Could Russia’s Trusova’s “Winter Has Begun” Post be a Sign of Protest

Spring is over and winter has begun.

Alexandra Trusova (Russia), a silver medalist in women’s figure skating at the Beijing Olympics, suddenly posted this meaningful message on her Instagram account, which has created a buzz.

Trusova was born in 2004 in Ryazan, Russia. Born to a taekwondo athlete father and a track and field athlete mother, she began figure skating in 2008 and won the 2018 World Junior Championships in free skating with a successful quadruple toe loop and quadruple salchow. In Beijing, Trusova attempted a superhuman composition of five quadruple jumps and set a personal best but finished second.

Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began, all kinds of sanctions have been imposed on Russia. The sports world is no exception. And Russian athletes were excluded from the World Championships in Montpellier, France.

The war is intensifying, with no end in sight. Anna Shcherbakova, who won the gold medal in the same event at the Beijing Olympics, said, “I want to rest now. We will see what happens. Russian athletes cannot hide their anxiety over the fact that they no longer have any prospects for their careers.

The same may be true for Trusova. Her silver at the Beijing Olympics was initially unacceptably disappointing for her, and the sight of her sobbing in the hall after finishing second is still fresh in her mind. That is why she was so eager for revenge.

In the midst of all this, she reported a photo of an unseasonal snowfall, wearing spring-like clothes with a snow-covered fir tree in the background, even though it was April. Perhaps it is just another day in her life. However, some have pointed out that in Russia, where speech is strictly controlled, this may be the maximum protest she can make.

In any case, we can only hope that the day when we can honestly enjoy her posts will come soon.