe they are chosen. Millions start, hundreds continue, dozens reach the top, and beyond that – only a few. They need to realize how lucky they are to be among those few. They should enjoy what’s happening. The sporting period is very short; after that, there will be another life,” Tutberidze said in an interview with Okko.
Related topics: Alysa Liu, Eteri Tutberidze, Evgenia Medvedeva, Kaori Sakamoto
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