The coach of Russian Olympic Committee figure skater Kamila Valieva called the teen — whose doping scandal roiled the Beijing Winter Olympics — "very fragile," but a "very strong athlete."
Coach Eteri Tutberidze made the comment in an Instagram post on Monday where she also described the 15-year-old Olympian as "our star," according to a translation from Inside the Games.
Tutberidze came under fire last week for her behavior after Valieva failed to medal in the Olympic women's singles skating event.
Valieva burst into tears following the Thursday free skate event and Tutberidze came down on the teen instead of offering her words of encouragement in a scene that was captured on camera.
"Why did you stop fighting? Explain it to me — why? You let it go after that axel. Why?" Tutberidze asked Valieva as she exited the rink.
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