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The Russian figure skating coach who was at the center of the doping scandal that engulfed then-15-year-old Kamila Valieva at the 2022 Winter Games is returning to Milan Cortina.
Eteri Tutberidze, who coached Valieva when it was revealed in Beijing that she had tested positive for the banned substance trimetazidine, returned to the Olympic scene this week for Georgia as coach of European champion Nika Egadze.
Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva competes at the Russian Vaulting Championships in Moscow, Russia, Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Pavel Bednyakov)
Tutberidze, despite global outcry that Valieva was a minor at the time, was not formally sanctioned or disciplined for the incident. Still, World Anti-Doping Agency president Witold Banka expressed disappointment that she would be participating in this year’s Games.
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“It’s not our decision that the coach is here,” Banka said Thursday. “The investigation found no evidence that this particular person was involved in this doping process, so there is no legal basis to exclude him from his presence during the Olympic Games.”
“But of course, if you ask me personally about my feelings,” he continued, “I sure don’t feel comfortable with his presence here at the Olympics.”
Valieva, 19, submitted a sample in December 2021 during the Russian National Championships, which tested positive the following February. The scandal broke after Valieva helped the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) win gold in the team event after becoming the first woman in competition to perform a quadruple jump.
Kamila Valieva of Team ROC reacts as she waits for her score with choreographer Daniil Gleikhengauz (right) and coach Eteri Tutberidze (left) after the women’s individual free skate on Day 13 of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games at the Capital Indoor Stadium in Beijing, China, February 17, 2022. (David Ramos/Getty Images)
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The competition was able to continue thanks to the intervention of the Court of Arbitration for Sports (TAS). Valieva received a four-year ban, which expired last December. He was unable to qualify for Milan Cortina because he was unable to compete in the qualifying events during his suspension.
Russian figure skater Adeliia Petrosian, on the other hand, is competing for the Republic of China this year and is a contender for the gold medal in the women’s singles category. She has also been trained by Tutberidze for years.
Tutberidze’s daughter Diana Davis is also competing for Georgia at the Winter Olympics in the ice dance category.
Eteri Tutberidze during practice at the ISU European Figure Skating Championships at Utilita Arena in Sheffield, Tuesday 13 January 2026. (Mike Egerton/PA Images via Getty Images)
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Figure skating competitions begin on Friday.
