Meet Adelia Petrosyan, the Russian figure skater beloved by the world (PHOTOS)
"The world finally saw a Russian figure skater. She did not disappoint," writes The Washington Post. "Russia has a chance at a gold medal," adds their commentator. "She's amazing! We want to see her and Petr Gumennik at the gala show!" "True stars on the ice!" "Her performance was equal parts artistry and technique!" "I really hope she has a chance to make the podium."
Barely recovering from the men's skating battle, fans are no less passionate about the figure skating of the 18-year-old Russian figure skater.
She performed her short program to Michael Jackson's ‘Earth Song’, ‘Billie Jean’ and ‘They Don't Care About Us’, finishing 5th with 72.89 points. The judges praised her double axel, triple lutz and triple flip-triple toe loop combination. She says she wasn't nervous, she just simply enjoys figure skating. And despite fans and coaches being concerned for her wellbeing, Adelia's former coach, Alexei Shemet, called her short program one of her best.
Petrosyan was born in 2007 in Moscow. Her parents aren't involved in sports: her mother is focused on her career and her father works in the medical equipment industry. Adelia became interested in figure skating at the age of two after watching the popular TV show ‘Lednikovy Periyod’ (‘Ice Age’), in which famous ice skaters performed with other stars. Her parents were surprised when they heard their daughter wanted to figure skate, but suggested she wait until she was at least four.
Impatience seems to have become something of a signature trait for Petrosyan. She even started school a year early, because she was bored in kindergarten. Until the age of 13, Adelia combined serious athletic training with her studies, but then switched to remote learning to focus on figure skating. This change in her studies also coincided with her decision to switch from coach Irina Strakhova to Eteri Tutberidze.
She debuted in the Russian Cup in the 2019/2020 season, became a three-time Russian champion, won bronze and gold at the Junior Grand Prix series and silver at the Russian Junior Championships. In the 2021/2022 season, Adelia set a record by becoming the first female figure skater to successfully land a quadruple loop. Petrosyan also won the national jumping championship.
The athlete spends her free time relaxing at home: reading classics – she especially enjoys ‘War and Peace’ (by Leo Tolstoy) – and the poetry of Marina Tsvetaeva and Anna Akhmatova. She’s also a fan of putting together puzzles.
On trips to competitions, she is sometimes accompanied by her Yorkshire terrier, Alma.
In the Olympic qualifying tournament held in Beijing, Adelia placed among the top five skaters, scoring 209.63 points, and became the only Russian representative in the women's figure skating competition in Milan.
This is also her first international competition at this level. On Thursday evening, February 19, the skaters will present their free programs, which will determine the medals in women's singles skating.