Alexander Enbert, a silver medalist from the Pyeongchang Olympic Games, spoke with socialbites.ca about Kamila Valieva and the possibility of a long, sustained career in figure skating. He suggested that Valieva could follow the career arc of Elizaveta Tuktamysheva, a path that has proven achievable for skaters who balance talent with resilience.
“Does Kamila have the qualities to skate for as long as Tuktamysheva? I think she does. The only questions are motivation and inner strength, because professional sports demand enduring commitment across many seasons. If there is a genuine desire, then it is possible. Liza Tuktamysheva shows that this is real,” Enbert remarked.
Valieva, after the Russian Championships in December 2022, identified Tuktamysheva as her idol. The skater recalled a conversation with Tuktamysheva in which she learned that Tuktamysheva had already competed in her 13th Russian Championship. This realization served as inspiration for Valieva, who described such longevity in a skating career as a personal “goal.”
Earlier in 2022, Valieva faced the challenge of defending the European champion title, a pressure that underscored the demand for consistency and peak performance over multiple seasons. Enbert’s perspective provides context for Valieva’s ambitions, highlighting the era-defining commitment that top-level skaters often pursue to remain at the forefront of the sport. The discussion reflects a broader view within the skating community about sustaining excellence, managing the physical demands, and maintaining the mental focus required to compete at the highest level year after year. This combination of technique, training discipline, and personal motivation forms the blueprint many young skaters study when they consider a career that could span more than a decade in elite figure skating. (Source: socialbites.ca)
Valieva’s journey illustrates how early success can be complemented by a long-term strategy that prioritizes health, continued skill development, and the resilience to navigate the inevitable highs and lows of a sport that values both artistry and athleticism. The dialogue between Enbert and Valieva’s circle underscores the belief that longevity is attainable in modern figure skating, provided that a skater remains committed to evolving, adapting to new challenges, and maintaining a clear, enduring motivation to compete at the pinnacle of the sport. (Source: socialbites.ca)