Who will take Zagitova’s crown? Russian trio prepare to extend winning tradition at figure skating world championships

Fans and pundits have begun to announce their predictions about the medal winners ahead of the World Figure Skating Championships, where Russian skaters are being tipped by many to claim glory in the women’s event.

The champions will be the first major international figure skating competition since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, which cancelled or postponed practically all major sports events, including the Tokyo Games.

To reduce the risk of infection for athletes, figure skating bosses canceled last year’s world championships, as well as this season’s Grand Prix final and the European Championships, leaving athletes without competitive practice for almost a year.

The global competition in Stockholm, which is set to run from March 22 to 28, will see performances by the world’s greatest competitors for the first time since 2020.

While fans have been trying to predict who will win gold in Sweden, one thing is certain – a new champion will be crowned in the women’s event, as reigning world title holder Alina Zagitova has put her career on hold.

In her absence, dozens of skaters representing different countries will clash for the right to take their place on the vacant throne.

A Russian trio comprised of Anna Shcherbakova, Alexandra Trusova and Elizaveta Tuktamysheva will be in the hunt for the coveted title.

Eteri Tutberidze’s star, Shcherbakova, is widely regarded as the main contender to win gold, having one of the most impressive technical repertoires of the participants.

The elegant skater, whose artistry mesmerizes strict judges, is capable of landing a quad lutz and a quadruple flip which could substantially increase her technical score.  

Shcherbakova confidently won the national championship in December, delivering immaculate skating in both programs and leaving behind all her rivals.

Another Russian quad-jumping prodigy, Trusova, is dubbed the ‘Russian rocket’. She is also expected to fight for the podium places in Stockholm provided she succeeds in delivering her array of incredible jumps.

In May, the two-time world junior champion left Tutberidze to be trained under Evgeni Plushenko’s guidance.

Explaining her decision to switch training camps, Trusova said she wanted to be coached by a specialist who himself landed quads during his career.

The immensely technically-gifted skater, who had learnt to make practically all quads – something which not all male athletes can boast – was not happy when Tutberidze asked her to reduce the number of ultra-c elements in her programs for the sake of stability.

The first female skater to land a quad had attempted to include FIVE quadruple jumps into her free program, but failed to cope with the physically demanding elements, making her coaches revise the content.

She was expected to increase her difficulty under Plushenko’s tutelage, but an unstable triple axel and faults on quads left her with just bronze at the national championship.

Tuktamysheva, who is re-emerging on the international stage after a six-year break, said she doesn’t want to think about possible medals or places, instead choosing to focus on enjoying her performance at the competition.

The skater hasn’t tried to land a quad this season, but her signature triple axel makes a valuable addition to her technical score, which gives her a chance of vying for medals in Stockholm.

Apart from the Russian trio, Japan’s Rika Kihira is also among the favorites to fight for gold. The cancelation of events this season makes it difficult to predict her readiness ahead of the season-ending figure skating event.

The ladies will open their world championship campaign on March 24 by showcasing their short programs, with the medals awarded two days later after the delivery of the free programs.