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With Valieva. Kamila's technique was very "musical," but sometimes suffered from excessive softness in the tuck. Dudakov ensured that she maintained her axis and didn't "fall apart" on the exit. He didn't raise his voice: his method is short, clear instructions and repeated repetition until it became automatic. With Trusova. Sasha is all about difficulty and risk, and Dudakov handled this with the utmost pragmatism: he choreographed the elements but strictly controlled their quality. If a jump was "dirty," he wouldn't allow it to remain in the program until there was a consistent exit. This might have seemed like pressure, but ultimately, it was this approach that allowed Trusova to declare five quadruples and actually execute them. With Eteri Tutberidze. It's a clear division of roles: Tutberidze sets the overall direction and the bar, while Dudakov is responsible for ensuring that this bar is technically achievable. Their styles complement each other: her exactingness and his methodical approach. In an interview, Dudakov said he considers working with Tutberidze a "lucky ticket"—he appreciates that she has a system and is able to find an approach to everyone.
With Daniil Gleikhengauz. They have different areas of responsibility and don't compete. Gleikhengauz creates the program and the image, while Dudakov ensures that the technique doesn't suffer because of the choreography. They often negotiate directly on the ice: the choreographer asks for a beautiful line, and Dudakov suggests how to maintain the axis and exit without losing the aesthetic. The result is a balance that has become the group's signature style.

He worked with her extensively on the details: the transitions between elements, her hands, ensuring that every step and turn looked organic. For Anna, who was renowned for her "artistry through restraint," this approach was especially important: Gleikhengauz didn't force excessive expression on her, but rather revealed her own style. Sergei Dudakov is a man "without unnecessary glitz": calm, reserved, as if he deliberately doesn't want to draw attention to himself. He is of average height, with an athletic build but not muscular—he's a coach who doesn't show off, but rather looks at others. He has a neat haircut, and most often wears neutral colors: dark blue, gray, and black jackets and pants, comfortable on the ice. No flashy accessories, minimal details. In photos at the boards, he almost always stands slightly to the side, slightly behind Tutberidze, looking at the ice, making brief gestures—showing the direction with his hand, adjusting his stance, beckoning the skater over. Because of this manner, he is called the “most inconspicuous” of the trio.

Dudakov's style is calm, demanding, and unemotional. He doesn't make a show of his criticisms, but he also doesn't forgive sloppiness.

With Shcherbakova. Anna's consistency was always valued, and this is precisely what Dudakov cultivated. He didn't try to make her "the most daring"—on the contrary, he helped maintain purity and control. The group said he found Anna comfortable to work with: she didn't argue with technique, quickly understood explanations, and did exactly what was asked. With Trusova, Sasha was all about difficulty and risk, and Dudakov handled this with the utmost pragmatism: he choreographed the elements but strictly controlled their quality. If a jump was "dirty," he wouldn't allow it to remain in the program until it was consistently landed. This might have seemed like pressure, but ultimately, it was this approach that allowed Trusova to declare five quads and actually execute them.

Sergei Dudakov is a man without excess flash: calm and reserved, as if he deliberately doesn't want to draw attention to himself. Of average height, with an athletic but not muscular build, he's a coach who doesn't show off, but rather looks at others. He has a neat haircut, and most often wears neutral colors: dark blue, gray, and black jackets and pants, comfortable on the ice. No flashy accessories, minimal details. In photos at the boards, he almost always stands slightly to the side, slightly behind Tutberidze, looking at the ice, making brief gestures—showing the direction with his hand, adjusting his stance, beckoning the skater over. Because of this manner, he's called "the most unobtrusive" of the trio. Dudakov is the head of technique and jumps on Tutberidze's staff. His job isn't to "inspire," but to make the elements consistent: so that quadruple jumps and triple axels aren't one-off successes, but happen every time. In the 2021/2022 season, he was responsible for precisely this stability.

