Elizaveta Tuktamysheva

1.1. Childhood and Education

Tuktamysheva began her journey in figure skating at the age of four and a half, after meeting other girls interested in the sport at a summer camp. Her first coach was Svetlana Veretennikova in her hometown of Glazov. Her talent quickly caught the attention of renowned coach Alexei Mishin, who first observed her at a competition in Belgorod. Initially, Mishin did not invite her to his group, finding her technique too underdeveloped. However, a year later, he was impressed by her ability to jump high and changed his mind, though he required her to rework the technique on all her jumps.

Due to her family's financial constraints, they could not immediately relocate to a larger city. Thus, Tuktamysheva continued to train under Veretennikova in Glazov but regularly traveled to Saint Petersburg to train with Mishin, where she resided in a dormitory. The train journey from Glazov to Saint Petersburg was a significant commitment, taking 27 hours each way. Until the summer of 2011, she typically spent one to two weeks in Saint Petersburg per month, with the remainder in Glazov.

In August 2011, with the efforts of coach Mishin and the support of the M. Kuznetsov Memorial Olympic Fund, her family-including her mother and younger sister-relocated from Glazov to Saint Petersburg. This move allowed her to train more consistently. She transferred to a school that permitted her to progress by submitting assignments and taking examinations, accommodating her demanding training schedule. Beyond her athletic pursuits, Tuktamysheva also focused on her academic development, receiving her diploma from the Lesgaft National State University of Physical Education, Sport and Health in Saint Petersburg in July 2020. She also has a Pomeranian dog named Kokosha.

2.1. Junior Career

Tuktamysheva's early career saw her quickly recognized as a promising talent. Russian media hailed her as a figure skating child prodigy because, at just 12 years old, she was already performing difficult jumps, including the triple Axel, in practice. Her early competitive experience included placing tenth at the 2008 Russian Figure Skating Championships at the age of 11, a decision by her coach Alexei Mishin that drew some criticism due to her young age.

In 2009, she secured the silver medal at the 2009 Russian Figure Skating Championships, climbing from fifth in the short program to first in the free skating. She finished only 0.67 points behind champion Adelina Sotnikova. Mishin, her coach, expressed high hopes, calling her Russia's "main hope for the gold medal at the Sochi Olympics." Despite her national medal, she was ineligible for ISU Championships due to age restrictions. At the 2010 Russian Figure Skating Championships, she earned a bronze medal, notably achieving higher technical marks than some male competitors. During the summer of 2010, she participated in training camps in Estonia, Italy, and Germany to prepare for the upcoming season.

The 2010-11 season marked her eligibility for ISU Junior competitions. She won her Junior Grand Prix events in Germany and Romania, qualifying for the Junior Grand Prix Final, where she won silver behind Adelina Sotnikova. She also secured a bronze medal at the 2011 Russian Figure Skating Championships and won the Russian Junior Championships. At the 2011 World Junior Figure Skating Championships, she earned a silver medal, again behind Sotnikova. In the summer of 2011, she also worked with Stéphane Lambiel to enhance her expression and body movement.

2.2. Senior Career and Major Competitions

Tuktamysheva's transition to the senior circuit saw her quickly establish herself as a formidable competitor, achieving significant milestones and demonstrating remarkable resilience throughout her career.

2.2.1. Debut and Early Senior Seasons

The 2011-12 season marked Tuktamysheva's eligibility for the senior Grand Prix circuit, though she was not yet old enough for senior ISU Championships. She made a strong debut, winning the Japan Open in October 2011. At her first Grand Prix event, 2011 Skate Canada International, she won the gold medal with a personal best score of 177.38 points, becoming the youngest champion at the event since Tracey Wainman in 1981. She dedicated this victory to her late father. She then secured another gold at 2011 Trophée Éric Bompard, making her the first ladies' skater to win her senior debut event and both events in her senior Grand Prix debut. She qualified for her first senior Grand Prix Final, where she finished fourth. At the 2012 Russian Figure Skating Championships, she placed sixth overall. She then won the gold medal at the 2012 Winter Youth Olympics. She later withdrew from the 2012 World Junior Figure Skating Championships to focus on preparing for the next season and working on her triple Axel.

