This is not a problem happening just in Russia – a win-at-all-costs mentality is affecting young athletes more than ever
What price an Olympic gold medal these days? We know about the blood, sweat and tears, but the costs paid by the 15-year-old figure skater Kamila Valieva in pursuit of the glittering prize rose exorbitantly over the past week in Beijing. The already unstable Olympic currency of values, integrity and humanity devalued further.
There was almost universal horror watching Valieva’s coach, Eleni Tutberidze, in action. Her harsh questions as Valieva sought to escape the rink after her unravelling performance caused consternation. Even the fence-sitting International Olympic Committee president, Thomas Bach, spoke out. But after the initial repudiation and disgust, her approach struck a troublesome chord. Perhaps a flashback to a teacher or parent, a sports coach or another instructor.
Written by Cath Bishop
This news first appeared on https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2022/feb/21/kamila-valieva-horror-show-price-olympic-gold-too-high under the title “Kamila Valieva horror show proves the price of Olympic gold is too high | Cath Bishop”. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.
