Valieva Discusses Mentorship, Progress, and Russian Championships
Olympic champion Kamila Valieva recently opened up about a longstanding exchange with Elizaveta Tuktamysheva from years past at the Russian Championships. The conversation, shared by Sports Express, offers insight into Valieva’s mindset during a crucial period in her career and how she interprets guidance from a veteran mentor.
Valieva described the steady rhythm she maintained in the short program, emphasizing a performance she could be proud of at that moment. She spoke about consistent self-trust, careful interpretation of every result, and the discipline of turning each outing into a source of learning. When asked about motivation, she identified Tuktamysheva as a benchmark and highlighted a patient, long-range approach to growth. Valieva recalled a memory from a Chelyabinsk tournament when she was a teenager, around thirteen or fourteen, and remembered hearing a similar message about patience and perseverance. That reflection on her younger self underscored a broader objective she keeps in sight as she moves toward upcoming milestones, recognizing that time can be a powerful ally in skating development.
At the Russian Championships, Valieva finished in third place. In the free program, she adjusted her routine after a misstep during a quad attempt, turning the moment into a learning point for balancing risk and recovery on the ice. The competition featured strong performances from others as well, with Adelia Petrosyan taking the victory and Sofya Muravyova earning silver as a student of Evgeni Plushenko. The depth of talent underscored the high level of Russian figure skating and the ongoing evolution of both technical and artistic standards in the sport.
During the 2023/24 season, Tuktamysheva announced a pause from professional competition. In the previous season, she achieved top finishes at the Russian Grand Prix events in Moscow and Perm and earned bronze at the Russian Championship, while Sofia Akatieva and Kamila Valieva claimed victories. These results illustrate a shifting landscape in a sport where veterans and rising stars continually push one another toward new heights while balancing personal goals with the demands of elite training and competition schedules.
Earlier in her career, Valieva acknowledged the pressure tied to form and weight, recognizing how physical expectations can influence a skater’s performance and mindset. The discussion around balance, resilience, and self-belief remains central as she moves from junior championships to senior-level competition and the pressures that accompany peak performance on the world stage. This ongoing narrative connects past mentorship moments with present ambitions, reinforcing the idea that steady, informed progress is a lasting asset in the journey of figure skating.