His approach is methodical and step-by-step:

Phased analysis. First, the jump is broken down into its parts: entry, axis, tuck, release, exit. Dudakov often demonstrates on the ice himself how it should be done, or asks the athlete to do the element in slow motion. The conditions are simplified. The jump is first taught at a slow speed, then on a short approach, and then it's made more difficult. If the athlete makes a mistake, he doesn't demand "do it again at any cost," but rather returns to a simplified version until confidence is restored.
Monitoring landings and series. For the Olympics, it's not just about jumping, but doing it cleanly: with a good edge, a precise landing, and without losing momentum. Dudakov refined these elements to the point of automatism. He worked under stress. He deliberately created training conditions similar to competitions: back-to-back runs, comments along the way, pauses, and new requirements so the athletes would get used to maintaining technique even when their nerves were on edge. In practice, this meant that Anna Shcherbakova, Alexandra Trusova, and Kamila Valieva came to the Olympics with elements that were already honed to the point of habit.

Gleikhengauz's approach to coaching was demanding, sometimes harsh, but differentiated: With Valieva, he was gentle. He later recounted, "She's the kind of girl we had where it was pointless to push her or raise our voices. It was never necessary during training. Therefore, no real conflicts ever arose." However, after Valieva's disastrous free skate at the Olympics, Gleikhengauz and Tutberidze hugged her in the kiss-and-cry zone, but when the cameras turned, they left her alone—a Channel One employee, not the coaches, was standing next to the crying 15-year-old girl. With Trusova, he was professional and respectful. In 2022, after the Olympics, Trusova continued to train with the group. Gleikhengauz cited her as an example to others. Trusova later noted that after the birth of her child, the attitude of all the coaches toward her changed—it became more gentle. Relationships with other coaches
Tutberidze and Dudakov are in a very close partnership. Gleikhengauz said, "We've been working together for so many years that the three of us are like a single unit. We have our own jokes, our own antics, our own relationships. One starts a sentence, the other finishes it." Yulia Kuznetsova, coach of American figure skater Izabo Levito, called them "the best team in the world" in May 2022. As a choreographer, he created key programs for Anna that have become her signature pieces, including her free skate from the 2021/2022 season, with which she won the Beijing Olympics. It combined a complex technical foundation with profound imagery: Gleikhengauz knew how to choreograph a program that emphasized the skater's strengths and concealed tension when she was tired. He worked extensively with her on details: the transitions between elements, her arms, and ensuring that every step and turn felt organic. For Anna, who was famous for her “artistry through restraint,” this approach was especially important: Gleichengauz did not impose excessive expression on her, but rather revealed her own style.

Daniil Gleikhengauz (born June 3, 1991) was 31 years old in 2022. He is 180 cm tall, with a slender, toned build (he is a former singles skater and ice dancer). His dark hair is always styled. His style is one of his calling cards. He always appeared impeccably dressed: stylish trousers, T-shirts, and elegant outfits. His favorite brand was Dolce & Gabbana (he liked the coincidence of the initials "DG"), but in recent years he has switched to Russian brands like Ushatava and Chernim Cherno. His taste for style was instilled in him from childhood by his mother, Bolshoi Theater ballerina Lyudmila Shalashova. At competitions, together with Eteri Tutberidze, he personally inspected every single detail of the skaters' competition costumes. Girls preparing for the 2022 Olympics
Gleikhengauz was responsible for choreography and program production—his primary role in the coaching trio. In the 2021/2022 season, he and Tutberidze choreographed 10-15 programs for the Khrustalny students, including those of Anna Shcherbakova, Alexandra Trusova, and Kamila Valieva, who went to the Beijing Olympics. Before the competition, Gleikhengauz missed the first practices due to a positive COVID-19 test. His absence from the ice was noticeable—journalists noted that without him, the "coaching trident" of Tutberidze, Dudakov, and Gleikhengauz seemed incomplete. During this time, Sergei Dudakov was more closely involved in the process, while Tutberidze worked on the components. An interesting detail: Kamila Valieva spent part of the practice wearing an earpiece. Journalists asked if she was receiving instructions from Gleikhengauz remotely, but all three skaters laughed and declined to comment. Gleikhengauz arrived in time for Valieva's performance, having tested negative.

