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Alina Zagitova: biography

Alina Zagitova is a young Russian figure skater who achieved great success in single figure skating and was awarded the title of Master of Sports of Russia.

Alina Zagitova was born on May 18, 2002 in Udmurtia, in Izhevsk. Being the eldest daughter of the famous trainer Ilnaz Zagitov, Alina is a Tatar girl. The figure skater is not the only child in the family. She has a younger sister Albina, who lives in Izhevsk.

Alina owes to her parents for her sports career. Her father is a coach of the ice hockey team «Izhstal». Alina’s mother is not connected with sport, but she has been dreaming of figure skating all her life. Perhaps, that is why she decided to realize her unfulfilled dream in her daughter. As you know, the girl was named Alina in honor of Alina Kabaeva.

The future sportswoman began training at 5 years old, serious training began at the age of seven. Before that Alina just skated on the ice, even 6-7 times saying goodbye with enthusiasm. When the girl understood that she was well at skating, the hobby turned into a serious business. The sportswoman began to train in the Izhevsk Youth Sports School (which she attended until 2015). The first coach of the future figure skater was Natalia Alekseevna Antipina.

Up to 10 years, Alina could not win a single award. But then she met Eteri Georgievna Tutberidze.

Zagitova quickly broke into the sports world, surprising her opponents and showing amazing results. The video of her performances is the best proof of that!

Career

Zagitova met the well-known coach during the competitions in Moscow. According to Alina, she did not perform very well then. Being late for the train the girl persuaded her mother to go to Eteri Tutberidze. The coach after a brief conversation told the athlete to come after the celebration of New Year.

But relations with Tutberidze did not work out, and Alina went to Anna Tsareva’s group. Later, a period of injuries followed: firstly, the girl broke her arm, and then a leg. After a long period of recovery, Alina had to re-learn how to skate. The figure skater once again tried to get into the group of Tutberidze at the SSC «Sambo-70», and this time her wish came true. Today, the athlete also trains with Sergei Dudakov.

Zagitova is in the group with the outstanding figure skater Evgenia Medvedeva — the winner of world records and the world champion of 2016.

Achievements

Participation in February 2016 in the championship of Russia, where Zagitova surprised the jury with a complex program, which included jumping and cascading. Alina’s debut brought her 9th place. Perhaps her surprising plasticity is a result of her low height (152 cm).

Participation in the junior Grand Prix in France. In Saint-Gervais the figure skater managed to win her opponents by 16 points in two programs, gaining 194.37 points. She demonstrated confident skating and jump elements (performing triple rytberger and triple lutz).

Winner of bronze at the next stage of the Junior Grand Prix in Slovenia.

She got to the junior final of the Grand Prix in Marseille. After the confident performance in St. Gervais, many experts expected that the athlete could not overcome the excitement and emotions, but Alina showed excellent results.

In Marseille, the athlete arrived a day later than the other skaters, as she forgot to register her parents’ permission to travel abroad. According to the figure skater, the unpleasant incident motivated her to win. Tutberidze’s mentee won the Junior Grand Prix final, having won both short and free programs. In total, the girl managed to score 207.43 points.

Participation in the Russian Championship in December 2016 in Chelyabinsk, brought the figure skater a silver medal. Zagitova became a real opening of the season. She managed to perfectly perform a complex program, and the most complex elements the athlete showed at the second part of her performance. The figure-skater managed to score 221.21 points, while Medvedeva scored 233.57 points. After the Championship, in an interview with journalists, Alina confessed that she was very pleased with the second place, and Evgenia Medvedeva encouraged her to strive for higher results. Experienced athletes said that the second place was a serious result for the girl.

In 2016, the sportswoman won the status of the Master of Sports of Russia in figure skating. By the end of 2016, the 14-year-old figure skater took the 83rd place in the ranking, created by one of the oldest sports federations — the International Skating Union.

Alexander Zhulin — a well-known coach and two-time winner of the Olympic Games, appreciated Zagitova’s performance at the Russian championship in Chelyabinsk. Zhulin is delighted with Zagitova’s technique and believes that Alina has great potential. In the future, when the athlete will participate in international competitions, she will be a real threat to her opponents.

At the European Championships in 2018 in Moscow Zagitova made a real furor. In a short program, Alina won Evgenia Medvedeva, becoming the champion of Europe.

On the 24th of March 2019 it became known that Alina Zagitova for the first time became the world champion at the competition held in Saitama, Japan. After this Alina became the first female figure skater who won all major tituls in female ice-skating — Olympic Games, Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final, World Figure Skating Championships and European Figure Skating Championships.

Personal life

The 14-year-old sportswoman lives in Moscow with her grandmother while her parents are in their native Izhevsk. It is the grandmother who shows the skater her mistakes and supports her. Alina is always training, and it is not known whether she has a boyfriend at the moment.

The athlete posts photos of her personal life in Instagram and Vkontakte. New photos are regularly posted in her group in Vkontakte, and in Instagram the girl publishes photos from holidays and trainings. So, in autumn 2016, Alina went to Egypt. There is no official page of Zagitova in Twitter.

Interesting Facts

1. Parents up to one year could not name their daughter. One day, while watching TV, they saw Alina Kabaeva’s performance. And the parents decided to call their daughter Alina.
2. Alina began her trainings with Eteri Tutberidze not once. Three months after the start of training, Eteri Georgievna expelled Zagitova. The coach admitted that she made this decision, because the figure skater did not understand the training system.
3. During the trip to Marseille, the sportswoman lost her phone. Alina searched everywhere, but could not find the phone. Later, she found it unexpectedly.

Foto

Biography (wiki)

Body Measurements

Video

Alina Zagitova on social media

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At 15 years old, Russian figure skater Alina Zagitova is already making waves in the sport. She’s ranked fifth in the world as of January 21, and has the potential to win the gold at the Winter Olympics in PyeongChang. Here’s everything you need to now about skating’s newest superstar.

1. She was born in Izhevsk, Russia, almost 800 miles east of Moscow. But she moved to Moscow to live with her grandma at the age of 13. She now trains there.

2. She was named after another Russian performer. Alina’s parents named her after watching Russian rhythmic gymnast Alina Kabaeva perform, according to the PyeongChang Olympics website. Just by the way, her parents didn’t give her a name until she was one year old and they were watching gymnastics. They saw Kabaeva perform and were inspired. Now, Alina says Kabaeva is one of her idols. «I know how strong her character is. And I liked very much how she performed,» she said. As a totally unrelated side note, it’s often been rumored that Kabaeva is dating/has dating Vladimir Putin (emphasis on the word rumored here).

This content is imported from youTube. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

3. Alina started training professionally in figure skating aged 6, and skating runs in her family. Her father, Ilnaz Zagitov, is an ice hockey coach who competed at the national level in Russia. Her younger sister Sabina is also a figure skater.

4. She says figure skating can be lonely. Alina lives away from her family, and said that, «the first months it was very difficult to cope with the fact that I do not see my relatives – mom, dad, sister… There was some devastation in my soul. But then we began to communicate on Skype and the mood improved.»

Zagitova also says she doesn’t have that many friends. «Only in figure skating, there are people who I see constantly,» she said. «But this is sport, we are rivals”

5. She trains with Evgenia Medvedeva, who many favor to win the gold medal in PyeongChang. The two Russian skaters are poised to take first and second place at the Olympics. Despite the potential rivalry, the girls seem to support each other. «Zhenya congratulated me, and I congratulated her yesterday,» Zagitova said after the team competition on February 12, referring to Medvedeva by her Russian nickname. «We’ve really bonded during these competitions.»

6. This is only her first season skating at the senior level. Up until this year, she had been skating at the junior level. She moved up to the senior level last summer, and winning her first medal at the 2017 CS Lombardia Trophy in September. In December, she won the Grand Prix Final and the Russian National Figure Skating Championship. She was named to the Olympic team in January after beating Medvedeva in the European Championships.

This content is imported from youTube. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

7. But she’s already a world record holder. Her performance in the free skate at the Olympics on February 12 earned the highest ever technical score of any women’s team skater at 158.08. She became the first figure skater in the world to put all her jumps in the second half of her program, because skaters are rewarded bonus points for anything they do in the second half.

8. Technically, she’s competing as an Olympic Athlete from Russia, not a Russian Athlete. As a punishment for doping in the Sochi Olympics in 2014, Russian athletes cannot compete under the Russian flag. Instead, they’re called Olympic Athletes from Russia. When they win medals, Russian athletes stand on the podium in an International Olympic Committee-approved neutral red tracksuit as the Olympic anthem plays, not the Russian anthem.

9. She has a pet chinchilla and it’s really adorable. She also has cats.

10. And in her spare time, she likes to rhinestone. Yes, rhinestone. She also likes to draw and watch American TV shows.

Follow Emma on Instagram.

