Olympic coach Marina Zoueva trains future stars in Hertz Arena

As the world looks ahead to the 2026 Winter Olympics, a Southwest Florida coach who has trained multiple Olympic medalists is continuing her work in Estero.

At the International Skating Academy, longtime figure skating coach Marina Zoueva is training young athletes using the same Olympic-level standards that helped her skaters reach the podium.

Zoueva’s résumé spans decades. She coached Ekaterina Gordeeva and Sergei Grinkov to Olympic gold in 1988 and 1994. In 2014, she coached Meryl Davis and Charlie White to gold, and later coached Maia Shibutani and Alex Shibutani, who earned bronze in 2018. Over the years, her athletes have also captured multiple Olympic silver and team medals representing both the United States and Canada.

She said reaching the Olympic stage is never about one performance.

“You have to be best in the world since four years cycle,” Zoueva said. “That is the most important for Olympic — how you organize the process for four years. Right moment. Right skaters. Right performance.”

While none of her current skaters are competing in the 2026 Winter Games, Zoueva said preparation for the next Olympic opportunity never stops.

That mindset is shaping athletes like U.S. national champion Lucas Appel.

“She really harnessed my artistic side as a skater,” Appel said. “I used to always worry about the technicalities of everything, but she’s like, ‘You need to let your performance flow naturally from you.’”

Zoueva moved her academy from Michigan to Southwest Florida in search of year-round training and what she describes as a healthier environment for her athletes. But she said her mission remains the same — to develop skaters who are prepared when their Olympic moment comes.

“At least four minutes of your performance, let them join with your creativity,” Zoueva said. “Even at the Olympics, I tell them — look how many people came from different countries. Make them feel.”

With several years remaining before the next Winter Games, Zoueva said the focus in Estero is on long-term development — building consistency, confidence and performance skills long before the Olympic spotlight turns on.