The figure skater can take Russia’s first “neutral” Olympic gold

Normally the best skaters have to wait until the end, but when the women’s singles figure skating short program was about to begin, Adelija Petrosyan – one of the early favorites – entered the ice as number two in the starting field.

The 18-year-old Russian had barely competed internationally before and was therefore unable to rely on previous results on which to base the order. After completing the program, the three-time Russian champion received 72.89 points, a new personal best that put her in first place – where she stayed for two and a half hours.

– I am very happy with my skating. At first I was a little worried about my (emotional) state. “It was the most important start in my life,” Petrosyan said of his performance.

At three Olympic Games in a row The gold in the women’s singles went to a Russian. A lot still needs to happen for Petrosyan for the series to be extended in Milan, but she is still in the fight for medals. Heading into Thursday’s free skate, the Moscow-born figure skater is four places behind the leading Japanese, 17-year-old Ami Nakai (78.71).

Petrosyan is trained by Russia’s Eteri Tutberidze, the notorious demon coach accredited for Georgia at the Olympics and who played one of the main roles in the major scandal of the previous Winter Games four years ago.

Tutberidze’s mentee at the time, Kamila Valieva, who was only 15 years old at the time, was caught in a doping test, which later led to the age limit for active participants being raised to 17 years. But despite an intensified debate about children’s figure skating achievements, not much has changed in Russia.

Of course, winning a medal means a lot for Russia

That is what is claimed former figure skater Lotta Falkenbäck, now a trainer who often appears as an expert commentator on television.

– It’s the same. I don’t feel like there is a difference. Figure skating is big in Russia, and it was big in the Soviet Union. It’s status. You lift them to the sky, these figure skaters, she says, pointing out that there are “a bunch” of figure skaters in Russia who are basically the same caliber as Petrosyan.

Given the huge excitement surrounding Valieva four years ago and the constant presence of Tutberidze, Lotta Falkenbäck wondered how Petrosyan would deal with the pressure of being the only Russian in the competition.

– Now she’s suddenly facing an Olympics where all eyes are on her. “When you’re so young, you have to carry a lot on your shoulders,” she says.

Russia could have sent several top skaters to the Olympics, but was not allocated more than one quota spot. However, the fact that Russian and Belarusian athletes are allowed to compete under a neutral flag at all suggests that they will soon be back in full international sporting action.

At least that’s what Russian expert Bo Petersson, professor of political science at the University of Malmö, thinks.

– This is a step towards Russia’s full return to sports arenas. A sign that the international “boycott front” is breaking, he says and continues:

– Despite the ongoing war of aggression in Ukraine, relations with Russia are normalizing in various ways.

Bo Petersson says so He would have been surprised if Russia were not allowed to take part in the next Winter Olympics in the French Alps without sanctions. Even now he believes that the Russian regime sees the opportunity to exploit sporting successes for propaganda purposes.

– You can say: “These are our Russian athletes, they are so good and you can imagine what it would have looked like if we had been fully involved.”

– After all, sporting success is a classic element in the arsenal of power when it comes to displaying “soft power” as a complement to military strength, says Petersson.

Climbing Adeliya Petrosyan With a few places in the free skate, the first medal for a Russian “neutral” athlete at the Winter Olympics is secured. If she wins, she would be the first Russian Olympic champion since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 (including the Summer Olympics).

Lotta Falkenbäck again:

– Figure skating is super big, an internationally big sport that has big roots in Russia and the former Soviet Union. So it’s clear that it means a lot to them when they get a medal.

What typically sets the best Russian skaters apart is the ability to perform quadruples – four rotations in the air – better and to a greater extent than their international competitors.

If Petrosyan saves this for her final run, she will keep to herself for now.

“It’s a secret, I never reveal anything about my programs,” she says.

The free program begins on Thursday at 7:00 p.m.

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