Alina Ilnazovna Zagitova (Russian: Алина Ильназовна Загитова, IPA: [ɐˈlʲinə zɐˈɡʲitəvə];^[7] born 18 May 2002) is a Russian figure skater of Volga- Tatar origin. She is the 2018 Olympic champion, the 2019 World champion, the 2018 European champion, 2017–18 Grand Prix Final champion, and the 2018 Russian national champion. Zagitova also won a silver medal in the team event at the 2018 Winter Olympics, representing the Olympic Athletes from Russia team.^[8] Zagitova is currently ranked 36th ladies’ singles skater in the world by the International Skating Union.

Alina Zagitova
Zagitova at the 2019 World Championships
Personal information
Native name	Алина Ильназовна Загитова
Full name	Alina Ilnazovna Zagitova
Country represented	Russia
Born	18 May 2002 (age 20) Izhevsk, Udmurtia, Russia
Residence	Moscow, Russia
Height	1.60 m (5 ft 3 in)[1][2]
Coach	Eteri Tutberidze Sergei Dudakov
Former coach	Natalia Antipina
Choreographer	Eteri Tutberidze Daniil Gleikhengauz
Skating club	Sambo-70 [ru]
Former skating club	DYuSSh Izhevsk
Training locations	Moscow
Former training locations	Izhevsk
Began skating	2007
World standing	9 (2020–21) 2 (2019–20) 1 (2018–19) 5 (2017–18) 52 (2016–17)
Season’s bests	10 (2019–20)[3] 1 (2018–19)[4] 1 (2017–18)[5] 10 (2016–17)[6]
ISU personal best scores
Combined total	238.43 2018 CS Nebelhorn Trophy
Short program	82.08 2019 World Championships
Free skate	158.50 2018 CS Nebelhorn Trophy
Medal record Women’s figure skating Representing  Russia and  Olympic Athletes from Russia Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 1 1 0 World Championships 1 0 0 European Championships 1 1 0 Grand Prix Final 1 1 0 World Junior Championships 1 0 0 Junior Grand Prix Final 1 0 0 Total 6 3 0 Representing  Olympic Athletes from Russia Olympic Games 2018 Pyeongchang Singles 2018 Pyeongchang Team Representing  Russia World Championships 2019 Saitama Singles European Championships 2018 Moscow Singles 2019 Minsk Singles Grand Prix Final 2017–18 Nagoya Singles 2018–19 Vancouver Singles World Junior Championships 2017 Taipei Singles Junior Grand Prix Final 2016–17 Marseille Singles European Youth Olympic Festival 2017 Erzurum Singles

Zagitova is the only Russian female figure skater who has won gold at the Olympic Games, World Figure Skating Championships, European Figure Skating Championships and Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final. She is the first Muslim athlete to win an Olympic figure skating gold medal, a world title and the Super Slam. She is the youngest and second ladies’ singles skater, after Yuna Kim, to win gold in all major ISU championship titles including the Junior Grand Prix Series and Final, World Junior Championships, Grand Prix Series and Final, European Championships, World Championships, and Winter Olympic Games. Earlier in her career, she won gold at the 2017 World Junior Championships and at the 2016–17 Junior Grand Prix Final. At the 2016–17 Junior Grand Prix Final, she became the first junior lady to achieve a total score above the 200 mark.^[9] Zagitova has broken the world record once under the old system and four times under the new system.

CareerEdit

Early yearsEdit

Zagitova had her first formal skating lessons as a four-year-old with Damira Pichugina in Almetyevsk, Tatarstan, where her father was a hockey coach for the Neftyanik club.^[10][11] After the family moved back to Izhevsk in 2008, she started training with coach Natalia Antipina.^[12] In 2015, she moved to Moscow to be coached by Eteri Tutberidze and Sergei Dudakov.^[10]

Zagitova finished 9th at the 2016 Russian Junior Championships after placing 12th in the short program and 8th in the free skate.^[13]

2016–17 season: World Junior ChampionEdit

Zagitova’s international debut came in late August 2016 at a 2016–17 ISU Junior Grand Prix (JGP) competition in Saint-Gervais-les-Bains, France; ranked first in both segments, she won the gold medal ahead of Kaori Sakamoto.^[14] Her total score at the event, 194.37 points, was the second highest ever achieved by a ladies’ single skater on the junior level, behind only Polina Tsurskaya. Zagitova took the bronze medal at her JGP event in Slovenia, behind Japanese skaters Rika Kihira and Marin Honda. The results qualified her to the 2016–17 JGP Final, held in December in Marseille.

In France, Zagitova ranked first in both segments and scored new junior ladies’ records in all categories. She was awarded the gold medal with a total of 207.43 points, 13 points above her teammate and silver medalist Anastasiia Gubanova (194.07). She became the first junior lady skater in history to have a total score above the 200 mark.^[15]

Competing on the senior level in late December, Zagitova ranked third in the short and second in the free at the 2017 Russian Championships, winning the silver medal behind her training partner, Evgenia Medvedeva.^[16] In February 2017, Zagitova won the gold medal at the European Youth Olympic Festival in Turkey.

At the 2017 World Junior Championships in Taipei, Zagitova placed first after the short program with 70.58 points. In the free program, she also placed first and won gold medal. She set two new world record of 138.02 points for junior ladies’ free skating, and 208.60 points for combined total.^[17]

2017–18 season: Olympic Champion and world record holderEdit

Zagitova began the 2017–18 season with a win at the CS Lombardia Trophy, after placing third in the short but first in the free, with a total score of 218.46. For the 2017–18 Grand Prix Season, Zagitova was assigned to two events, Cup of China and Internationaux de France.^[18] At China, she was fourth after the short program, but rallied to win the free skate, and won the gold medal overall with a total competition score of 213.88. At the Internationaux de France, Zagitova placed fifth in the short program after a fall on her triple lutz and several under-rotation deductions. However, she placed first in the free skate with a new personal best score of 151.34 and took gold. Her results allowed her to qualify for the 2017–18 Grand Prix Final.^[19]

At the Grand Prix Final, Zagitova scored a personal best in the short program, 76.27, and was in second place behind Kaetlyn Osmond heading into the free skate. Zagitova placed first in the free skate, despite two minor mistakes, and received a personal best overall competition score of 223.30, becoming the 2017–18 Grand Prix Final champion. Later that month, she won the Russian National title, in the absence of her teammate Evgenia Medvedeva, earning first in both segments for a total score of 233.59 points.

At the 2018 Europeans in Moscow, Zagitova finished first, winning over Medvedeva who had remained unbeaten for more than two years. The following day, 21 January, Zagitova was named to the Russian Olympic team (together with Medvedeva and Maria Sotskova).^[20]

At the Olympics team event, the 10 points Zagitova earned for the first place in the ladies’ free skating helped Olympic Athletes from Russia to a silver medal in the competition. She scored 158.08, setting a new personal best and breaking the record for the highest-ever technical score in ladies’ team figure skating.

In the ladies’ individual event, Zagitova skated a clean short program and posted a world record score of 82.92, beating the previous record of 81.61 that Medvedeva had posted earlier that evening.^[21] Her total score of 239.57 was a new personal best. Zagitova won the gold medal in the event at the age of 15 years and 281 days, to become one of the youngest figure skating Olympic champions.

During the 2018 Olympics, The New York Times reported that Zagitova had performed the most technically difficult program in the history of ladies’ Olympic gold medalists by performing at a base value of 46.1, approximately 25% higher than that of Kristi Yamaguchi and Tara Lipinski in the 1990s, and more than double that of Dorothy Hamill during the Olympics in the 1970s. Previously, in 1998, Lipinski had become the first woman to include a triple loop–triple loop combination in her Olympic program. By comparison, Zagitova completed the harder triple lutz–triple loop combination at the 2018 Olympics.^[22]

In the free skating at the 2018 Olympics, Zagitova was the only competitor to perform all of her (eleven) jumps in the second half of the program. This capitalized on the ISU scoring system, which awards a 10% bonus to the base value of jumps performed on «tired legs».^[23][24] Her combination jump of triple lutz–triple loop was technically more difficult and higher scoring than those performed by her competitors irrespective of where it appeared in the program.^[25][26][27] Some observers criticized this program construction, believing that it led to an unbalanced program, pointing out that the ISU had instituted a 10% bonus in the second half to encourage skaters to spread out their jumps. To address this problem, the ISU introduced a rule after the 2017–18 season—dubbed by skating enthusiasts «the Zagitova rule»—stating that a skater must perform jumps in both halves of a program, only allowing three jumping passes to receive the 10% bonus.

Zagitova competed at the 2018 World Championships in Milan. In the short program, she placed second to Carolina Kostner, but fell three times in the free skate, where she placed seventh. She finished fifth overall, which was her only loss in the 2017–18 season.

2018–19 season: World ChampionEdit

The ISU records were reset at the start of the 2018–19 season, with all world records from before 1 July 2018 becoming historic records. Zagitova began the season at the 2018 CS Nebelhorn Trophy in Oberstdorf, Germany. She finished in first place after both the short program and free skate events, winning the gold with a total of 238.43 points. Since the ISU records had been reset, her free skate and combined scores from this event became new world records and remained as such throughout the entire season. Rika Kihira of Japan was the holder of the short program record.