Leading into the 2012-13 season, Tuktamysheva faced challenges, including a knee injury and growth spurts. Despite this, she competed at 2012 Skate Canada International, finishing fourth, and earned a silver medal at the 2012 Trophée Éric Bompard with a personal best free skating score of 121.36 points. She qualified for the Grand Prix Final in Sochi, Russia, where she placed fifth. At the 2013 Russian Figure Skating Championships, also in Sochi, she won her first senior national title despite falling ill with a cold before the free skate, demonstrating her determination. At the 2013 European Figure Skating Championships, she earned a bronze medal, becoming, along with silver medalist Adelina Sotnikova, Russia's first medalists in the ladies' event at Europeans since Irina Slutskaya in 2006. Her debut at the 2013 World Figure Skating Championships saw her finish tenth overall after errors in the short program. She also competed at the 2013 World Team Trophy in Tokyo, placing tenth individually.

The 2013-14 season proved challenging. She won bronze at the 2013 Finlandia Trophy and finished fourth at both 2013 Skate America and 2013 Rostelecom Cup, despite a back injury. At the 2014 Russian Figure Skating Championships, she placed tenth, missing out on selection for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. In March 2014, she sustained an ankle injury at the Russian Cup Final, diagnosed as a torn ligament, which kept her off the ice until mid-June.

2.2.2. 2014-2015 Season: World Champion

The 2014-15 season marked a pivotal and highly successful period in Tuktamysheva's career. She began by winning three ISU Challenger Series (CS) events: the 2014 Nebelhorn Trophy, 2014 Finlandia Trophy, and 2014 Warsaw Cup, ultimately becoming the overall winner of the 2014-15 ISU Challenger Series.

On the Grand Prix circuit, she secured a silver medal at 2014 Skate America and a gold medal at the 2014 Cup of China. These results qualified her for the Grand Prix Final, which she won with a new personal best total score of 203.58 points. At the 2015 Russian Figure Skating Championships, she earned a silver medal. She then went on to win the 2015 European Figure Skating Championships by a narrow margin, setting personal bests in both segments.

The highlight of her season came at the 2015 World Figure Skating Championships. She won the short program with a new personal best of 77.62 points, the third-highest short program score under the ISU Judging System at the time. In this performance, she successfully landed a triple Axel in competition for the first time, becoming the sixth woman and fourth to do so at the World Championships. She also became the first female skater to land four triple jumps in a short program (triple Axel, triple Lutz, and a triple toe-triple toe combination). She continued her dominance in the free skate, winning that segment with 132.74 points, leading to a total score of 210.36 points. She won the event decisively, securing the World Championship title by a margin of 16.76 points over silver medalist Satoko Miyahara. This victory made her the third Russian woman to win the World Championships, following Maria Butyrskaya (1999) and Irina Slutskaya (2002, 2005).

Following her World Championship win, Tuktamysheva concluded her season at the 2015 World Team Trophy. She placed second in the short program and won the free program, including another triple Axel, contributing significantly to Team Russia's silver medal finish. Her triumphs in the 2014-15 season, including victories at the Grand Prix Final, European Championships, and World Championships, earned her the distinction of being one of only four women to achieve a Grand Slam in figure skating.

2.2.3. Post-2015: Injuries, Comeback, and Longevity

After her triumphant 2014-15 season, Tuktamysheva faced new challenges, including injuries and fluctuating performances, but consistently demonstrated her resilience and commitment to the sport.

