The World Figure Skating Championships start today. Catch up here on the biggest stars in Russian women’s singles.

The 2019 World Figure Skating Championships begin today in Saitama, Japan, and will continue until March 24. While Russian and Soviet athletes have a long tradition of dominance in the sport, the current field of skaters in the ladies’ singles event is particularly strong. Their success stems in some part from the efforts of a single team of coaches: Eteri Tutberidze, Sergei Dudakov, and Daniil Gleikhengauz have brought a large group of young powerhouses to the world stage. Their protégés, however, face formidable competitors from both inside and outside the Russian national team.

At the 2019 Worlds, that team will consist of Evgenia Mededeva, Alina Zagitova, and Sofia Samodurova. However, it is worth noting that none of those three skaters made the podium at the 2019 Russian National Championships; they were simply judged to be the top three skaters who were eligible to attend the World Championships. Alexandra Trusova, Anna Shcherbakova, and Alyona Kostornaya were all too young. This brief update on each skater’s career also highlights two 12-year-old athletes who are expected to compete with confidence among their more senior colleagues in the coming years.

Evgenia Medvedeva

Medvedeva rose to global stardom as soon as she emerged onto the senior competition circuit in 2016. She was lauded for the sophistication and consistency of her skating. In 2018, having already won a range of championships and breaking a series of world records, she placed second to her teammate Alina Zagitova at the PyeongChang Olympics. Both women trained at the time in a group led by Eteri Tutberidze; Medvedeva soon left that group to train with Canadian coaches Brian Orser and Tracy Wilson. In the current season, she has appeared to regain confidence and may be poised to make a comeback on the global stage.

Alina Zagitova

Zagitova is the reigning Olympic champion and world record holder in ladies’ singles figure skating. Her success has allowed her to serve as a role model for the large number of younger skaters who train with her under Tutberidze’s team. Known for her ability to execute difficult jumps even after several minutes of skating, Zagitova has earned a number of awards from Russian government agencies. After a disappointing performance in the 2019 Russian National Championships, she will have a chance to recover her consistency at the Worlds.

Sofia Samodurova

Samodurova began appearing at the top of international senior scoreboards substantially later than either Medvedeva or Zagitova, but she surpassed the latter to become the European Champion in 2019. Coached by Alexei Mishin and Tatiana Mishina, Samodurova tends to bring an unusually energetic spirit to the ice with lighthearted music choices and a freewheeling style. The World Championships will provide her with an opportunity to stand out in a Russian field dominated by Tutberidze trainees.

Alexandra Trusova

Quadruple jumps were almost entirely unheard of in ladies’ skating until Trusova came along. Though she is only 14 and therefore ineligible to compete at the senior World Championships, the Tutberidze acolyte is the first and only woman to compete with three different kinds of “quads,” two of which she was also the first to perform in competition. Trusova compliments her technical prowess with a punchy attitude on and off the ice. Though she is unexpectedly modest in interviews, she is also open about her ambition to continue leading the field and has no intention to stop learning even more unprecedented elements.

Anna Shcherbakova

Shcherbakova has wowed the Russian skating world with her current free skate routine, set to Camille Saint-Saens's “Introduction et Rondo Capriccioso.” Like her teammate Trusova, she trains under Eteri Tutberidze and has a propensity for landing quadruple jumps. A highly consistent skater, Shcherbakova won the 2019 Russian Figure Skating Championships and is an athlete to watch in the coming years.

Alyona Kostornaya

Kostornaya has earned top spots on the junior and senior competition circuits alongside her teammates Trusova and Shcherbakova. While her jumps are not quite as technically advanced, she often displays a maturity and grace in her style that both of her peers strive to match. Since winning the 2018 Junior Grand Prix Final, Kostornaya has consistently given her teammates a run for their money.

Kamila Valieva

At only 12 years old, Valieva’s style seems to be as detailed and intentional as that of some Olympic champions. Her extroardinary flexibility has also led commentators to compare her to Yulia Lipnitskaya, the breakout star of the 2014 Sochi Olympics. She has not yet had the opportunity to compete extensively on a global circuit, but she will be a skater to watch, especially as the 202 Beijing Winter Olympics approach. Eteri Tutberidze has called Valieva’s short program, which is based on the Picasso painting “Girl on a Ball,” her favorite of the season.

Sofia Samodelkina

In Moscow’s 2019 city-wide championships for young junior skaters, Samodelkina beat out four athletes coached by Eteri Tutberidze, including Valieva, to take the gold. A consistent jumper and a talented actor on the ice, Samodelkina has the potential to continue chipping away at the Tutberidze team’s dominance in the field of junior ladies’ singles. She is coached by Sergey Davydov.

Photo on main page: Vladimir Pesnya / Sputnik / Scanpix