In early November, Zagitova competed at her first Grand Prix event of the season, the 2018 Grand Prix of Helsinki. She was ranked first in both the short program and the free skate, winning the gold medal by a margin of about 18 points over the silver medalist, who was her teammate Stanislava Konstantinova. In mid-November, she competed at her second Grand Prix event of the season, the 2018 Rostelecom Cup. She was again ranked first in both programs and won the gold medal by a margin of about 25 points over the silver medalist, her teammate Sofia Samodurova.

With two gold medals, she qualified for the 2018–19 Grand Prix Final, which was expected to be a tight competition between Zagitova and Rika Kihira, who had earlier won the Ondrej Nepela Trophy after Zagitova had withdrawn due to visa issues.^[28] Zagitova won the silver medal, behind Kihira, with both skaters making errors in the free skate – Zagitova «popped» an attempted triple toe loop in her opening combination. Speaking afterwards, she said, «you always want to be first, but this is not going to happen every time.»^[29]

At the 2019 Russian Championships, Zagitova comfortably placed first in the short program, saying she was «satisfied with [her] short program today, but there is still room to grow.»^[30] She did not have a successful free skate, falling twice and struggling during her choreographic sequence. She placed twelfth in the free skate, and fifth overall; however, she was still granted an automatic place on the Russian team for the European Championships because the top three skaters were junior competitors and thus ineligible for the team; Zagitova was second out of the senior competitors despite finishing in fifth place. She did not speak to the media after the competition. As well as finishing behind junior competitors, Zagitova also lost against a senior eligible skater for the first time in domestic competition, placing below Konstantinova.^[31]

At the 2019 European Championships, Zagitova placed first in the short program despite an under-rotation on her triple loop.^[32] She fared poorly in the free skate, falling once and under-rotating or downgrading the majority of her jumping passes, which led to her placing fourth in the free skate, and second overall, behind Samodurova and less than four points ahead of Finnish skater Viveca Lindfors. Speaking afterwards, she said, «It’s good I’m in the top three and the silver medal is also good – it could have been worse, so I’m happy with silver, but I wanted to do better for me personally.»^[33]

Following the European Championships, Zagitova was chosen to represent Russia at the 2019 World Championships in Saitama, Japan, alongside Samodurova and former training mate Evgenia Medvedeva. Zagitova delivered a clean skate in the short program, obtaining high GOEs on the jumping elements including her signature triple Lutz–triple loop combination. She received a season’s best score of 82.08, which was more than five points ahead of Kaori Sakamoto, who placed second, and more than eleven points ahead of Rika Kihira, who had been anticipated to be Zagitova’s closest rival for the gold medal. In the press conference afterwards, she remarked, «Regarding today’s program, I’m satisfied.»^[34] Two days later, she performed a clean free program for the first time in competition since the Nebelhorn Trophy in September 2018, receiving a score of 155.42, the highest of the day. With a combined score of 237.50, she was almost thirteen points clear of the rest of the field after the competition, taking home her first World title in a dominant fashion.^[35] The silver medal was awarded to Zagitova’s current training mate Elizabet Tursynbayeva, and Medvedeva took the bronze medal. Shortly after the competition, the Russian president Vladimir Putin congratulated Zagitova on her victory in a note published on the official Kremlin website.^[36]

2019–20 season: Struggles and hiatusEdit

Zagitova began the 2019–20 season at the Japan Open where she placed second with a score of 154.41, behind her team and training mate Alexandra Trusova, contributing to Team Europe’s win.

Beginning the Grand Prix at the 2019 Internationaux de France, Zagitova placed second in the short program behind training mate Alena Kostornaia, after receiving an edge call on her triple lutz and under-rotating the triple loop in combination with it.^[37] In the free skate, she botched an opening triple lutz jump and under-rotated three others, placing third in that segment behind Kostornaia and Mariah Bell. She took the silver medal overall, and deemed the performance as having «room to grow.»^[38] At the 2019 NHK Trophy, she placed fourth in the short program with a score of 66.84 after landing an invalid single loop in her combination jump with triple flip after failing to attach the planned triple loop to her Lutz.^[39] In the free, she skated much better to earn a score of 151.15, for a third-place finish overall, behind Kostornaia and Kihira. All three of the podium finishers qualified to the Grand Prix Final.^[40]

Competing at the Grand Prix Final, Zagitova skated cleanly and placed second in the short program, behind only Kostornaia, aided by triple Axel errors by both Kihira and Trusova.^[41] She was less successful in the free skate, falling on a double Axel and having several other jumps deemed underrotated or downgraded, and finished sixth in that segment and overall.^[42]

Zagitova suspended her season following the Grand Prix Final, stating that she no longer had motivation to compete. She withdrew from the 2020 Russian Championships and thus, did not contend for berths on the 2020 European Championships. She did not intend to compete in the 2020 World Championships either prior to its cancellation.^[43][44] However, she remained the reigning world champion as a result of the cancellation of the 2020 World Championships until the 2021 World Figure Skating Championships.^[45] As of October 2020, Zagitova extended her break from competitive figure skating until 2021 at earliest.^[46] On 14 May 2021 the Russian press reported the announcement that Zagitova would not be representing Russia on the national team during the 2021–2022 season stating: «Olympic champion Alina Zagitova and two-time world champion Evgenia Medvedeva have not been included in the Russian Figure Skating Federation’s (RFSF) national team for the 2021-2022, putting their hopes of competing at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games at risk.»^[47]

Skating techniqueEdit

Zagitova is known for her signature triple lutz-triple loop combination, and has also executed other triple loop combinations such as the triple flip-triple loop. She also performs other combinations, such as triple lutz-triple toe, double axel-triple toe, and the triple flip-double toe-double loop in competitions. She regularly employs the «Rippon» variation, with both arms over the head when jumping.

In addition, Zagitova is also the only female senior skater in history to have executed two fully back-loaded programs in the 2017–18 season, prior to the implementation of the eponymous «Zagitova Rule».^[48]

Public imageEdit

Zagitova was awarded the Order of Friendship by Vladimir Putin for her Olympic win at the 2018 Winter Olympics.^[49] She is also a two-time winner of the Silver Doe Prize, awarded by the Federation of Sports Journalists of Russia, as one of the ten best athletes of 2017 and 2018.^[50][51] She was named female «Athlete of the Year» in the nomination «Pride of Russia» by the Ministry of Sport of Russia in 2018, leaving behind fencer Inna Deriglazova and gymnast Angelina Melnikova.^[52] Forbes Russia’s Top 30 Under 30 list named Zagitova as the top athlete in the sports category.^[53] Zagitova is also part of the list of Top 40 most successful Russians from sport and show business under the age of 40.^[54] She was named «Sportswoman of the Year» at the 2019 Glamour Russia Awards^[55] and «People’s Sportsman» (as determined by VTsIOM) at the Sovetsky Sport – Year-in-review ceremony of the same year.^[56] Zagitova opted out of the 2020 Russian Test Skates, stating she was wanting to focus on her new role as the host of a Russian reality TV show, Ice Age.^[57]

EndorsementsEdit

Zagitova has endorsed numerous brands over the years. She is currently the ambassador for sports brand Puma.^[58] She has also advertised for Shiseido^[59], Sberbank of Russia, smartphone game Madoka Magica^[60], and PepsiCo’s brand of flavored water «Aqua Minerale Active».^[61] Zagitova appeared on the front cover of the May 2020 issue of Cosmopolitan Russia.

Early and personal lifeEdit

Zagitova receiving a Japanese Akita dog in a ceremony attended by Japanese prime minister Shinzō Abe

Zagitova was born on 18 May 2002 in Izhevsk, Udmurtia.^[10] She is the daughter of Leysan Zagitova^[62] and Ilnaz Zagitov (ru), an ice hockey coach from Tatarstan,^[63][64] both of them are Volga Tatars. She has a sister, Sabina, who is five years younger than her.^[65] She was nameless for a year until her parents decided to name her «Alina» after watching Russian rhythmic gymnast (and fellow Tatar) Alina Kabaeva.^[66] She moved to Moscow at age 13 alongside her grandmother, and continues to live with her.^[67] Throughout childhood, her hobby was drawing.^[68] In an interview with Margarita Mamun, Zagitova indicated that she is apparently a lover of pet animals keeping two exotic chinchillas at her home in Moscow, along with a dog and a cat.^[69] She also owns an Akita Inu dog named Masaru, given to her by a Japanese breeder as a gift after the Pyeongchang Olympics.^[70] Zagitova identifies as a Muslim.^[71]

In June 2020, Zagitova passed the Unified State Exam (USE) and later in August it was announced that she’d entered the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA) to pursue a degree in journalism.^[72]

World recordsEdit

World record scoresEdit

Zagitova has set the world record scores 4 times under the +5 / -5 GOE (Grade of Execution) system.

