Alina Zagitova

1.1. Early Life and Family

Zagitova was born on May 18, 2002, in Izhevsk, Udmurtia, Russia. She is the daughter of Leysan Zagitova and Ilnaz Zagitov, an ice hockey coach from Tatarstan. As a Volga Tatar, Zagitova understands the Tatar language but does not speak it. She has a younger sister named Sabina, who also pursued figure skating. For the first year of her life, Zagitova remained nameless until her parents decided to name her "Alina" after the renowned Russian rhythmic gymnast Alina Kabaeva, who is also Tatar. Zagitova is a Muslim.

1.2. Early Skating and Move to Moscow

Zagitova began learning to skate at the age of four in Almetyevsk, where her father was playing hockey for Neftyanik Almetyevsk. Her first coach was Damira Pichugina. When her family later moved back to Izhevsk, she continued her training under coach Natalia Antipina. At the age of 13, Zagitova made the significant decision to move to Moscow alongside her grandmother to train under the highly acclaimed coach Eteri Tutberidze.

Her early training in Moscow was challenging; she struggled with learning triple jumps and suffered multiple injuries, including a broken arm and later a broken leg. Due to her initial difficulties and perceived lack of self-motivation, Tutberidze briefly removed her from her training group. However, after Zagitova recovered from her injuries and decided to return to her hometown, she visited Tutberidze to say goodbye. At that moment, Tutberidze offered her a second chance, inviting her back to the group. Zagitova recalled this as a moment that brought her "happy tears."

2.1. Junior Career

Zagitova's international junior career began in the 2016-17 figure skating season, where she quickly established herself as a formidable talent. For her first international season, her short program was choreographed to music from Samson and Delilah, and her free skate to music from Don Quixote, both choreographed by Eteri Tutberidze and Daniil Gleikhengauz. This season marked the beginning of her signature strategy of performing all her jumps in the second half of her program to earn bonus points, which gave her a significant technical advantage.

Her international debut came in late August 2016 at the 2016-17 ISU Junior Grand Prix (JGP) competition in Saint-Gervais-les-Bains, France. She won the gold medal, ranking first in both segments, ahead of Japan's Kaori Sakamoto. Her total score of 194.37 points was the second-highest ever achieved by a women's single skater at the junior level at that time. She then secured a bronze medal at the JGP event in Slovenia, placing behind Japanese skaters Rika Kihira and Marin Honda. These results qualified her for the 2016-17 JGP Final in December in Marseille. At the Final, Zagitova again ranked first in both segments, winning the gold medal with a total of 207.43 points, 13 points clear of silver medalist Anastasiia Gubanova. She made history by becoming the first junior women's skater to achieve a total score above the 200-point mark.

Competing at the senior level in late December, Zagitova took the silver medal at the 2017 Russian Figure Skating Championships, finishing behind her training partner, Evgenia Medvedeva. In February, she won the gold medal at the Russian Junior Championships and was selected to compete at the 2017 European Youth Olympic Festival, where she won gold by nearly 60 points. Her junior career culminated at the 2017 World Junior Figure Skating Championships in Taipei, where she performed two clean programs to win the gold medal, setting new junior world record scores in both the free skate and combined total.

2.2. Senior Career

Zagitova's senior career was marked by rapid ascent to the pinnacle of the sport, followed by challenges as the technical landscape of women's figure skating evolved.

2.2.1. 2017-18 Season: Olympic Champion

Zagitova became age-eligible for senior international competitions in the 2017-18 figure skating season. She retained her Don Quixote free skate from the previous season but introduced a new short program set to music from the Black Swan and Moonlight soundtracks. She made her senior international debut at the CS Lombardia Trophy, winning the event after placing third in the short program but first in the free skate, with a total score of 218.46.

