Zagitova’s Enthusiastic Report on Russian Figure Competitions in Midst of War Reveals Mixed Feelings

Alina Zagitova, gold medalist in women’s figure skating at the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics, has been making headlines for her “tight spats” appearance. The day of the post was the day the World Figure Skating Championships were held in Montpellier, France, but Zagitova was apparently not in France. There was a complication there.

Zagitova is a figure skater born in 2002; at the young age of 15 years and 9 months, she won the gold medal at the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics. However, her performance subsequently declined due to a poor performance and she decided to temporarily suspend her participation in competitions. She did not just retire, but commented that she had no intention of standing still or leaving.

In the meantime, she participated in ice shows and other events. Then, she appeared at the “Figure Skating Russian Championships” as a member of the media. She was also invited to be a reporter at the Beijing Olympics, and she commented, “I miss it. I am so happy to be able to immerse myself in this atmosphere again,” she wrote in her impressions.

In the midst of all this, Russia began its invasion of Ukraine. Russia attracted criticism from around the world, and Japan joined in economic sanctions against Russia. The sanctions spread to the field of sports as well, and Russian athletes were not allowed to participate in the World Championships.

As if in response, Russia decided to hold its domestic competitions behind the World Championships. Anna Scherbakova, the gold medalist in women’s singles at the Beijing Olympics, Alexandra Trusova, the silver medalist, and Kamila Valiyeva, the fourth-place finisher, will all compete in this event, which will lead to the following comment: “This is a more important event! In Russia, there have been calls for a “new era” in the sport.

In the midst of all this, Zagitova appears to have visited Russia’s domestic competitions, and the photo that has become a topic of conversation is believed to have been taken there. Zagitova, wearing a trainer with a fawn embroidered on it and black spats, is smiling. However, with the division in the figure skating world, it must be hard to be truly happy about the Russian national championships.

In fact, we would like to see the world’s top athletes gather for the World Championships ……. I am sure there are many fans who think so. And Zagitova must be hoping so too.

I hope peace will come to the world soon.