Senior ladies’ combined total records
Date	Score	Event	Note
28 September 2018	238.43	2018 CS Nebelhorn Trophy	The record was broken by Alexandra Trusova at the 2019 CS Nepela Memorial
Senior ladies’ short program records
Date	Score	Event	Note
17 November 2018	80.78	2018 Rostelecom Cup	The record was broken by Rika Kihira at the 2018–19 Grand Prix Final.
27 September 2018	79.93	2018 CS Nebelhorn Trophy
Senior ladies’ free skate records
Date	Score	Event	Note
28 September 2018	158.50	2018 CS Nebelhorn Trophy	The record was broken by Alexandra Trusova at the 2019 CS Nepela Memorial

Historical world record scoresEdit

Note: Because of the introduction of the new +5 / -5 GOE (Grade of Execution) system which replaced the previous +3 / -3 GOE system, ISU has decided that all statistics starts from zero starting from season 2018–19 and all previous statistics are historical.^[73]

Zagitova had set one senior world record score and five junior world record scores before season 2018–19.

Senior ladies’ short program records[74]
Date	Score	Event	Note
21 February 2018	82.92	2018 Winter Olympics	Historical world record.
Junior ladies’ combined total records
Date	Score	Event	Note
19 March 2017	208.60	2017 World Junior Championships	The record was broken by Alexandra Trusova at the 2018 Junior Worlds.
11 December 2016	207.43	2016–17 Junior Grand Prix Final	Zagitova became the first junior lady to score above 200 points.
Junior ladies’ short program records
Date	Score	Event	Note
10 December 2016	70.92	2016–17 Junior Grand Prix Final	Zagitova became the first junior lady to score above 70 points in the short program. Record was broken by Alena Kostornaia of Russia at the 2017–18 Junior Grand Prix Final with 71.65 points.
Junior ladies’ free skating records
Date	Score	Event	Note
19 March 2017	138.02	2017 World Junior Championships	The record was broken by Alexandra Trusova at the 2018 Junior Worlds.
11 December 2016	136.51	2016–17 Junior Grand Prix Final

ProgramsEdit

Post-2020Edit

Season	Exhibition
2021–2022	Can’t Help Falling in Love performed live by Diana Ankudinova Ya (Me) by Manizha Esmeralda (from Notre-Dame de Paris) by Riccardo Cocciante choreo. by Daniil Gleichengauz
2020–2021	The Inner Light To Build a Home by The Cinematic Orchestra choreo. by Daniil Gleichengauz Esmeralda (from Notre-Dame de Paris) by Riccardo Cocciante choreo. by Daniil Gleichengauz Outro by M83 choreo. by Daniil Gleichengauz

Pre-2020Edit

Season	Short program	Free skating	Exhibition
2019–2020	Me voy by Yasmin Levy choreo. by Daniil Gleikhengauz and Eteri Tutberidze	The Feeling Begins by Peter Gabriel Lawrence of Arabia Overture by Maurice Jarre Ramses by Khatir Hicham choreo. by Daniil Gleikhengauz	Outro by M83 choreo. by Daniil Gleichengauz Bad Guy by Billie Eilish choreo. by Daniil Gleichengauz
2018–2019	The Phantom of the Opera (soundtrack) by Andrew Lloyd Webber Phantasia by Julian Lloyd Webber Think of Me performed by Emmy Rossum and Patrick Wilson choreo. by Daniil Gleichengauz	Carmen Suite by Georges Bizet (arr. by Rodion Shchedrin) choreo. by Daniil Gleichengauz	Survivor (from Tomb Raider) by Destiny’s Child performed by 2WEI Bad Guy by Billie Eilish choreo. by Daniil Gleichengauz
2017–2018 [75]	Black Swan by Clint Mansell The Middle of the World (from Moonlight) by Nicholas Britell choreo. by Daniil Gleichengauz	Don Quixote by Ludwig Minkus choreo. by Eteri Tutberidze	Afro Blue[76] by Jazzmeia Horn
2016–2017 [10]	Samson and Delilah by Camille Saint-Saëns choreo. by Eteri Tutberidze and Daniil Gleichengauz	Don Quixote by Ludwig Minkus	The Pink Panther by Henry Mancini
2015–2016	The Pink Panther by Henry Mancini	Unchained Melody (Dance) / The Love Inside Suspend My Disbelief / I Had A Life (from Ghost the Musical) by Dave Stewart and Glen Ballard performed by Richard Fleeshman and Caissie Levy

Competitive highlightsEdit

External video
Alina’s short program performance at the 2018 Olympic Games in PyeongChang
Alina’s free skate performance at the 2018 Olympic Games in PyeongChang

• GP: Grand Prix; CS: Challenger Series; JGP: Junior Grand Prix

International[77]
Event	15–16	16–17	17–18	18–19	19–20	20–21
Olympics			1st
Worlds			5th	1st
Europeans			1st	2nd
GP Final			1st	2nd	6th
GP France			1st		2nd
GP Cup of China			1st
GP Finland				1st
GP Rostelecom Cup				1st
GP NHK Trophy					3rd
CS Lombardia			1st
CS Nebelhorn				1st
International: Junior[77]
Junior Worlds		1st
JGP Final		1st
JGP France		1st
JGP Slovenia		3rd
EYOF		1st
National[12]
Russian Champ.		2nd	1st	5th	WD	WD
Russian Junior Champ.	9th	1st
Team events
Olympics			2nd T 1st P
Japan Open			1st T 3rd P	2nd T 1st P	1st T 2nd P
TBD = Assigned; WD = Withdrew T = Team result; P = Personal result. At team events, medals awarded for team result only.

Detailed resultsEdit

Senior levelEdit

Small medals for short program and free skating awarded only at ISU Championships. At team events, medals awarded for team results only. Previous ISU world best highlighted in bold. Historical ISU world best highlighted in bold with a * mark. Personal bests highlighted in italic.

2019–20 season
Date	Event	SP	FS	Total
5–8 December 2019	2019–20 Grand Prix Final	2 79.60	6 125.63	6 205.23
22–24 November 2019	2019 NHK Trophy	4 66.84	3 151.15	3 217.99
1–3 November 2019	2019 Internationaux de France	2 74.24	3 141.82	2 216.06
5 October 2019	2019 Japan Open	–	2 154.41	1T
2018–19 season
Date	Event	SP	FS	Total
18–24 March 2019	2019 World Championships	1 82.08	1 155.42	1 237.50
21–27 January 2019	2019 European Championships	1 75.00	4 123.34	2 198.34
19–23 December 2018	2019 Russian Championships	1 80.62	12 131.41	5 212.03
6–9 December 2018	2018–19 Grand Prix Final	2 77.93	2 148.60	2 226.53
16–18 November 2018	2018 Rostelecom Cup	1 80.78	1 142.17	1 222.95
2–4 November 2018	2018 Grand Prix of Helsinki	1 68.90	1 146.39	1 215.29
6 October 2018	2018 Japan Open	–	1 159.18	2T
26–29 September 2018	2018 CS Nebelhorn Trophy	1 79.93	1 158.50	1 238.43
2017–18 season
Date	Event	SP	FS	Total
19–25 March 2018	2018 World Championships	2 79.51	7 128.21	5 207.72
14–25 February 2018	2018 Winter Olympics	1 82.92* [78]	2 156.65	1 239.57
9–12 February 2018	2018 Winter Olympics (team event)	–	1 158.08	2T
15–21 January 2018	2018 European Championships	1 80.27	1 157.97	1 238.24
21–24 December 2017	2018 Russian Championships	1 78.15	1 155.44	1 233.59
7–10 December 2017	2017–18 Grand Prix Final	2 76.27	1 147.03	1 223.30
17–19 November 2017	2017 Internationaux de France	5 62.46	1 151.34	1 213.80
3–5 November 2017	2017 Cup of China	4 69.44	1 144.44	1 213.88
7 October 2017	2017 Japan Open	–	3 145.28	1T
14–17 September 2017	2017 CS Lombardia Trophy	3 71.29	1 147.17	1 218.46

Junior levelEdit

Small medals for short program and free skating awarded only at ISU Championships. Previous ISU world bests highlighted in bold.