For the 2017-18 Grand Prix Season, Zagitova was assigned to Cup of China and Internationaux de France. At the Cup of China, she rallied from fourth place in the short program to win the free skate and claim the gold medal overall. At the Internationaux de France, despite placing fifth in the short program due to a fall and under-rotation deductions, she won the free skate with a new personal best score of 151.34, securing the gold medal. Her strong results qualified her for the 2017-18 Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final. There, she scored a personal best of 76.27 in the short program, placing second behind Kaetlyn Osmond. She then won the free skate, achieving a personal best overall score of 223.30, becoming the 2017-18 Grand Prix Final champion.

Zagitova continued her winning streak at the 2018 Russian Figure Skating Championships, where she won gold in the absence of her teammate Evgenia Medvedeva, finishing first in both segments with a total of 233.59 points. At the 2018 European Figure Skating Championships in Moscow, she claimed the title over Medvedeva, handing her rival her first defeat in over two years. The following day, Zagitova was named to the Russian Olympic team alongside Medvedeva and Maria Sotskova.

At the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, Zagitova competed in the free skate portion of the team event. She finished first with a personal best score of 158.08, contributing to the silver medal won by the Olympic Athletes from Russia. In the individual event, Zagitova skated a clean short program, setting a new world record score of 82.92, surpassing Medvedeva's record set earlier that evening. In the free skate, she missed a planned triple loop but successfully added a combination to her second triple Lutz. Zagitova and Medvedeva both scored 156.65 points in the free skate, but Zagitova's higher short program score secured her the gold medal. At 15 years and 281 days old, she became the second-youngest Olympic champion in women's singles, just 28 days older than Tara Lipinski when she won in 1998.

Following the Olympics, Zagitova competed at the 2018 World Figure Skating Championships in Milan. She placed second in the short program behind Carolina Kostner but struggled in the free skate, falling three times and finishing fifth overall. This was her only loss of the season.

2.2.2. 2018-19 Season: World Champion

For the 2018-19 figure skating season, Zagitova introduced two new programs: a short program to music from The Phantom of the Opera and a free skate to music from Carmen Suite. She was scheduled to start her season at the 2018 CS Ondrej Nepela Trophy but was unable to travel due to issues with her documents. A week later, she began her season at the 2018 CS Nebelhorn Trophy in Oberstdorf, Germany. She won the gold medal with 238.43 points, finishing first in both segments. Due to a change in the ISU Judging System after the 2017-18 season, the ISU reset world record scores, allowing Zagitova to set new world records in the short program, free skate, and combined total at this event. At the Japan Open, she helped Team Europe to a second-place finish by winning the free skate.

In early November, Zagitova competed at her first Grand Prix event of the season, the 2018 Grand Prix of Helsinki. Despite missing a planned triple loop, she finished first in the short program and went on to win the gold medal. Later that month, at the 2018 Rostelecom Cup, she broke her own world record in the short program with a score of 80.78, taking a 13-point lead into the free skate. She also won the free skate and the gold medal overall. With two Grand Prix gold medals, she qualified for the 2018-19 Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final, where she won the silver medal behind Rika Kihira after an error in her free skate.

At the 2019 Russian Figure Skating Championships, Zagitova placed first in the short program but struggled in the free skate, falling twice and finishing twelfth in that segment, dropping to fifth overall. However, she was still granted a spot on the Russian team for the European Championships because the top three skaters were junior competitors and thus ineligible. At the 2019 European Figure Skating Championships, she placed first in the short program but had a poor free skate, falling once and receiving under-rotation or downgrade calls on most of her jumps. She finished fourth in the free skate and second overall, behind teammate Sofia Samodurova.

Following the European Championships, Zagitova was selected to represent Russia at the 2019 World Figure Skating Championships in Saitama, Japan. She delivered a clean short program, earning a season best score of 82.08, more than five points ahead of Kaori Sakamoto. Two days later, she performed a clean free program, scoring 155.42, the highest of the day. With a combined score of 237.50, she won the World title by almost thirteen points. This victory made her the first skater in women's singles to win the World Championships the season after winning the Olympic Games since Katarina Witt in 1985. Additionally, with this win, she became the second women's singles skater after Yuna Kim to achieve a Super Slam, meaning she had won all major international competitions at both junior and senior levels.