In preparation for the 2015-16 season, she worked with Stéphane Lambiel in Switzerland on new programs, including her free program to Peer Gynt. She also collaborated with Benoît Richaud on her short program to Carmina Burana. She began the season with a bronze medal at the Japan Open and a gold at the 2015 International Cup of Nice. On the Grand Prix series, she earned silver at 2015 Skate Canada International. Her performance at the 2015 Trophée Éric Bompard was cut short due to the cancellation of the free skate following the November 2015 Paris attacks, leaving her in fifth place based on the short program. She won two more Challenger Series events, the 2015 Warsaw Cup and the 2015 Golden Spin of Zagreb, again finishing as the top performer in the 2015-16 ISU Challenger Series standings. However, at the 2016 Russian Figure Skating Championships, she finished eighth. She later withdrew from the 2016 Team Challenge Cup due to an ankle injury.

The 2016-17 season saw her win silver at the 2016 CS Nebelhorn Trophy and bronze at the 2016 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb. She placed third at 2016 Cup of China and fourth at 2016 Skate Canada International. At the 2017 Russian Figure Skating Championships, she finished eighth, and fourth at the 2017 Winter Universiade. In the 2017-18 season, she earned bronze medals at the 2017 CS Finlandia Trophy and the 2017 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb, but struggled on the Grand Prix circuit, placing seventh at 2017 Cup of China and ninth at the 2017 Internationaux de France. She finished seventh at the 2018 Russian Figure Skating Championships.

2.2.4. Recent Seasons

Tuktamysheva mounted a significant comeback in the 2018-19 season, resuming training for both the triple Axel and the triple Lutz-triple toe loop combination. She won gold medals at the 2018 CS Lombardia Trophy and 2018 CS Finlandia Trophy, successfully landing triple Axels in competition, though with some landing issues. At 2018 Skate Canada International, she won gold, landing her triple Axel cleanly in the short program for the first time that season. Her gala exhibition program to Britney Spears' "Toxic", which involved stripping down to her bra, garnered widespread attention and became a viral moment, drawing both shock and fanfare. She earned a bronze medal at 2018 NHK Trophy, setting personal bests in the free skate and overall. These results qualified her for the 2018-19 Grand Prix Final, where she won a bronze medal. She expressed satisfaction with having increased her program difficulty. In December 2018, she withdrew from the 2019 Russian Figure Skating Championships due to pneumonia. She later competed at the Russian Cup Final, placing second overall. Despite her strong season, the Russian Figure Skating Federation controversially named Evgenia Medvedeva to the World Championships team over her, prompting Tuktamysheva to tweet: [https://twitter.com/TuktikLiza/status/1100754381018927104 "Inside myself still was a little girl who naively believed. You've killed her. But I'm a fighter and will return."] She was later named to the Russian team for the 2019 World Team Trophy, where she set new personal bests in both programs and overall, becoming the first woman to land twelve clean triple jumps in one international competition. She finished first individually, contributing to Team Russia's bronze medal.

For the 2019-20 season, Tuktamysheva began training a quad toe loop. She initially used a short program choreographed by Shae-Lynn Bourne to "Drumming Song" but later switched to Astor Piazzolla's "Oblivion." She won silver at the 2019 CS Lombardia Trophy, where she landed three triple Axels for the first time in one competition (one in the short program, two in the free skate). She then won silver at the 2019 CS Finlandia Trophy. On the Grand Prix circuit, she earned bronze medals at 2019 Skate America and the 2019 Cup of China. Despite two Grand Prix medals, she was only the third alternate for the 2019-20 Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final. In November 2019, she posted a video of herself landing a quad toe loop. She won the Golden Spin and competed at the 2020 Russian Figure Skating Championships, where she attempted the quad toe loop in competition for the first time, though she fell on it. She finished fourth overall, being the oldest ladies' skater in the field, and was named first alternate for the European and World Championships.