2016–17 season
Date	Event	Level	SP	FS	Total
15–19 March 2017	2017 World Junior Championships	Junior	1 70.58	1 138.02	1 208.60
13–15 February 2017	2017 European Youth Olympic Festival	Junior	1 58.30	1 128.76	1 187.06
1–5 February 2017	2017 Russian Junior Championships	Junior	1 74.46	1 142.36	1 216.82
20–26 December 2016	2017 Russian Championships	Senior	3 74.26	2 146.95	2 221.21
8–11 December 2016	2016−17 JGP Final	Junior	1 70.92	1 136.51	1 207.43
22–24 September 2016	2016 JGP Slovenia	Junior	1 68.09	4 109.29	3 177.38
24–27 August 2016	2016 JGP France	Junior	1 68.07	1 126.30	1 194.37
2015–16 season
Date	Event	Level	SP	FS	Total
19–23 January 2016	2016 Russian Junior Championships	Junior	12 52.85	8 108.08	9 160.93

ReferencesEdit

External linksEdit

• Alina Zagitova on Instagram
• Alina Zagitova at the International Skating Union

World Record Holders
Preceded by   Alexandra Trusova	Ladies’ Short Program 27 September 2018 – 6 December 2018	Succeeded by   Rika Kihira
Preceded by   Rika Kihira	Ladies’ Free Skating 28 September 2018 – 21 September 2019	Succeeded by   Alexandra Trusova
Preceded by   Alexandra Trusova	Ladies’ Total Score 28 September 2018 – 21 September 2019	Succeeded by   Alexandra Trusova

Historical World Record Holders (before season 2018–19)
Preceded by   Evgenia Medvedeva	Ladies’ Short Program 21 February 2018 – 1 July 2018	Succeeded by The GOE system were changed.

Historical World Junior Record Holders (before season 2018–19)
Preceded by   Polina Tsurskaya	Ladies’ Junior Short Program 10 December 2016 – 7 December 2017	Succeeded by   Alena Kostornaia
Preceded by   Anastasiia Gubanova	Ladies’ Junior Free Skating 11 December 2016 – 10 March 2018	Succeeded by   Alexandra Trusova
Preceded by   Polina Tsurskaya	Ladies’ Junior Total Score 11 December 2016 – 10 March 2018	Succeeded by   Alexandra Trusova

Alina Ilnazovna Zagitova (Russian: Алина Ильназовна Загитова, IPA: [ɐˈlʲinə zɐˈɡʲitəvə];^[7] born 18 May 2002) is a Russian figure skater of Volga- Tatar origin. She is the 2018 Olympic champion, the 2019 World champion, the 2018 European champion, 2017–18 Grand Prix Final champion, and the 2018 Russian national champion. Zagitova also won a silver medal in the team event at the 2018 Winter Olympics, representing the Olympic Athletes from Russia team.^[8] Zagitova is currently ranked 36th ladies’ singles skater in the world by the International Skating Union.

Zagitova is the only Russian female figure skater who has won gold at the Olympic Games, World Figure Skating Championships, European Figure Skating Championships and Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final. She is the first Muslim athlete to win an Olympic figure skating gold medal, a world title and the Super Slam. She is the youngest and second ladies’ singles skater, after Yuna Kim, to win gold in all major ISU championship titles including the Junior Grand Prix Series and Final, World Junior Championships, Grand Prix Series and Final, European Championships, World Championships, and Winter Olympic Games. Earlier in her career, she won gold at the 2017 World Junior Championships and at the 2016–17 Junior Grand Prix Final. At the 2016–17 Junior Grand Prix Final, she became the first junior lady to achieve a total score above the 200 mark.^[9] Zagitova has broken the world record once under the old system and four times under the new system.

Career

Early years

Zagitova had her first formal skating lessons as a four-year-old with Damira Pichugina in Almetyevsk, Tatarstan, where her father was a hockey coach for the Neftyanik club.^[10][11] After the family moved back to Izhevsk in 2008, she started training with coach Natalia Antipina.^[12] In 2015, she moved to Moscow to be coached by Eteri Tutberidze and Sergei Dudakov.^[10]

Zagitova finished 9th at the 2016 Russian Junior Championships after placing 12th in the short program and 8th in the free skate.^[13]

2016–17 season: World Junior Champion

Zagitova’s international debut came in late August 2016 at a 2016–17 ISU Junior Grand Prix (JGP) competition in Saint-Gervais-les-Bains, France; ranked first in both segments, she won the gold medal ahead of Kaori Sakamoto.^[14] Her total score at the event, 194.37 points, was the second highest ever achieved by a ladies’ single skater on the junior level, behind only Polina Tsurskaya. Zagitova took the bronze medal at her JGP event in Slovenia, behind Japanese skaters Rika Kihira and Marin Honda. The results qualified her to the 2016–17 JGP Final, held in December in Marseille.

In France, Zagitova ranked first in both segments and scored new junior ladies’ records in all categories. She was awarded the gold medal with a total of 207.43 points, 13 points above her teammate and silver medalist Anastasiia Gubanova (194.07). She became the first junior lady skater in history to have a total score above the 200 mark.^[15]

Competing on the senior level in late December, Zagitova ranked third in the short and second in the free at the 2017 Russian Championships, winning the silver medal behind her training partner, Evgenia Medvedeva.^[16] In February 2017, Zagitova won the gold medal at the European Youth Olympic Festival in Turkey.

At the 2017 World Junior Championships in Taipei, Zagitova placed first after the short program with 70.58 points. In the free program, she also placed first and won gold medal. She set two new world record of 138.02 points for junior ladies’ free skating, and 208.60 points for combined total.^[17]

2017–18 season: Olympic Champion and world record holder

Zagitova began the 2017–18 season with a win at the CS Lombardia Trophy, after placing third in the short but first in the free, with a total score of 218.46. For the 2017–18 Grand Prix Season, Zagitova was assigned to two events, Cup of China and Internationaux de France.^[18] At China, she was fourth after the short program, but rallied to win the free skate, and won the gold medal overall with a total competition score of 213.88. At the Internationaux de France, Zagitova placed fifth in the short program after a fall on her triple lutz and several under-rotation deductions. However, she placed first in the free skate with a new personal best score of 151.34 and took gold. Her results allowed her to qualify for the 2017–18 Grand Prix Final.^[19]

At the Grand Prix Final, Zagitova scored a personal best in the short program, 76.27, and was in second place behind Kaetlyn Osmond heading into the free skate. Zagitova placed first in the free skate, despite two minor mistakes, and received a personal best overall competition score of 223.30, becoming the 2017–18 Grand Prix Final champion. Later that month, she won the Russian National title, in the absence of her teammate Evgenia Medvedeva, earning first in both segments for a total score of 233.59 points.

At the 2018 Europeans in Moscow, Zagitova finished first, winning over Medvedeva who had remained unbeaten for more than two years. The following day, 21 January, Zagitova was named to the Russian Olympic team (together with Medvedeva and Maria Sotskova).^[20]

At the Olympics team event, the 10 points Zagitova earned for the first place in the ladies’ free skating helped Olympic Athletes from Russia to a silver medal in the competition. She scored 158.08, setting a new personal best and breaking the record for the highest-ever technical score in ladies’ team figure skating.

In the ladies’ individual event, Zagitova skated a clean short program and posted a world record score of 82.92, beating the previous record of 81.61 that Medvedeva had posted earlier that evening.^[21] Her total score of 239.57 was a new personal best. Zagitova won the gold medal in the event at the age of 15 years and 281 days, to become one of the youngest figure skating Olympic champions.

During the 2018 Olympics, The New York Times reported that Zagitova had performed the most technically difficult program in the history of ladies’ Olympic gold medalists by performing at a base value of 46.1, approximately 25% higher than that of Kristi Yamaguchi and Tara Lipinski in the 1990s, and more than double that of Dorothy Hamill during the Olympics in the 1970s. Previously, in 1998, Lipinski had become the first woman to include a triple loop–triple loop combination in her Olympic program. By comparison, Zagitova completed the harder triple lutz–triple loop combination at the 2018 Olympics.^[22]

In the free skating at the 2018 Olympics, Zagitova was the only competitor to perform all of her (eleven) jumps in the second half of the program. This capitalized on the ISU scoring system, which awards a 10% bonus to the base value of jumps performed on «tired legs».^[23][24] Her combination jump of triple lutz–triple loop was technically more difficult and higher scoring than those performed by her competitors irrespective of where it appeared in the program.^[25][26][27] Some observers criticized this program construction, believing that it led to an unbalanced program, pointing out that the ISU had instituted a 10% bonus in the second half to encourage skaters to spread out their jumps. To address this problem, the ISU introduced a rule after the 2017–18 season—dubbed by skating enthusiasts «the Zagitova rule»—stating that a skater must perform jumps in both halves of a program, only allowing three jumping passes to receive the 10% bonus.

Zagitova competed at the 2018 World Championships in Milan. In the short program, she placed second to Carolina Kostner, but fell three times in the free skate, where she placed seventh. She finished fifth overall, which was her only loss in the 2017–18 season.

2018–19 season: World Champion

The ISU records were reset at the start of the 2018–19 season, with all world records from before 1 July 2018 becoming historic records. Zagitova began the season at the 2018 CS Nebelhorn Trophy in Oberstdorf, Germany. She finished in first place after both the short program and free skate events, winning the gold with a total of 238.43 points. Since the ISU records had been reset, her free skate and combined scores from this event became new world records and remained as such throughout the entire season. Rika Kihira of Japan was the holder of the short program record.