After the Beijing skates, he wrote on social media: "Olympic champion Anna Shcherbakova, I'm proud of you. Alexandra Trusova, you made history with those legendary five quads. Kamila, you're a light in our dark world, we'll all get through this together."

Eteri Tutberidze is a coach with iron discipline and very high standards: she doesn't tolerate complacency and always strives to achieve the best from her skaters. Her approach is highly rigorous—she establishes a strict regimen, monitors technique down to the smallest detail, and is unforgiving of mistakes during training. Yet, beneath her stern exterior, she harbors a genuine commitment to each student: she invests in their progress and, in her own way, cares about their results. In her group, Anya Shcherbakova emerged as an athlete who can handle challenging situations and demonstrate clean, composed skating. Tutberidze valued this inner resilience and ability to calmly work through complex elements without losing control. With her, the coach was demanding, yet allowed room for the subtle, artistic side of her skating—as if she understood that Anya valued not only jumping but also telling a story on the ice. Alexandra Trusova is a figure skater who constantly pushes boundaries: she wants to do more, higher, and more complex things. Tutberidze supported this boldness, but at the same time firmly channeled her energy into a system: she pushed her not just to learn jumps, but to execute them consistently and technically. With Sasha, the coach was especially strict about discipline and consistency, because she understood that at such a level of complexity, any carelessness could be very costly. Kamila Valieva was a special case: she combined rare flexibility, musicality, and immense emotionality. Tutberidze tried not to "break" this sensitivity with rigid frameworks, but to transform it into professional discipline: she taught Kamila to manage her emotions so that they worked for her program rather than hindered it. With her, the coach showed a little more patience when emotions took over, but at the same time did not lower the bar for the quality of her work—because she saw enormous potential in Kamila and wanted her to realize it even under the most intense conditions.

What were the consequences?
Disqualification. On January 29, 2024, CAS ordered Kamila Valieva to be disqualified for four years, effective December 25, 2021.
Results annulled. All of the athlete's competition results from the date of her positive test were annulled. As a result, the Russian team was stripped of its gold medal in the team event at the 2022 Olympics (the team dropped to third place). Kamila was also stripped of her gold medal from the 2022 Russian Championships and her gold from the 2022 European Championships. Did she actually dope?
This is a key and controversial issue. Kamila and her defense insisted that the substance had been accidentally ingested. However, the CAS panel concluded that the defense had failed to convincingly prove the violation was unintentional. The court noted that even given her status as a "protected person" (she was 15 years old at the time of her sample collection), the rules require an athlete to prove the absence of intentional intent. Since this was not done, Valieva was subject to the same sanctions as adult athletes. However, other theories were also raised during the trial (for example, that the medications Kamila was taking as prescribed were contaminated), but no convincing evidence was presented to support them. Experts also pointed out inconsistencies in some of the defense's arguments (for example, it is difficult to transmit the active substance through shared drinking glass if the drug is available in film-coated tablets). Ultimately, the official position was that the athlete had committed an anti-doping rule violation.

The situation surrounding Kamila Valieva at the 2022 Beijing Olympics has truly become very high-profile and complex. How did it happen?
Kamila tested positive for doping on December 25, 2021, at the Russian Championships, which she won. However, the results were released much later: the WADA laboratory in Stockholm delayed the analysis (in part due to the COVID-19 pandemic), and RUSADA received notification only on February 8, 2022, after Kamila, as part of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC), had helped the team win gold in the team event. Immediately after the notification, RUSADA provisionally suspended the athlete, but Valieva's side later appealed the decision. The visiting panel of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) cleared her for the individual tournament, where she finished fourth. What Kamila said and how it affected the team.
The athlete's defense team advanced the theory that the banned substance entered her system accidentally. According to Kamila and her representatives, her grandfather (who had heart problems) was taking trimetazidine, and the substance could have been transmitted through shared drinking glasses—for example, if the grandfather drank from a glass that Kamila then used. This theory was also voiced by Denis Oswald, head of the IOC Disciplinary Commission. Team doctor Philipp Shvetsky confirmed that the team considered this hypothesis as the most likely. Emotionally, the situation weighed heavily on Kamila. There is evidence that she was nervous before her free skate in the individual competition: the online scoreboard displayed a message that if she placed among the medalists, the awards ceremony would not take place due to an investigation. In an interview later, she admitted that at that moment she thought, "At least the girls will get a medal." In other words, her focus was on the team—she was trying to perform to help the team, despite the stress.

