Figure skater Alena Kostornaya has set her sights on a transition into pair skating and has been candid about what she hopes to prove through this change.
Her aim is twofold. First, she wants to confirm to herself that she is not a fleeting talent and that she can achieve meaningful milestones with this new discipline. Second, she wants to respond to critics online who question her dedication or athletic identity after altering her path. Kostornaya has spoken about facing sharp judgments from some internet commenters who doubt the seriousness of her switch and question her motivation. These remarks, she notes, come from people who react poorly to visible changes in an athlete’s career. (Source: Sport Express)
Her coaching history has been dynamic. She trained with Tutberidze through mid-2020, then moved to Evgeni Plushenko for a period, before returning to Khrustalny on probation for two months in spring 2021.
In another turn of events, Kostornaya parted ways with Tutberidze a year later and joined Elena Buyanova, where she also received a concise course of study. By early 2023, it became public that she had started pursuing pair skating, and she began training with George Kunitsa, a partner in this new direction.
During the previous season, Kostornaya earned a spot in the Grand Prix final, demonstrating her continued competitiveness on the senior circuit. However, a broken hand forced her to miss the Russian national championships and prevented her from representing Russia at the 2022 Beijing Winter Games.
In earlier statements, Kostornaya noted a personal stance that she does not picture herself as a parent figure to children, emphasizing a focus on her athletic career and personal development rather than family plans. (Source: Sport Express)