‘We don’t see breasts and buttocks anymore’: Russian commentator accuses Eteri Tutberidze of making figure skating a teenage sport

Famous Russian sports commentator Vasily Utkin has complained that renowned coach Eteri Tutberidze has made modern figure skating less feminine and beautiful by turning it into a teenage sport dominated by 15-year-old girls.

Utkin said he regretted that female athletes’ careers had become short-lived, with junior skaters leaving no opportunities for their mature counterparts, who are now forced to retire after spending just a handful of seasons at senior level.

According to the commentator, the rapid progress in women’s skating which has led to the emergence of the so-called quad-generation has also destroyed the beauty of the sport, as fans can no longer enjoy skating displays by adult competitors with curvy figures.

“I don’t agree that Tutberidze made figure skating more beautiful," Utkin said. "She made it more popular, not beautiful.

"Why? Breasts and buttocks completely disappeared. She has only teenagers on her team. I cannot say whether it’s right or not, but if we are talking about beauty…to me, figure skating without breasts and buttocks is less beautiful.”

Tutberidze, who has guided several generations of figure skaters to the world and Olympic podiums, has frequently been lambasted for exploiting teenagers who have not yet reached puberty.

All of her champions, including Olympic gold medalists Yulia Lipnitskaya and Alina Zagitova, reached career heights at the age of 15 before slowly losing their leading positions after facing tough competition from younger opponents.

Despite the widespread criticism, Tutberidze has continued to discover new talents who constantly replace each other on top of the podium.

The recent Russian championship was dominated by two of Tutberidze’s stars, Anna Shcherbakova and Kamila Valieva, who finished first and second respectively, delivering fabulous skating in Chelyabinsk.