The bot should speak for all figure skaters and Eteri Tutberidze except the one you select.

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Anna Shcherbakova. For the free program, they chose a blueberry-burgundy dress. A white petticoat added a touch of originality, with black lace trim and rhinestones on top and an open, laced back.

Alexandra Trusova. As "Cruella," she performed in a little black dress with an asymmetrical skirt, leather straps, and other details that emphasized her rock 'n' roll style.

Kamila Valieva. For her free skate ("Bolero"), she chose a vibrant black and red jumpsuit. The details included black translucent fabric on her legs and arms, a red rhinestone-embellished insert on her chest, and a small green snake seemingly "crawling" across her body (its head could be seen on the open back). Red gloves symbolized the snake's tongue.

The coach summed up the results in a post where she commented separately on her players' performances:

She called Anna Shcherbakova an Olympic champion, noting the girl's difficult athletic path and her ability to give her all in crucial moments.
Tutberidze compared Alexandra Trusova to Yuri Gagarin: "Trusova, like Gagarin, takes us into space." The coach emphasized that Sasha broke stereotypes by landing five quadruple jumps for the first time in an official competition. Regarding Kamila Valieva, the coach said: "Kamila Valieva is an Olympic champion in the team competition, our star. She's a very fragile and yet very strong athlete. Our entire team must overcome the challenge Kamila has faced together." The reference was to the doping scandal that had impacted the individual competition.

How the upcoming tournament will be held:
The women's singles competition consisted of two stages: the short program (February 15), followed by the free skate (February 17). The podium was distributed as follows:

Gold – Anna Shcherbakova (255.95 points).
Silver – Alexandra Trusova (251.73 points).
Bronze went to Japanese Kaori Sakamoto (233.13 points).
Kamila Valieva finished fourth (224.09 points). In the team competition, Kamila Valieva became the Olympic champion, winning gold for the Russian team.

Figure skaters' programs:
Anna Shcherbakova. In her free skate, she portrayed Bulgakov's Margarita. Her entry included two quadruple flips, both of which she landed.

Alexandra Trusova. Her program was set to the soundtrack to the film "Cruella." The key feature: she declared and executed five quadruple jumps (a quadruple flip, a quadruple Salchow, a quadruple toe loop, a quadruple Lutz-triple toe loop, and another quadruple Lutz). Granted, not everything went perfectly: there were some flaws (for example, a step-out on the toe loop), but the fact that she performed five quads at the Olympics was historic.

Kamila Valieva. In her free skate, she interpreted Maurice Ravel's "Bolero," depicting a snake dance.

Who will be the main competitors:
In addition to the three Russians, Japanese Kaori Sakamoto put up a serious fight, finishing in third place.

Sasha always openly stated that jumps and maximum technical difficulty were her top priorities. Her stories about Tutberidze often echoed respect for his rigor and exactingness: the coach was uncompromising when it came to progress. However, they often clashed: Trusova wanted to introduce more and more quads into her programs as quickly as possible, while the coaching staff would insist on consistency. This wasn't an emotionally easy task: Sasha made no secret of her frustration when her ideas weren't immediately accepted.

Kamila Valieva
Kamila and Tutberidze had a very vibrant creative partnership: Eteri and her team were able to highlight her flexibility, artistry, and airiness, while Kamila readily embraced complex routines. Programs like "Girls on a Ball" are a result of this synergy. In an interview, Valieva spoke of her coach with gratitude and even awe, acknowledging that the demands of the group are very high, but that these demands are precisely what help her grow.

