Kamila Valieva, the 2022 Olympic figure skating champion, was described by Laysan Utyasheva as someone who fell in love with skating through a family-influenced path. At a very young age, Valieva’s mother saw that frequent illness kept her daughter indoors and believed sport might be a remedy. This led to an early introduction to the ice and to a broader exposure to movement disciplines that would shape her athletic journey.
According to the story shared by Utyasheva, the decision process involved trying multiple disciplines before committing to ice and dance. The family first explored rhythmic gymnastics for Valieva, but the administrators noted that this sport typically accepts participants at age four. Undeterred, Valieva continued to train and broadened her horizons with skating, gymnastics, and ballet, all occurring around the same developmental period. The experience described suggests a versatile early training that emphasized resilience, coordination, and artistry, traits that later became part of her skating profile.
Valieva’s early years are noted to have included progress through youth categories, with significant movement within the competitive landscape. The narrative shared portrays a parent’s perspective on guiding a child through a demanding path, balancing health considerations with the pursuit of athletic excellence. This backdrop helps illuminate how a future Olympic champion might evolve from a multi-discipline background into a focus on figure skating at a young age.
In related competition context, the Russian Championship held in Krasnoyarsk featured a notable moment when a celebrated coach, Eteri Tutberidze, saw her team’s progress challenged by a 16-year-old student, Sofia Akatieva, who achieved a top result. This event underscored the depth of talent in the scene and the ongoing narrative of rising young skaters competing at high levels in Russia’s national circuit.
Another recent development connected to Valieva’s competitive environment includes Elizaveta Tuktamysheva securing the bronze medal in the Czech Republic in 2023, highlighting ongoing achievements within the same era of women’s skating and the broader competitive field in Europe.
Previously, Valieva addressed questions about her feelings while awaiting a ruling in a case concerning an anti-doping rule violation. Her reflections at that time offered a glimpse into the personal dimension of elite skating, where results and scrutiny intersect with the pressures of competitive sport and the integrity standards governing the sport.