New Coach Comments on Lena Kostyleva's Split from Plushenko

Sofia Fedchenko has become the new coach for 14-year-old figure skater Lena Kostyleva from Voronezh following her split from Evgeni Plushenko, sport24.ru reports. Fedchenko confirmed the information in an interview with a journalist from the outlet. According to Sofia, during a meeting with Lena and her mother, Irina, they discussed cooperation and preparation for the Russian championships together—they decided that work would begin after the girl«s surgical wound heals.

Fedchenko had not personally known Kostyleva before but had followed her successes because she considers Lena a top-tier figure skater. While her mother, Irina, sorts out the relocation, the girl is living in her new coach«s apartment and will later live with her mother near the rink. Regarding Irina Kostyleva»s controversial behavior on social media, Sofia Fedchenko commented diplomatically, stating that such prospects «don»t frighten her at all«: »In my free time, I read books, not figure skating chats. That«s entertainment for parents in the stands.»

Sofia Fedchenko is a young coach, 29 years old, but she has already made a name for herself: in 2023, her young charge Alina Gorbacheva became the Russian junior champion. Recall that Evgeni Plushenko announced his refusal to continue coaching Lena Kostyleva on the morning of 21 December in his personal Telegram channel. According to the Olympic champion, this was a forced step that was not easy for him. Plushenko had worked with the talented figure skater from Voronezh since March 2024, with the girl racking up one victory after another. However, shortly before the split, a scandal erupted between the celebrated coach and Lena«s mother, Irina Kostyleva. The sides accused each other of improper behavior towards the child: Plushenko and his wife, Yana Rudkovskaya, alleged that Lena had been beaten by her mother, while the mother alleged insufficient coaching attention to the young star, with Kostyleva not mincing her words. The full saga of the adults» sporting disputes, with a child caught in the middle, is on our website Voronezh1.ru.