The 2020-21 season marked her tenth senior season. She competed in domestic Russian Cup events and restored her quadruple toe-loop in practice. At the 2020 Rostelecom Cup, she executed two clean triple Axels in her free skate to win the competition, a significant upset victory. This made her only the third woman to win a medal at all six Grand Prix events and the Grand Prix Final. In December 2020, she withdrew from a Russian Cup stage after contracting COVID-19. After recovering, she competed at the 2021 Russian Figure Skating Championships, finishing seventh. She debuted a new short program to Billie Eilish and Khalid's "Lovely" at the 2021 Channel One Trophy. At the Russian Cup Final, she secured her spot on the Russian ladies' delegation for the 2021 World Figure Skating Championships.

At the 2021 World Championships, Tuktamysheva delivered a clean short program to place third. In the free skate, she landed both of her triple Axel attempts cleanly but fell on a triple flip. Despite this error, she earned the silver medal overall, contributing to a historic Russian sweep of the ladies' podium (gold for Anna Shcherbakova, bronze for Alexandra Trusova). This marked only the second time a single country swept the ladies' podium at the World Championships, the first being the United States in 1991. Her performance, combined with Shcherbakova's, secured three berths for Russian ladies at the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing. She was then named Team Captain for Russia at the 2021 World Team Trophy, where she placed second in the short program and third in the free skate, helping Team Russia win the gold medal.

In the 2021-22 season, Tuktamysheva debuted new programs and won silver medals at the 2021 CS Finlandia Trophy, 2021 Skate Canada International, and 2021 Rostelecom Cup, qualifying for the 2021-22 Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final, which was later cancelled due to the Omicron variant. At the 2022 Russian Figure Skating Championships, she finished seventh overall, missing Olympic qualification for the third time in her career.

For the 2022-23 season, Russian figure skaters were banned from international events by the International Skating Union. As a result, the Russian Figure Skating Federation created its own domestic Grand Prix series. Tuktamysheva competed in and won two events in this series. At the 2023 Russian Figure Skating Championships, she initially placed third, marking her first national podium finish since 2014-15. However, in January 2024, after the Court of Arbitration for Sport stripped Kamila Valieva of her medals due to a doping violation, Tuktamysheva's bronze medal was upgraded to silver. She confirmed in October 2023 that she would not be competing in the 2023-24 season.

2.3. Triple Axel Mastery

Elizaveta Tuktamysheva is widely recognized for her exceptional mastery of the triple Axel jump, a technically demanding element that few women in figure skating history have successfully executed in competition. She was called a "child prodigy" by Russian media for performing it in practice at age 12.

Her first successful triple Axel in a major competition came at the 2015 World Figure Skating Championships, making her the sixth woman and second Russian woman to achieve this feat. She was also the fourth woman to land it at the World Championships and the third to do so in the short program. In that same short program, she made history by becoming the first female skater to land four triple jumps (triple Axel, triple Lutz, and a triple toe-triple toe combination).

Her proficiency with the triple Axel continued to evolve. At the 2018-19 Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final, she landed the maximum eight triple jumps cleanly in the free skate allowed under the Zayak rule, becoming the third woman to do so after Rika Kihira and Mirai Nagasu. She also became the first woman to land the maximum twelve triple jumps in one international competition, although her triple Axel in the short program was deemed under-rotated. In the final event of the 2018-19 season, the 2019 World Team Trophy, she successfully landed all twelve jumps cleanly, becoming the first woman to accomplish this feat in an official international competition.

In the 2019 Finlandia Trophy, she successfully landed three triple Axels in one competition (one in the short program and two in the free skate), a feat last achieved by Mao Asada at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. Her ability to maintain the triple Axel for eight years, from its first competitive landing in 2015 to its continued inclusion in her programs in 2023, underscores her dedication and technical prowess.

2.4. Career Longevity and Consistency

Elizaveta Tuktamysheva's career is particularly notable for its exceptional longevity and consistency, especially in contrast to the high turnover of elite Russian women's skaters, who often retire or fade from the top ranks at very young ages. Over 16 different competitive seasons, she participated in 70 international events and 15 Russian National Championships, consistently maintaining a high level of performance and never finishing outside the top 10.