In early November, Zagitova competed at her first Grand Prix event of the season, the 2018 Grand Prix of Helsinki. She was ranked first in both the short program and the free skate, winning the gold medal by a margin of about 18 points over the silver medalist, who was her teammate Stanislava Konstantinova. In mid-November, she competed at her second Grand Prix event of the season, the 2018 Rostelecom Cup. She was again ranked first in both programs and won the gold medal by a margin of about 25 points over the silver medalist, her teammate Sofia Samodurova.

With two gold medals, she qualified for the 2018–19 Grand Prix Final, which was expected to be a tight competition between Zagitova and Rika Kihira, who had earlier won the Ondrej Nepela Trophy after Zagitova had withdrawn due to visa issues.^[28] Zagitova won the silver medal, behind Kihira, with both skaters making errors in the free skate – Zagitova «popped» an attempted triple toe loop in her opening combination. Speaking afterwards, she said, «you always want to be first, but this is not going to happen every time.»^[29]

At the 2019 Russian Championships, Zagitova comfortably placed first in the short program, saying she was «satisfied with [her] short program today, but there is still room to grow.»^[30] She did not have a successful free skate, falling twice and struggling during her choreographic sequence. She placed twelfth in the free skate, and fifth overall; however, she was still granted an automatic place on the Russian team for the European Championships because the top three skaters were junior competitors and thus ineligible for the team; Zagitova was second out of the senior competitors despite finishing in fifth place. She did not speak to the media after the competition. As well as finishing behind junior competitors, Zagitova also lost against a senior eligible skater for the first time in domestic competition, placing below Konstantinova.^[31]

At the 2019 European Championships, Zagitova placed first in the short program despite an under-rotation on her triple loop.^[32] She fared poorly in the free skate, falling once and under-rotating or downgrading the majority of her jumping passes, which led to her placing fourth in the free skate, and second overall, behind Samodurova and less than four points ahead of Finnish skater Viveca Lindfors. Speaking afterwards, she said, «It’s good I’m in the top three and the silver medal is also good – it could have been worse, so I’m happy with silver, but I wanted to do better for me personally.»^[33]

Following the European Championships, Zagitova was chosen to represent Russia at the 2019 World Championships in Saitama, Japan, alongside Samodurova and former training mate Evgenia Medvedeva. Zagitova delivered a clean skate in the short program, obtaining high GOEs on the jumping elements including her signature triple Lutz–triple loop combination. She received a season’s best score of 82.08, which was more than five points ahead of Kaori Sakamoto, who placed second, and more than eleven points ahead of Rika Kihira, who had been anticipated to be Zagitova’s closest rival for the gold medal. In the press conference afterwards, she remarked, «Regarding today’s program, I’m satisfied.»^[34] Two days later, she performed a clean free program for the first time in competition since the Nebelhorn Trophy in September 2018, receiving a score of 155.42, the highest of the day. With a combined score of 237.50, she was almost thirteen points clear of the rest of the field after the competition, taking home her first World title in a dominant fashion.^[35] The silver medal was awarded to Zagitova’s current training mate Elizabet Tursynbayeva, and Medvedeva took the bronze medal. Shortly after the competition, the Russian president Vladimir Putin congratulated Zagitova on her victory in a note published on the official Kremlin website.^[36]

2019–20 season: Struggles and hiatus

Zagitova began the 2019–20 season at the Japan Open where she placed second with a score of 154.41, behind her team and training mate Alexandra Trusova, contributing to Team Europe’s win.

Beginning the Grand Prix at the 2019 Internationaux de France, Zagitova placed second in the short program behind training mate Alena Kostornaia, after receiving an edge call on her triple lutz and under-rotating the triple loop in combination with it.^[37] In the free skate, she botched an opening triple lutz jump and under-rotated three others, placing third in that segment behind Kostornaia and Mariah Bell. She took the silver medal overall, and deemed the performance as having «room to grow.»^[38] At the 2019 NHK Trophy, she placed fourth in the short program with a score of 66.84 after landing an invalid single loop in her combination jump with triple flip after failing to attach the planned triple loop to her Lutz.^[39] In the free, she skated much better to earn a score of 151.15, for a third-place finish overall, behind Kostornaia and Kihira. All three of the podium finishers qualified to the Grand Prix Final.^[40]

Competing at the Grand Prix Final, Zagitova skated cleanly and placed second in the short program, behind only Kostornaia, aided by triple Axel errors by both Kihira and Trusova.^[41] She was less successful in the free skate, falling on a double Axel and having several other jumps deemed underrotated or downgraded, and finished sixth in that segment and overall.^[42]

Zagitova suspended her season following the Grand Prix Final, stating that she no longer had motivation to compete. She withdrew from the 2020 Russian Championships and thus, did not contend for berths on the 2020 European Championships. She did not intend to compete in the 2020 World Championships either prior to its cancellation.^[43][44] However, she remained the reigning world champion as a result of the cancellation of the 2020 World Championships until the 2021 World Figure Skating Championships.^[45] As of October 2020, Zagitova extended her break from competitive figure skating until 2021 at earliest.^[46] On 14 May 2021 the Russian press reported the announcement that Zagitova would not be representing Russia on the national team during the 2021–2022 season stating: «Olympic champion Alina Zagitova and two-time world champion Evgenia Medvedeva have not been included in the Russian Figure Skating Federation’s (RFSF) national team for the 2021-2022, putting their hopes of competing at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games at risk.»^[47]

Skating technique

Zagitova is known for her signature triple lutz-triple loop combination, and has also executed other triple loop combinations such as the triple flip-triple loop. She also performs other combinations, such as triple lutz-triple toe, double axel-triple toe, and the triple flip-double toe-double loop in competitions. She regularly employs the «Rippon» variation, with both arms over the head when jumping.

In addition, Zagitova is also the only female senior skater in history to have executed two fully back-loaded programs in the 2017–18 season, prior to the implementation of the eponymous «Zagitova Rule».^[48]

Public image

Zagitova was awarded the Order of Friendship by Vladimir Putin for her Olympic win at the 2018 Winter Olympics.^[49] She is also a two-time winner of the Silver Doe Prize, awarded by the Federation of Sports Journalists of Russia, as one of the ten best athletes of 2017 and 2018.^[50][51] She was named female «Athlete of the Year» in the nomination «Pride of Russia» by the Ministry of Sport of Russia in 2018, leaving behind fencer Inna Deriglazova and gymnast Angelina Melnikova.^[52] Forbes Russia’s Top 30 Under 30 list named Zagitova as the top athlete in the sports category.^[53] Zagitova is also part of the list of Top 40 most successful Russians from sport and show business under the age of 40.^[54] She was named «Sportswoman of the Year» at the 2019 Glamour Russia Awards^[55] and «People’s Sportsman» (as determined by VTsIOM) at the Sovetsky Sport – Year-in-review ceremony of the same year.^[56] Zagitova opted out of the 2020 Russian Test Skates, stating she was wanting to focus on her new role as the host of a Russian reality TV show, Ice Age.^[57]

Endorsements

Zagitova has endorsed numerous brands over the years. She is currently the ambassador for sports brand Puma.^[58] She has also advertised for Shiseido^[59], Sberbank of Russia, smartphone game Madoka Magica^[60], and PepsiCo’s brand of flavored water «Aqua Minerale Active».^[61] Zagitova appeared on the front cover of the May 2020 issue of Cosmopolitan Russia.

Early and personal life

Zagitova was born on 18 May 2002 in Izhevsk, Udmurtia.^[10] She is the daughter of Leysan Zagitova^[62] and Ilnaz Zagitov (ru), an ice hockey coach from Tatarstan,^[63][64] both of them are Volga Tatars. She has a sister, Sabina, who is five years younger than her.^[65] She was nameless for a year until her parents decided to name her «Alina» after watching Russian rhythmic gymnast (and fellow Tatar) Alina Kabaeva.^[66] She moved to Moscow at age 13 alongside her grandmother, and continues to live with her.^[67] Throughout childhood, her hobby was drawing.^[68] In an interview with Margarita Mamun, Zagitova indicated that she is apparently a lover of pet animals keeping two exotic chinchillas at her home in Moscow, along with a dog and a cat.^[69] She also owns an Akita Inu dog named Masaru, given to her by a Japanese breeder as a gift after the Pyeongchang Olympics.^[70] Zagitova identifies as a Muslim.^[71]

In June 2020, Zagitova passed the Unified State Exam (USE) and later in August it was announced that she’d entered the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA) to pursue a degree in journalism.^[72]

World records

World record scores

Zagitova has set the world record scores 4 times under the +5 / -5 GOE (Grade of Execution) system.

