Yevgeny Plushenko wasn’t able to win back-to-back Olympic gold medals. Maybe he can coach a skater to the feat instead.
Plushenko, who announced his retirement on Friday, has started coaching Sochi Olympic champion Adelina Sotnikova, according to Russian media.
“We began cooperation with Adelina, however, this is all I can say at the present moment,” Plushenko said Tuesday, according to Russian news agency TASS.
The news comes one day after Plushenko posted on Instagram that he planned to return to the Olympics as a coach. Russian media reported Plushenko will detail his future in a press conference Wednesday.
Sotnikova, 20, hasn’t competed since the December 2015 Russian Championships, where she finished sixth and failed to make the three-woman Russian team for the world championships.
She didn’t compete at all this season, stopping preseason training due to a health issue and opting to perform in less-demanding ice shows, according to Russian media.
Russian women’s figure skating has grown in Sotnikova’s absence, complicating her path to making the 2018 Olympic team.
Five different Russian women have won world championships medals the last three years, including two-time reigning world champion Yevgenia Medvedeva.
Russia has three women’s spots at the 2018 Olympics.
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