MILAN (AP) — Few figure skaters. winter olympics I’ve seen Adelia Petrosyan play in real life.
She might walk away with a gold medal.
Russia’s exclusion from international sporting events during its war with Ukraine means the 18-year-old Petrosyan has only skated in one senior competition outside his home country. modifier that earned her status neutral athlete In Milan.
As she prepares to skate to Michael Jackson’s music in Tuesday’s short program, there is no one but Petrosyan and herself. controversial coachEteri Tutberidze can be sure of his condition and whether there are any injuries.
But if Petrosyan can outrun skaters like the American “Blade Angels” trio; amber glen, Alisa Liu Along with Ysabeau Levit and Japanese stars Kaori Sakamoto and Ami Nakai, she will become famous as Russia’s four-time Olympic champion.
Petrosyan’s coach also coached Valieva.
Petrosyan is Tutberidze’s latest star. Tutberidze revolutionized women’s skating 10 years ago by encouraging teenage girls to jump bigger and bigger, but as a result, many skaters suffered from repeated injuries.
She coached the 2018 gold medalist Alina Zagitovaand in 2022 Anna Shcherbakova produced three outstanding players. won a gold medal.
But the Beijing Games are remembered less for Shcherbakova’s victory than for Shcherbakova’s positive doping test. Another Tutberidze talentKamila Valieva, 15 years old. The case ultimately ended with a doping ban for Valieva and an investigation into Tutberidze, but no evidence of wrongdoing by the Russian coach was found.
Tutberidze was also criticized for her harsh words towards students in Beijing, and World Anti-Doping Agency president Witold Banka said last week that he was “not happy with her presence” at the Milan-Cortina Olympics.
As part of the fallout from the Valieva scandal, the International Skating Union increased the minimum age for senior-level athletes from 15 to 17. This makes Petrosyan one of the oldest female skaters Tutberidze has coached at a major championship.
High score and high risk
Petrosyan successfully completed a quadruple jump at the Russian national competition, similar to the success of his compatriots at previous Olympics, and no other skater at the Milan-Cortina Games can match these high-scoring elements.
The big question is whether she will be fit enough to do it in Milan.
“I can’t change direction,” Petrosyan complained in a Russian documentary about Tutberidze released last week. Tutberidze said Petrosyan had been making progress in a difficult program over the new year, but suddenly “everything hurt.”
There was no indication as to how Petrosyan’s condition had changed over the past month as he prepared for the Olympics.
Fitness has been a big part of my life in recent months. Tutberidze previously told Russian media that Petrosyan wanted to forego participation in September’s Olympic qualifiers for lower-ranked skaters due to injury, but ended up taking part because of the poor health of Russia’s substitute.
Russian flag in Milan
“Let’s imagine it’s Chelyabinsk.” That was his advice to Russian skaters Petr Gumennik Before the men’s skating event, he was told by his coach that it looked like the Olympics were being held in a regional Russian city.
For a few seconds, it felt like the competition was really taking place in Russia.
“When I competed, I received so much applause and so much noise. It was incomparable to anything,” Gumennik said after skating the short program, in which he placed 12th. “That’s the Olympic support. It was unexpected and it gave me strength and confidence.”
Gumennik was greeted by fans waving banners with matching faces and chanting “well done” in Russian.
The Russian flag was also flown in the stands, despite Olympic organizers banning the use of the Russian flag at the Games, and athletes such as Gumennik and Petrosyan were screened for war support before being allowed to compete as neutral athletes.
As the Russian with the best chance of winning gold at these Olympics, Petrosyan may have even more support when he skates. ___
AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-Winter-olympics