Senior ladies’ combined total records
Date	Score	Event	Note
28 September 2018	238.43	2018 CS Nebelhorn Trophy	The record was broken by Alexandra Trusova at the 2019 CS Nepela Memorial
Senior ladies’ short program records
Date	Score	Event	Note
17 November 2018	80.78	2018 Rostelecom Cup	The record was broken by Rika Kihira at the 2018–19 Grand Prix Final.
27 September 2018	79.93	2018 CS Nebelhorn Trophy
Senior ladies’ free skate records
Date	Score	Event	Note
28 September 2018	158.50	2018 CS Nebelhorn Trophy	The record was broken by Alexandra Trusova at the 2019 CS Nepela Memorial

Historical world record scores

Note: Because of the introduction of the new +5 / -5 GOE (Grade of Execution) system which replaced the previous +3 / -3 GOE system, ISU has decided that all statistics starts from zero starting from season 2018–19 and all previous statistics are historical.^[73]

Zagitova had set one senior world record score and five junior world record scores before season 2018–19.

Senior ladies’ short program records[74]
Date	Score	Event	Note
21 February 2018	82.92	2018 Winter Olympics	Historical world record.
Junior ladies’ combined total records
Date	Score	Event	Note
19 March 2017	208.60	2017 World Junior Championships	The record was broken by Alexandra Trusova at the 2018 Junior Worlds.
11 December 2016	207.43	2016–17 Junior Grand Prix Final	Zagitova became the first junior lady to score above 200 points.
Junior ladies’ short program records
Date	Score	Event	Note
10 December 2016	70.92	2016–17 Junior Grand Prix Final	Zagitova became the first junior lady to score above 70 points in the short program. Record was broken by Alena Kostornaia of Russia at the 2017–18 Junior Grand Prix Final with 71.65 points.
Junior ladies’ free skating records
Date	Score	Event	Note
19 March 2017	138.02	2017 World Junior Championships	The record was broken by Alexandra Trusova at the 2018 Junior Worlds.
11 December 2016	136.51	2016–17 Junior Grand Prix Final

Programs

Post-2020

Season	Exhibition
2021–2022	Can’t Help Falling in Love performed live by Diana Ankudinova Ya (Me) by Manizha Esmeralda (from Notre-Dame de Paris) by Riccardo Cocciante choreo. by Daniil Gleichengauz
2020–2021	The Inner Light To Build a Home by The Cinematic Orchestra choreo. by Daniil Gleichengauz Esmeralda (from Notre-Dame de Paris) by Riccardo Cocciante choreo. by Daniil Gleichengauz Outro by M83 choreo. by Daniil Gleichengauz

Pre-2020

Season	Short program	Free skating	Exhibition
2019–2020	Me voy by Yasmin Levy choreo. by Daniil Gleikhengauz and Eteri Tutberidze	The Feeling Begins by Peter Gabriel Lawrence of Arabia Overture by Maurice Jarre Ramses by Khatir Hicham choreo. by Daniil Gleikhengauz	Outro by M83 choreo. by Daniil Gleichengauz Bad Guy by Billie Eilish choreo. by Daniil Gleichengauz
2018–2019	The Phantom of the Opera (soundtrack) by Andrew Lloyd Webber Phantasia by Julian Lloyd Webber Think of Me performed by Emmy Rossum and Patrick Wilson choreo. by Daniil Gleichengauz	Carmen Suite by Georges Bizet (arr. by Rodion Shchedrin) choreo. by Daniil Gleichengauz	Survivor (from Tomb Raider) by Destiny’s Child performed by 2WEI Bad Guy by Billie Eilish choreo. by Daniil Gleichengauz
2017–2018 [75]	Black Swan by Clint Mansell The Middle of the World (from Moonlight) by Nicholas Britell choreo. by Daniil Gleichengauz	Don Quixote by Ludwig Minkus choreo. by Eteri Tutberidze	Afro Blue[76] by Jazzmeia Horn
2016–2017 [10]	Samson and Delilah by Camille Saint-Saëns choreo. by Eteri Tutberidze and Daniil Gleichengauz	Don Quixote by Ludwig Minkus	The Pink Panther by Henry Mancini
2015–2016	The Pink Panther by Henry Mancini	Unchained Melody (Dance) / The Love Inside Suspend My Disbelief / I Had A Life (from Ghost the Musical) by Dave Stewart and Glen Ballard performed by Richard Fleeshman and Caissie Levy

Competitive highlights

• GP: Grand Prix; CS: Challenger Series; JGP: Junior Grand Prix

International[77]
Event	15–16	16–17	17–18	18–19	19–20	20–21
Olympics			1st
Worlds			5th	1st
Europeans			1st	2nd
GP Final			1st	2nd	6th
GP France			1st		2nd
GP Cup of China			1st
GP Finland				1st
GP Rostelecom Cup				1st
GP NHK Trophy					3rd
CS Lombardia			1st
CS Nebelhorn				1st
International: Junior[77]
Junior Worlds		1st
JGP Final		1st
JGP France		1st
JGP Slovenia		3rd
EYOF		1st
National[12]
Russian Champ.		2nd	1st	5th	WD	WD
Russian Junior Champ.	9th	1st
Team events
Olympics			2nd T 1st P
Japan Open			1st T 3rd P	2nd T 1st P	1st T 2nd P
TBD = Assigned; WD = Withdrew T = Team result; P = Personal result. At team events, medals awarded for team result only.

Detailed results

Senior level

Small medals for short program and free skating awarded only at ISU Championships. At team events, medals awarded for team results only. Previous ISU world best highlighted in bold. Historical ISU world best highlighted in bold with a * mark. Personal bests highlighted in italic.

2019–20 season
Date	Event	SP	FS	Total
5–8 December 2019	2019–20 Grand Prix Final	2 79.60	6 125.63	6 205.23
22–24 November 2019	2019 NHK Trophy	4 66.84	3 151.15	3 217.99
1–3 November 2019	2019 Internationaux de France	2 74.24	3 141.82	2 216.06
5 October 2019	2019 Japan Open	–	2 154.41	1T
2018–19 season
Date	Event	SP	FS	Total
18–24 March 2019	2019 World Championships	1 82.08	1 155.42	1 237.50
21–27 January 2019	2019 European Championships	1 75.00	4 123.34	2 198.34
19–23 December 2018	2019 Russian Championships	1 80.62	12 131.41	5 212.03
6–9 December 2018	2018–19 Grand Prix Final	2 77.93	2 148.60	2 226.53
16–18 November 2018	2018 Rostelecom Cup	1 80.78	1 142.17	1 222.95
2–4 November 2018	2018 Grand Prix of Helsinki	1 68.90	1 146.39	1 215.29
6 October 2018	2018 Japan Open	–	1 159.18	2T
26–29 September 2018	2018 CS Nebelhorn Trophy	1 79.93	1 158.50	1 238.43
2017–18 season
Date	Event	SP	FS	Total
19–25 March 2018	2018 World Championships	2 79.51	7 128.21	5 207.72
14–25 February 2018	2018 Winter Olympics	1 82.92* [78]	2 156.65	1 239.57
9–12 February 2018	2018 Winter Olympics (team event)	–	1 158.08	2T
15–21 January 2018	2018 European Championships	1 80.27	1 157.97	1 238.24
21–24 December 2017	2018 Russian Championships	1 78.15	1 155.44	1 233.59
7–10 December 2017	2017–18 Grand Prix Final	2 76.27	1 147.03	1 223.30
17–19 November 2017	2017 Internationaux de France	5 62.46	1 151.34	1 213.80
3–5 November 2017	2017 Cup of China	4 69.44	1 144.44	1 213.88
7 October 2017	2017 Japan Open	–	3 145.28	1T
14–17 September 2017	2017 CS Lombardia Trophy	3 71.29	1 147.17	1 218.46

Junior level

Small medals for short program and free skating awarded only at ISU Championships. Previous ISU world bests highlighted in bold.

2016–17 season
Date	Event	Level	SP	FS	Total
15–19 March 2017	2017 World Junior Championships	Junior	1 70.58	1 138.02	1 208.60
13–15 February 2017	2017 European Youth Olympic Festival	Junior	1 58.30	1 128.76	1 187.06
1–5 February 2017	2017 Russian Junior Championships	Junior	1 74.46	1 142.36	1 216.82
20–26 December 2016	2017 Russian Championships	Senior	3 74.26	2 146.95	2 221.21
8–11 December 2016	2016−17 JGP Final	Junior	1 70.92	1 136.51	1 207.43
22–24 September 2016	2016 JGP Slovenia	Junior	1 68.09	4 109.29	3 177.38
24–27 August 2016	2016 JGP France	Junior	1 68.07	1 126.30	1 194.37
2015–16 season
Date	Event	Level	SP	FS	Total
19–23 January 2016	2016 Russian Junior Championships	Junior	12 52.85	8 108.08	9 160.93

References

External links

• Alina Zagitova on Instagram
• Alina Zagitova at the International Skating Union

World Record Holders
Preceded by Alexandra Trusova	Ladies’ Short Program 27 September 2018 – 6 December 2018	Succeeded by Rika Kihira
Preceded by Rika Kihira	Ladies’ Free Skating 28 September 2018 – 21 September 2019	Succeeded by Alexandra Trusova
Preceded by Alexandra Trusova	Ladies’ Total Score 28 September 2018 – 21 September 2019	Succeeded by Alexandra Trusova

Historical World Record Holders (before season 2018–19)
Preceded by Evgenia Medvedeva	Ladies’ Short Program 21 February 2018 – 1 July 2018	Succeeded by The GOE system were changed.