2.2.3. 2019-20 Season: Hiatus

Zagitova debuted two new programs for the 2019-20 figure skating season: a short program to the song "Me Voy" by Yasmin Levy and a free skate inspired by Cleopatra. She began the season at the Japan Open, where she placed second with a score of 154.41, behind her training mate Alexandra Trusova, contributing to Team Europe's victory.

For the 2019-20 Grand Prix season, Zagitova was assigned to the Internationaux de France and the NHK Trophy. In France, she placed second in the short program behind Alena Kostornaia and finished third in the free skate, earning the silver medal overall. At the NHK Trophy, she placed fourth in the short program but skated a much better free skate, finishing third overall behind Kostornaia and Rika Kihira, which qualified her for the 2019-20 Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final. At the Grand Prix Final, Zagitova skated cleanly and placed second in the short program, again behind Kostornaia. However, she was less successful in the free skate, falling on a double Axel and having several other jumps under-rotated or downgraded, leading to a sixth-place finish in that segment and overall.

Following the Grand Prix Final, Zagitova announced she would be taking a break from competitive figure skating. She subsequently withdrew from the 2020 Russian Figure Skating Championships, thus not contending for spots on the 2020 European or World Championship teams. In October 2020, she extended her break, announcing she would not compete in the 2020-21 figure skating season. She was later omitted from the Russian national team for the 2021-22 figure skating season. As of 2025, Zagitova has not returned to competition, though she has not formally announced her retirement.

6.1. Awards and Honors

For her gold medal win at the 2018 Winter Olympics, Zagitova was awarded the Order of Friendship, a state decoration of the Russian Federation. She is a two-time recipient of the Silver Doe Prize, an award given by the Federation of Sports Journalists of Russia to recognize her as one of the ten best athletes of 2017 and 2018. In 2018, the Ministry of Sport of Russia named her female "Athlete of the Year" in the "Pride of Russia" nomination.

Zagitova's influence extends beyond sports; Forbes Russia included her in its "Top 30 Under 30" list as the top athlete in the sports category. In 2019, she was also featured in Forbes Russia's "40-under-40" list of successful Russians from sports and show business. She was honored as "Sportswoman of the Year" at the 2019 Glamour Russia Awards and was recognized as "People's Sportsman" by the VTsIOM at the 2019 Sovetsky Sport ceremony.

6.2. Media Appearances and Endorsements

Zagitova has become a prominent figure in Russian media. She has co-hosted multiple seasons of the popular Russian reality TV show "Ice Age" on Channel One Russia (2020, 2021, 2022). She has also served as a reporter and conducted interviews for Channel One Russia during major figure skating events, including the 2022 Russian Figure Skating Championships and the 2022 Winter Olympics.

Her image has graced the covers of prominent magazines. In March 2020, she appeared on the cover of the Russian edition of Tatler alongside fellow skaters Anna Shcherbakova, Alexandra Trusova, and Alena Kostornaia. In February 2023, she was featured on the cover of the Russian edition of The Voice magazine with Anna Shcherbakova.

Zagitova has secured numerous endorsement deals throughout her career. In 2019, she became an ambassador for the sports brand Puma. Her endorsements also include Shiseido, Sberbank of Russia, the smartphone game Madoka Magica, and PepsiCo's flavored water brand "Aqua Minerale Active." In April 2023, she expanded her portfolio by becoming an ambassador and advisor on sports projects for the Russian oil company Tatneft.

6.3. Political Involvement

Alina Zagitova has publicly expressed support for Russian political figures and policies, which has drawn both support and criticism. After the 2018 Olympic Games, Zagitova participated in a rally supporting Vladimir Putin's 2018 presidential campaign. This participation sparked controversy, as the co-chair of Golos, an election monitoring organization, stated that her involvement violated election laws prohibiting minors from campaigning.