Her ability to remain competitive for such an extended period highlights her dedication, rigorous training ethic, and adaptability. She has endured injuries, growth spurts, and the emergence of younger, technically advanced competitors, yet consistently found ways to remain relevant and competitive. Her sustained mastery of the triple Axel jump for over eight years is a testament to her enduring technical skill. This remarkable career span has solidified her status as "The Empress" within the figure skating community, a testament to her enduring reign in a sport that constantly demands innovation and physical peak performance.

3.1. Jump Technique

Tuktamysheva possesses proficiency in six different types of triple jumps. She is capable of performing various complex triple-triple combinations, including the triple Lutz-triple toe loop, triple flip-triple toe loop, triple Salchow-triple toe loop, and triple toe loop-triple toe loop. In practice, she has successfully landed even more challenging combinations such as the triple Axel-triple toe loop, double Axel-triple toe loop, and double Axel-single loop-triple Salchow.

Her dedication to technical advancement is evident in her pursuit of quadruple jumps. She has publicly demonstrated landing a quadruple toe loop in practice and has expressed her intention to work on the quadruple Salchow and quadruple Lutz. While she faced an issue with her flip jump having an outside edge takeoff during her junior years, she successfully corrected this technical flaw, and it was not flagged as an incorrect edge takeoff in her senior career until the 2018-19 season. Despite some early competitive attempts at the triple Axel resulting in falls or under-rotations, her consistent practice and eventual mastery of this jump became a hallmark of her technique.

3.2. Programs and Artistry

Tuktamysheva's competitive and exhibition programs have evolved significantly throughout her career, showcasing a range of musical styles and choreographic interpretations. She has collaborated with several renowned choreographers to develop her artistic presentation.

Her programs have featured a diverse selection of music, from classical pieces like Maurice Ravel's "Boléro" and Carl Orff's "Carmina Burana" to contemporary and popular music. Notable classical and traditional choices include "Peer Gynt" by Edvard Grieg, "Asturias" by Isaac Albéniz, "Malagueña" by Ernesto Lecuona, and pieces from ballets like "Don Quixote" and "Swan Lake" by Pyotr Tchaikovsky. She has also skated to more modern and eclectic selections such as "Batwannis Beek" by The REG Project, "Sandstorm" by La Bionda, "Get Low" by Dillon Francis and DJ Snake, "Koop Island Blues" by Koop, and "Toxic" by Britney Spears. Her 2020-21 season saw her debut a short program to Billie Eilish and Khalid's "Lovely" and a free skate to "Chronicles of a Mischievous Bird" by Bhima Yunusov. More recently, for the 2022-23 season, her short program was set to "Feeling Good" performed by Nina Simone, and her exhibition program to "Toxic" by Britney Spears.

She has worked with a variety of choreographers, including her main coach Tatiana Prokofieva, Stéphane Lambiel, Benoît Richaud, David Wilson, Shae-Lynn Bourne, Ilya Averbukh, Adam Solya, Nikita Mikhailov, and Yuri Smekalov. Early in her senior career, she was criticized for her relatively small use of the ice surface during her performances. To address this, she sought external guidance, notably working with David Wilson in May 2012 to create and refine her free program, aiming to enhance her overall presentation and utilize the rink more effectively.

4.1. Family and Relationships

Tuktamysheva was born to a family with a background in sports and education. Her father, a former skier and football coach, passed away in April 2011. Her mother was an algebra and geometry teacher. She has a younger sister, Evgenia, who also pursued figure skating. In August 2011, the family relocated from Glazov to Saint Petersburg, a move facilitated by her coach Alexei Mishin and the M. Kuznetsov Memorial Olympic Fund, to support her training. She attended a school that allowed for flexible study to accommodate her athletic commitments.