Historical World Junior Record Holders (before season 2018–19)
Preceded by Polina Tsurskaya	Ladies’ Junior Short Program 10 December 2016 – 7 December 2017	Succeeded by Alena Kostornaia
Preceded by Anastasiia Gubanova	Ladies’ Junior Free Skating 11 December 2016 – 10 March 2018	Succeeded by Alexandra Trusova
Preceded by Polina Tsurskaya	Ladies’ Junior Total Score 11 December 2016 – 10 March 2018	Succeeded by Alexandra Trusova

This page was last edited on 10 January 2023, at 00:58

Alina Ilnazovna Zagitova (born May 18, 2002) is a Russian figure skater. She is the 2018 Winter Olympic champion, the 2019 World champion, the 2017-18 Grand Prix Final champion, the 2017 World Junior champion, the 2016-17 JGP Final champion, the 2018 Europeans champion, the 2018 Russian national champion, the 2019 Europeans silver medalist, the 2018-19 Grand Prix Final silver medalist, the 2017 Russian senior silver medalist, and the 2017 Russian junior national champion.

Personal Life

Alina’s hobbies include drawing, watching TV, and traveling. She looks up to Carolina Kostner and Evgenia Medvedeva.

Programs

Season	Short program	Free skating
2019-2020	Me Voy by Yasmin Levy choreo. by Daniil Gleikhengauz & Eteri Tutberidze	Cleopatra The Feeling Begins (from The Last Temptation of Christ) by Peter Gabriel Overture (from Lawrence of Arabia) by Maurice Jarre Ramses by Khatir Hicham choreo. by Daniil Gleikhengauz
2018-2019	The Phantom of the Opera by Andrew Lloyd Webber choreo. by Daniil Gleikhengauz	Carmen by Georges Bizet choreo. by Daniil Gleikhengauz
2017-2018	Black Swan by Pyotr Tchaikovsky & Clint Mansell The Middle of the World (from Moonlight) by Nicholas Britell choreo. by Daniil Gleikhengauz	Don Quixote by Ludwig Minkus choreo. by Eteri Tutberidze & Daniil Gleikhengauz
2016-2017	Danse Bacchanale (from Samson and Delilah) by Camille Saint-Saëns choreo. by Eteri Tutberidze & Daniil Gleikhengauz	Don Quixote by Ludwig Minkus choreo. by Eteri Tutberidze & Daniil Gleikhengauz
2015-2016	The Pink Panther Theme by Henry Mancini	Unchained Melody (from Unchained) by Alex North Ghost the Musical by Dave Stewart & Glen Ballard performed by Richard Fleeshman & Caissie Levy
2014-2015	Hijo de la Luna by José María Cano	The Pink Panther Theme by Henry Mancini The Pink Panther by Christophe Beck
2013-2014	unknown	Harem by Frederico de Brito & Ferrer Trinidade

Exhibitions

Season	Music
2019-2020	Outro by Anthony Gonzalez performed by M83 choreo. by Daniil Gleikhengauz
Bad Guy by Billie Eilish & Finneas performed by Billie Eilish choreo. by Daniil Gleikhengauz
2018-2019	Survivor by Beyoncé, Anthony Dent, & Mathew Knowles covered by 2WEI
2017-2018	Afro Blue by Mongo Santamaría covered by Jazzmeia Horn
2016-2017	The Pink Panther Theme by Henry Mancini

ISU Results

(Season bests highlighted in bold, current personal bests italicized, world records underlined)

2019-2020 Season
Date	Competition	SP	FS	Total
December 5 — 8	2019-20 Grand Prix Final	2 79.60	6 125.63	6 205.23
November 22 — 24	2019 NHK Trophy	4 66.84	3 151.15	3 217.99
November 1 — 3	2019 Internationaux de France	2 74.24	3 141.82	2 216.06
2018-2019 Season
Date	Competition	SP	FS	Total
March 18 — 24	2019 World Championships	1 82.08	1 155.42	1 237.50
January 21 — 27	2019 European Championships	1 75.00	4 123.34	2 198.34
December 5 — 9	2018-19 Grand Prix Final	2 77.93	2 148.60	2 226.53
November 16 — 18	2018 Rostelecom Cup	1 80.78	1 142.17	1 225.95
November 2 — 4	2018 Grand Prix of Figure Skating	1 68.90	1 146.39	1 215.29
September 26 — 29	2018 Nebelhorn Trophy	1 79.93	1 158.50	1 238.43

2017-2018 Season
Date	Competition	SP	FS	Total
March 19 — 25	2018 World Championships	2 79.51	7 128.21	5 207.72
February 9 — 23	2018 Winter Olympics (Individual Event)	1 82.92	2 156.65	1 239.57
2018 Winter Olympics (Team Event)	N/A	1 158.08	1
January 15 — 21	2018 European Championships	1 80.27	1 157.97	1 234.28
December 7 — 10	2017-18 Grand Prix Final	2 76.27	1 147.03	1 223.30
November 17 — 19	2017 Internationaux de France	5 62.46	1 151.34	1 213.80
November 3 — 5	2017 Cup of China	4 69.44	1 144.44	1 213.88
September 13 — 16	2017 Lombardia Trophy	3 71.29	1 147.17	1 218.46

2016-2017 Season
Date	Competition	Level	SP	FS	Total
March 15 — 19	2017 World Junior Championships	Junior	1 70.58	1 138.02	1 208.60
February 13 — 14	2017 European Youth Olympic Festival	Junior	1 58.30	1 128.76	1 187.06
December 8 — 11	2016-17 JGP Final	Junior	1 70.92	1 136.51	1 207.43
September 22 — 24	2016 JGP Slovenia	Junior	1 68.09	4 109.29	3 177.38
August 24 — 27	2016 JGP France	Junior	1 68.07	1 126.30	1 194.37

Medal Record

(In chronological order)

Type	Competition	Season	Level
Bronze	2019 NHK Trophy	2019-20	Senior
Silver	2019 Internationaux de France	2019-20	Senior
Gold	2019 Japan Open	2019-20	Senior
Gold	2019 World Championships	2018-19	Senior
Silver	2019 European Championships	2018-19	Senior
Silver	2018-19 Grand Prix Final	2018-19	Senior
Gold	2018 Rostelecom Cup	2018-19	Senior
Gold	2018 Grand Prix of Helsinki	2018-19	Senior
Silver	2018 Japan Open	2018-19	Senior
Gold	2018 Nebelhorn Trophy	2018-19	Senior
Gold	2018 Winter Olympics (Individual Event)	2017-18	Senior
Silver	2018 Winter Olympics (Team Event)	2017-18	Senior
Gold	2018 European Championships	2017-18	Senior
Gold	2018 Russian Championships	2017-18	Senior
Gold	2017-18 Grand Prix Final	2017-18	Senior
Gold	2017 Internationaux de France	2017-18	Senior
Gold	2017 Cup of China	2017-18	Senior
Gold	2017 Lombardia Trophy	2017-18	Senior
Gold	2017 Spartakiad of Students	2016-17	Junior
Gold	2017 World Junior Championships	2016-17	Junior
Gold	2017 EYOWF	2016-17	Junior
Gold	2017 Russian Championships	2016-17	Junior
Silver	2017 Russian Championships	2016-17	Senior
Gold	2016-17 JGP Final	2016-17	Junior
Gold	2016 Russian Cup Stage III	2016-17	Senior
Bronze	2016 JGP Slovenia	2016-17	Junior
Gold	2016 JGP France	2016-17	Junior

Small Medal Record

(Only awarded at ISU Championships)

Type	Competition	Season	Program	Level
Gold	2019 World Championships	2018-19	Freeskate	Senior
Gold	2019 World Championships	2018-19	Short Program	Senior
Gold	2019 European Championships	2018-19	Short Program	Senior
Silver	2018 World Championships	2017-18	Short Program	Senior
Gold	2018 European Championships	2017-18	Freeskate	Senior
Gold	2018 European Championships	2017-18	Short Program	Senior
Gold	2017 World Junior Championships	2016-17	Freeskate	Junior
Gold	2017 World Junior Championships	2016-17	Short Program	Junior

Instagram: azagitova

VK: Alina Zagitova

Sources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alina_Zagitova

http://www.isuresults.com/bios/isufs00101053.htm

http://www.isuresults.com/ws/ws/wswomen.htm

https://www.statsonice.com/skater/alinazagitova/

https://www.pyeongchang2018.com/en/game-time/results/OWG2018/en/figure-skating/athlete-profile-n3036248-alina-zagitova.htm