After turning 18, Zagitova continued to engage in political statements. She posted on Instagram in support of the 2020 Russian constitutional referendum, which included amendments that effectively extended Putin's presidential term limit. Her public support for President Putin continued into his 2024 presidential campaign.

7.1. Family and Pets

Zagitova shares a close bond with her family, including her grandmother, with whom she lives in Moscow. She is a devoted pet owner. After her victory at the Pyeongchang Olympics, she received an Akita Inu dog named Masaru (Масару^Russian, meaning "to win" or "prevail" in Japanese) as a gift from a Japanese breeder. The presentation ceremony in Moscow was attended by then-Japanese Prime Minister Shinzō Abe. Zagitova has expressed deep affection for Masaru, stating that an ideal day off involves spending time with her dog. She has also mentioned that Akita Inus are rare in Russia, leading people to exclaim "Wow, Hachiko!" when they see Masaru.

In addition to Masaru, Zagitova has owned other pets, including cats (one named "Ilyuska") and a chinchilla. Her grandmother often cares for her pets when Zagitova is away for competitions or other engagements.

7.2. Education and Interests

Zagitova graduated from high school in June 2020. She then pursued higher education, enrolling in the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration to study journalism, from which she received her degree in July 2024. Demonstrating a commitment to further education, she decided to pursue a second degree at the Russian State University of Physical Education, Sport, Youth and Tourism.

Outside of her academic and skating commitments, Zagitova has a keen interest in Japanese culture and cuisine. She has expressed a dream of one day owning a Japanese restaurant, and she learned how to use chopsticks from her father. She also enjoys collecting character goods and fancy items, with a particular fondness for Rilakkuma. She has long cherished a Koriilakkuma tissue cover gifted to her during her junior years. She also received a Winnie the Pooh plush toy from Yuzuru Hanyu and a Snoopy plush toy from Kaori Sakamoto.

8.1. Impact on Figure Skating

Zagitova's impact on figure skating is undeniable. As an Olympic and World champion, she became a prominent icon in the sport. Her strategic approach to jump placement, particularly performing all jumps in the second half of her programs, pushed the boundaries of the ISU scoring system. This strategy, while highly effective for Zagitova, led to discussions about program balance and ultimately resulted in the implementation of the "Zagitova rule" (limiting bonus jumps to three in the free skate and one in the short program). This rule change reflects her direct influence on training methodologies and judging criteria, aiming to encourage a more balanced program construction among skaters.

Her triple Lutz-triple loop combination was considered a benchmark of technical difficulty during her peak, and her programs at the 2018 Olympics were noted for their high technical base value. Zagitova's rapid ascent and dominance at a young age also highlighted the increasing technical demands in women's singles, although her own technical achievements were later surpassed by younger teammates who began landing quadruple jumps and triple Axels.

8.2. Critical Perspectives and Controversies

While celebrated for her achievements, Zagitova's career has also faced critical perspectives and controversies. The "Zagitova rule" itself is a point of discussion, with some critics arguing that her previous jump strategy, while legal, exploited a loophole in the scoring system and led to less artistically integrated programs.

Her career trajectory, characterized by a rapid rise to the top followed by a relatively early hiatus from competitive skating, has also been a subject of commentary. Some observers noted a decline in her technical consistency in her final competitive season, particularly as other Russian skaters began to incorporate more difficult quad jumps and triple Axels, raising questions about the sustainability of her competitive edge.

Furthermore, Zagitova's public associations and political involvement have drawn scrutiny. Her participation in rallies supporting Vladimir Putin and her public endorsement of constitutional amendments extending his presidential term have been criticized, especially given her status as a public figure and, in one instance, as a minor at the time of her initial political appearance. These actions have led to discussions about the role of athletes in political discourse and the potential for perceived governmental influence on sports figures in Russia.