From 2015 to 2020, Tuktamysheva was in a relationship with fellow Russian figure skater Andrei Lazukin, a relationship confirmed through interviews and social media. The couple ended their relationship in early 2020. She received her diploma from the Lesgaft National State University of Physical Education, Sport and Health in Saint Petersburg in July 2020.

4.2. Sanctions and Political Stance

In April 2023, Elizaveta Tuktamysheva was sanctioned by the Ukrainian government. These sanctions were imposed due to her alleged support of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, specifically through her participation in a pro-war ice show. As a result, all her assets in Ukraine were frozen, and she received a 50-year ban from entering the country.

Following the imposition of sanctions, Tuktamysheva made public statements on her Instagram account. She posted, "I don't want athlete performances to become a way of manipulation and persuasion." In a reply to a comment on the same post, she further clarified her position regarding the ice show, stating, "I had no idea this was going to happen... no one knew, I'm sorry." These statements reflect her perspective on the intersection of sports and geopolitical issues, expressing a desire for athletic performances to remain separate from political manipulation, while also indicating a lack of prior knowledge regarding the perceived political nature of the event.

5.1. Achievements and Positive Recognition

Tuktamysheva's career is adorned with numerous major accomplishments, solidifying her status as one of Russia's most successful female figure skaters. Her most prominent achievements include winning the 2015 World Figure Skating Championships, the 2015 European Figure Skating Championships, and the 2014-15 Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final. She is one of only four women in figure skating history to achieve a Grand Slam, by winning all major international competitions in a single season (2014-15).

Beyond her titles, she is celebrated for her pioneering work with the triple Axel. She was the sixth woman to land the jump in competition and the first to successfully execute four triple jumps in a short program. Her ability to consistently perform the triple Axel for eight years, a rarity in the sport, highlights her enduring technical prowess. Her career longevity, spanning 16 competitive seasons without ever finishing outside the top 10 in major events, is a testament to her dedication, resilience, and adaptability in a sport known for its demanding nature and high athlete turnover. This consistent presence at the elite level has earned her widespread respect and the affectionate nickname "The Empress" among fans and peers. Her 2021 World Championship silver medal, achieved six years after her gold, further underscored her remarkable comeback ability and sustained competitiveness.

5.2. Criticisms and Controversies

While highly celebrated, Tuktamysheva's career has also encountered some criticisms and controversies. Early in her career, her coach Alexei Mishin faced criticism for allowing her to compete in the senior Russian Championships at only 11 years old, raising concerns about the pressures on young athletes.

A notable public controversy arose during the 2018-19 season when her exhibition program to Britney Spears' "Toxic" went viral. The routine, which involved her stripping down to her bra, was met with a mix of shock and fanfare, sparking discussions about artistic expression versus traditional figure skating norms.

Another significant controversy involved her exclusion from the Russian team for the 2019 World Figure Skating Championships. Despite a strong season, including a bronze medal at the Grand Prix Final, the Russian Figure Skating Federation controversially selected younger skaters over her. Her public response, stating, "Inside myself still was a little girl who naively believed. You've killed her. But I'm a fighter and will return," highlighted the intense pressure and political dynamics within Russian figure skating team selections.

More recently, in April 2023, she faced sanctions from the Ukrainian government due to her participation in an ice show perceived as supportive of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. While she stated she did not intend for her performance to be a "way of manipulation and persuasion" and claimed she "had no idea this was going to happen," the sanctions resulted in her assets in Ukraine being frozen and a 50-year ban from entering the country. This incident underscores the complex intersection of sports and geopolitical issues, where athletes can become inadvertently embroiled in broader political conflicts.

Finally, her bronze medal at the 2023 Russian Figure Skating Championships was upgraded to silver in January 2024 following the Court of Arbitration for Sport's decision to strip Kamila Valieva of her medals due to a doping violation. While this resulted in a positive outcome for Tuktamysheva's record, it highlights the ongoing challenges and integrity issues within the sport.

6.1. Major International Competitions

6.2. National Competitions

6.3. Junior Level Competitions