Elizaveta Tuktamysheva: “Female athletes often face a broader set of expectations – not only regarding results, but also how they look and present themselves on the ice. That’s enormous pressure, especially in adolescence because your body is changing.”

Elizaveta Tuktamysheva spoke in an interview with Forbes about the pressure women face in sports.

original source: Forbes

Elizaveta Tuktamysheva discussed the unique pressures women face in figure skating, emphasizing the expectation to be both technically skilled and physically attractive, and suggested that reducing the demand for perfection and promoting equality could help alleviate this burden. Here’s a translation of her comments.

“Q: How is the pressure on women in your sport different from other sports?

Elizaveta Tuktamysheva: Figure skating is at the intersection of sport and art, so in addition to proper technique, girls are expected to have a certain appearance – a good figure and a pretty face. You have to be “cute”: behave properly, skate and spin beautifully, be flawless in everything. Of course, that’s enormous pressure. In adolescence, it feels especially intense because your body is changing. At that moment, you feel completely unprotected, you realize you don’t meet expectations and can’t always do anything about it. Men can face this too, but less often, since they aren’t required to look perfect. Their story is different.

Q: What do you think can be done to reduce the pressure on women, both in sports and in life?

Elizaveta Tuktamysheva: The first thing that comes to mind is to remove the obligation to be perfect. If that pressure is reduced, the groundwork for change is already there. It’s also important to have more equal treatment of men and women – without imposed expectations like “be patient,” “be wise,” “be calm.” Often, these expectations mean that a woman should be convenient and quiet. But why can’t I openly talk about what I think is important?

In figure skating, women also feel this pressure, although in individual sports, technique and preparation are certainly decisive. Still, female athletes often face a broader set of expectations – not only regarding results, but also how they look and present themselves on the ice. This can add internal stress because you have to meet several criteria at once. But I think that as soon as we start relying on who we are inside, the world will become at least a little better.”

Related topics: Elizaveta Tuktamysheva