'Doesn't even give her a hug' – Kamila Valieva coach slammed by Aljona Savchenko - Winter Olympics 2022

Former Olympic figure skating champion Aljona Savchenko admits she cried after seeing Kamila Valieva crumble on the world stage, saying “what happened must never happen again”. A distraught Valieva, 15, finished off the podium in the ladies’ singles after a catalogue of slips and falls, while her coach Eteri Tutberidze's first words to her were, “why did you let it go?” Ad/> Criticism is mounting on the Russian figure skating entourage after gold medallist Anna Shcherbakova admitted she “felt emptiness inside”, silver medallist Alexandra Trusova said she “will never go out on the ice again” and the cold response to Valieva’s plight. Beijing 2022IOC will 'initiate' talks on minimum age limit amid Valieva furore3 HOURS AGO IOC president Thomas Bach was among those to reproach Valieva’s team, calling the behaviour “chilling”.

He also suggested a minimum age limit could be introduced to the Olympics – all three Russians were 17 or under – echoing comments from former American figure skater Adam Rippon to Eurosport. Savchenko, the pairs champions at PyeongChang 2018, said she knew Valieva and said the saga “hurts my stomach”. “Honestly, I cried yesterday, not from joy but from sadness,” Savchenko told Eurosport Germany.

“This is a child, 15 years old, standing there in front of the whole world. This is an incredible burden for a child. I wouldn't let her run at all and just protect her.

“What happened yesterday must never happen again. It not only hurts the sport, it hurts the Olympic feeling, the Olympic dream, which is what everybody wants. /> Savchenko also hit out at coach Tutberidze for reproaching Valieva and urged the teenager to “find a new team”.