“At first I was scared. There were rumors that Tutberidze was a cold woman.” -Tarakanova

Former student Eteri Tutberidze Anastasia Tarakanova told that at the beginning of their collaboration, she was afraid because of rumors about the coach’s character.

On Saturday, February 24, Tutberidze turned 50.

“The first time I saw Eteri Georgievna in person was ten years ago. She was preparing Yulia Lipnitskaya for the Olympics and I came to watch her. I remember she had a wow effect on me – just externally. Besides, I saw her on the news as coach of the future champion. Then I did not enter the group: Eteri Georgievna honestly said that, in principle, she was not taking anyone now, because she gave most of her energy to Yulia, and recommended that she come after the Olympics . Soon my situation changed, I started having success with another coach, and the goal of transitioning disappeared.

At first I was afraid – there were rumors that Eteri Georgievna was an icy woman. I rode for a week with this attitude and exhaled. I was convinced that yes, she was strict, but not cruel. His rigor is always accompanied by his love for his students and his profession. She tries to make a person want to train and conquer difficult content, so that they understand why they need it. It’s not about forcing, but making sure that everything comes from the heart. To achieve this, Eteri Georgievna first creates an aura of coldness, but in itself she is kind. During training, I often saw her smile, and overall I experienced pleasant feelings from that period.

Eteri Georgievna gave me a lot and showed me some things from the other side. She often drew parallels between sport and other fields of work: she convinced me that many training tips were very realistic. For example, it is important for a person to achieve new goals at any time, regardless of profession, sometimes to force themselves. After all, the outcome does not stand still: it will either be you or another person. This is true in any business, from school onwards. I often remember this truth and try to pass it on to my students.

On her birthday, I wish Eteri Georgievna to continue raising strong personalities who will win! So that its younger generation also conquers everyone over time. So that she can maintain her status as the best coach for as long as possible, have creative ideas, and above all, that all of this makes her happy. Of course, love, kindness, health without limits! Good luck to her daughter Diana, both in sports and in health and in life in general,” Tarakanova told .

Under the leadership of Tutberidze, Yulia Lipnitskaya, Alina Zagitova, Anna Shcherbakova became Olympic champions, Evgenia Medvedeva, Alexandra Trusova and the sports pair Evgenia Tarasova/Vladimir Morozov became Olympic silver medalists.