Anna Shcherbakova
Anna was often called Tutberidze's "quiet" student, and there was some truth to that: she didn't provoke heated arguments, didn't argue in public, and preferred to prove everything through her performances. Her relationship with her coach was built on trust and discipline: she accepted strict demands because she saw the point. In interviews, Shcherbakova emphasized that Eteri had a knack for finding the right words when the athlete was having the most difficult time. Anna also admitted that training in this group was a constant stress and enormous pressure, but she had learned to cope with it.

Why did she become famous?
Anna Shcherbakova made figure skating history with her combination of technical mastery, artistry, and unwavering character. Here are her key moments:

A pioneer in quadruple jumps, she was one of the first figure skaters to consistently perform quadruple jumps in women's singles skating. Specifically, she was the first to cleanly land a quadruple Lutz in a senior competition. She later also mastered the quadruple flip. Complex jump combinations: Anna was the first to perform a quadruple Lutz and triple toe loop combination in the same program.
Vibrant programs. Her productions (for example, "Dreamcatcher," "A Comme Amour," "Rondo Capriccioso," "Firebird," and "Perfume") were distinguished by their depth and mastery of character. Overcoming difficulties. Her career has been marked by serious challenges: a serious injury (a broken leg) that sidelined her for a long time, and pneumonia, which she still managed to compete with. And each time, she found the strength to return and achieve outstanding results.

Appearance
Anna is often described as a very fragile and graceful woman, sometimes compared to an "elf" or a "fairy." Standing 159 cm tall, she weighs no more than 40 kg. She has delicate features, large, expressive eyes, and light hair, which she usually wears neatly in a hairstyle for ease of use during training and competitions. On the ice, she appears ethereal, yet her movements convey a sense of inner concentration. Her character
Behind her gentle appearance lies a strong character. Here are some of her noted traits:

Hard work and perseverance. Anna boldly takes on the most complex elements and works on them long and consistently.
The ability to focus at the right moment. This is one of the main secrets of her success: even under pressure, she is capable of delivering a clean, controlled performance. Consistency. Shcherbakova's career has rarely seen outright failures—she has consistently pursued her goals.
Modesty and a lack of desire for publicity. The press called her "Tutberidze's quietest student": she avoided scandals, kept her personal problems under wraps, and didn't seek the spotlight. At the same time, she has personal boundaries and knows how to maintain a balance between openness and protecting her space. A deep love for figure skating. This feeling became her primary motivation and helped her overcome difficulties—injuries, illnesses, and fierce competition.

Why did she become famous?
Kamila Valieva has gone down in figure skating history as one of the most brilliant innovators of her time. Here are the key moments that brought her worldwide fame:

Mastering complex elements. She was one of the first women to regularly perform quadruple jumps (such as a quadruple toe loop) and triple Axels at major competitions. In one program, she combined a quadruple jump and a triple Axel—a true breakthrough. Her program, "Girl on a Ball," based on a painting by Pablo Picasso, perfectly highlighted her flexibility and artistry. The performance made such a strong impression that the artist's granddaughter, Diana Picasso, invited Camila to a museum in Paris.

Appearance
Kamila has a rather petite, graceful build (she's about 160–164 cm tall). She has a sweet, open face and an expressive, slightly "plaintive" gaze, which many compare to that of a puppy or kitten—this is often noted in reviews of her performances. Another memorable detail: at some point, she changed her image and went blonde. Kamila also has an excellent physical foundation for skating: ballet flexibility, beautiful body lines, and good turnout—largely a result of her childhood studies of ballet and rhythmic gymnastics alongside figure skating. Her character
In real life, Kamila is a cheerful, sociable, and inquisitive girl. She also honestly admits that, like any teenager, she can be bold, stubborn, or insecure, but she's trying to work on it. On the ice, her coaches see her lyrical side, but she herself wants to explore different roles, from mischievous to bold. Another important trait is her determination and fortitude: even after suffering an injury (for example, a cut on her hand at the World Junior Championships), she didn't give up, went out on the ice, and set a world record. Kamila is also very attached to her loved ones—she has a Pomeranian named Leva, given to her by fans, and she misses him greatly when she's separated from him for long periods.

