Taking the plunge: Olympic figure skating queen Zagitova dives into ice-cold pool – after chickening out '20 times' (VIDEO)
Reigning world and Olympic figure-skating champion Alina Zagitova caused a fan frenzy after posting videos from a health-spa visit, in which she not only took a steam bath but got into the icy water of an open-air plunge pool.
The Russian star seems to be fully enjoying her lengthy break from competition and, after taking part in New Year shows and master classes, the skater decided to relax, spending her weekend at a sauna center.
Zagitova posted several videos on her Instagram page, posing in a black swimsuit.
The 18-year-old was seen walking outside, wearing a white gown and slippers, with fans quickly noticing that her right leg was tightly bandaged.
“Please, Alina, be careful, try to avoid injuries,” one user wrote, suggesting that she might have injured her leg during exhibition shows.
After enjoying the sauna and steam room, Zagitova was seen preparing to jump into the cold waters of an outside swimming pool; however, she failed to do it on her first attempt, running away from the freezing pool.
"20th attempt," the star joked in one caption to the images.
Finally, her determination prevailed and the champion skater made a successful dive, impressing her army of followers.
Zagitova, who is the only Russian skater to win all figure-skating awards, including Olympic gold, put her career on hold almost two years ago, explaining that she needed a well-deserved break from competing.
She was expected to make a highly-anticipated comeback this season, but withdrew from national events, preferring to concentrate on her TV career, in which she co-hosts a popular tv show 'Ice Age' together with a prominent skater Alexei Yagudin.
