Valieva returns under Sokolovskaya at Navka’s school
Figure skater Kamila Valieva will return to sport under coach Svetlana Sokolovskaya at Tatyana Navka’s school. The former pupil of the Trenersky Shtab Tutberidze — the Tutberidze coaching team (TShT) — will resume training on 25 October.
Svetlana Sokolovskaya has already coached former TShT athletes. In October 2022, after the Beijing Olympics, Alexandra Trusova joined her group at CSKA (Central Sports Club of the Army, CSKA). At the time, Honored Coach of the USSR Tatyana Tarasova said the skater «switched to the boy she is friends with», referring to Mark Kondratyuk, the Olympic bronze medalist in the team event.
On 25 December her disqualification expires, and Valieva will be able to compete. Two sources familiar with the situation told Sport‑Express. Later, Navka herself confirmed the information to Sport24.
In January 2024, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) banned Kamila Valieva for four years for doping — trimetazidine, a substance prohibited by the World Anti‑Doping Agency (WADA), was found in her blood. The athlete was stripped of the titles of Russian champion, European champion, and Olympic champion.
«Of course, this is wonderful news for our academy and ice palace. We are happy! We will help, support, and oversee in every possible way. With everything that depends on me and our school, we will help Valieva», she said.
Tarasova called Valieva’s decision «quite unexpected» and questioned whether the athlete could return to sport with a new coach.
«No one leaves Tutberidze. She is a wonderful coach. Valieva already works in Navka’s show. I do not believe that with Sokolovskaya, Kamila will be able to return to sport. It’s not serious. I think Kamila will continue to perform in Tanya Navka’s show. The season is already beginning. If you analyze it professionally, it all looks very funny», she told RIA Novosti.
Kamila Valieva and Eteri Tutberidze
The Kazan-born athlete Kamila Valieva began figure skating at three and a half. Her first coach was Ksenia Ivanova. The girl grasped information quickly and had strong physical attributes. The Valiev family moved to Moscow, and soon the young athlete was invited to a tryout with Eteri Tutberidze.
«Once Eteri Georgievna admitted that she loves skaters who are close to despair. I can’t say I was completely disillusioned with the sport then, but I wanted to challenge myself. And the tryout at “Khrustalny” rink was that very challenge: do I amount to anything, or is it time for me to try something else. It turned out that I do. I was glad that Eteri Georgievna believed in me and took me on», Kamila recalled.
Under TShT, Kamila Valieva won a stage of the Junior Grand Prix in France, and then in Russia. She became the 2022 European champion, took gold at Stage I of the 2022/2023 Grand Prix of Russia, gold at Stage III of the 2022/2023 Grand Prix of Russia, became the 2023 Russian Jumping Champion, the silver medalist at the 2023 Russian Championships, the silver medalist of the 2022/2023 Russian Grand Prix Final, took first place at Stage VI of the 2023/2024 Grand Prix of Russia, third at the 2024 Russian Championships, and earned Olympic gold in the team event.
In spring 2023, Kamila Valieva took part in Eteri Tutberidze’s show “Champions on Ice”. In December of the same year, she placed third at the Russian Championships in Chelyabinsk, scoring 237.99 points across the short and free programs.
Read more about the doping scandal at the 2022 Olympics in this article.
Earlier, Moscow figure skater Adeliia Petrosian won the Olympic qualifying tournament. Later, Eteri Tutberidze said the athlete had considered withdrawing from Olympic selection.