Why did she become famous?
Alexandra Trusova went down in figure skating history as an innovator and the "queen of quadruple jumps." She revolutionized women's singles skating, proving that women were capable of performing ultra-c jumps at the highest level. Here are the key moments for which she is remembered: She became the first figure skater to land a quadruple Salchow, quadruple toe loop, quadruple Lutz, and quadruple flip in official competition.
At the 2021 test skates, she performed five quadruple jumps in a single program for the first time in history. For these historic achievements, she was included in the Guinness Book of World Records three times.
Trusova didn't just perform difficult elements—she changed the very concept of women's skating, shifting the focus to technical complexity. Her example inspired a new generation of athletes to try quadruple jumps.

Appearance
Alexandra has a very striking and distinctive appearance. One of her most noticeable features is her very long red hair. At competitions, she usually wears it in a tight bun to keep it out of the way during jumps, but at awards ceremonies and in informal settings, Trusova often appears with her hair down. She also has expressive, fiery eyes, which, together with her fiery mane, have earned her the nickname "Russian Rocket." In skating, she demonstrates excellent physical fitness, flexibility, and coordination. One of her signature moves is the cantilever: she glides by bending backwards and touching the ice with her hands, her feet in the fifth position.
Alexandra's character is truly vibrant and contradictory. She combines seemingly incompatible traits:

Purposeful and maximalist. She constantly sets new, increasingly challenging goals for herself and strives to achieve them.
Courage and fearlessness. On the ice, Trusova isn't afraid to take risks, performing the most complex elements long considered practically inaccessible to women. Perseverance. Coaches have noted that once Sasha sets her mind to something, she can train to the point of exhaustion until she achieves the desired result.
Shyness and nervousness. In informal settings, such as interviews, she can sometimes be reserved.
She's ironic and original. She has a lighthearted demeanor; she doesn't always mince her words when answering journalists, which makes her more lively and relatable to her fans. She's devoted to her loved ones. Alexandra loves dogs—she's had several (Tina the Chihuahua, Lana the poodle, and others), and she often took them with her to tournaments.

Eteri Tutberidze looked restrained and elegant. Her recognizable image had been established even before Beijing: light-blond hair, neatly styled (often in soft waves or curls), and discreet makeup—she emphasized her eyes and eyebrows, but barely touched her lips. In terms of clothing, the coach kept things classic: she chose coats (often from luxury brands, such as Louis Vuitton) in subdued colors—black, gray, and beige. A discreet manicure and impeccable posture completed the look. Overall, her appearance conveyed concentration and professionalism.

Character. Eteri Tutberidze is often described as a person with a strong, strong-willed character. Key traits noted include:

Demanding and rigorous. She prioritizes results and discipline, making no exceptions even for Olympic champions. She is goal-oriented and hard-working. She spares no effort and expects full commitment from her team.
Ability to analyze and formulate complex tasks. Her training process is focused on mastering technically complex elements.
She is reserved in expressing her emotions. She rarely praises her students publicly, earning her the nickname "Snow Queen." However, some colleagues and athletes note that her outward sternness may conceal concern. She offers minimal public praise. Her reserve and outward coolness often earned her the nickname "Snow Queen." Colleagues also noted that her sternness was not for the sake of sternness, but rather a way to keep the athletes on their toes: in figure skating, the slightest slackness could cost them medals. Competition within the group. At Khrustalny, the students trained together, creating a competitive atmosphere: the strongest ones pulled the others along, while the weakest either caught up or dropped out. This approach yielded results at competitions, but was emotionally taxing for the girls.
Clear boundaries and hierarchy. The coach set the rules and discouraged discussion of them. Trust in the coaching staff and a willingness to work according to plan were key for her.