Scandal Between Plushenko and Kostyleva's Mother Intensifies
A loud scandal surrounding young Voronezh figure skater Elena Kostyleva is escalating. The quarrel between the athlete«s mother and her coach Evgeni Plushenko has led not only to accusations of child abuse but also to claims of attempts to take the child away.
We report what details of the situation have become known in the last 24 hours. For information on how the conflict began and developed, see our article.
The misunderstanding between Irina Kostyleva and her daughter»s coach arose back in the summer—the skater«s mother hinted that she was being forced to sign some »extremely harsh free contract.« But at that time, the situation ended with assurances from both sides that everything was fine. In the fall, the scandal flared up with renewed vigor, and it all started when Kostyleva took second place, not first, at the stage of the Russian Junior Grand Prix in Omsk.
A few days after the competition, it became known that Lena«s mother was banned from attending the athlete»s training sessions for two months. Then she began writing in her Telegram channel that Plushenko was to blame for the skater«s failure. Irina believes that he intentionally did not develop her skills, instead focusing more on other athletes.
The coach did not appreciate such accusations and began accusing Kostyleva Sr. in response. Plushenko stated that Irina abuses her daughter, insults coaches and other athletes, and spreads lies about the figure skating academy. It all ended with an appeal to the juvenile affairs commission. The commission found Irina guilty of improper performance of parental duties.
«To be honest, [the first statement appeared] under your pressure on my husband. Because I am categorically against signing the contract. And my husband was in agreement,» writes Kostyleva Sr.
She also clarified the situation with her daughter«s education. According to the woman, Lena studied at the Moscow S. Yesenin School. But a few weeks ago, Irina withdrew the documents from there—the commute to and from school took too much time. Then there were trips to competitions, and there hasn»t been an opportunity to find a new school yet.
«Now, after the difficult flights from Omsk and the trash from Plushenko with me leaving the «special regime zone» (the territory of «Angels of Plushenko»—Ed.). With daily evening traffic jams, traveling from Gorki-10 (Moscow region) to Moscow for physiotherapy procedures… Will there be time to enroll Lena in school? But for now, I«m thinking—online or in Gorki?» shared Kostyleva Sr.
Also, Irina continued to insist that her daughter has started skating much worse than she could and should have.
«We are missing the ultra-C (elements of the highest difficulty—Ed.) this season. And half the season has passed. Lena only has December… January—»Yolki« (New Year»s shows) are planned. And Russia. The final. And the end of the season. Where are the six ultra-C elements that were in that season? Where is the quad Rittberger? And to have all that, you need to work. Toil. <…> Coaches who don«t invest in my athlete are not needed by us. We leave immediately. Figure skating is a perishable sport. You can»t waste time,» emphasized Kostyleva.
