51 Facts About Alina Zagitova

Alina Ilnazovna Zagitova is a Russian figure skater.

Alina Zagitova is the only Russian female figure skater who has won gold at the Olympic Games, World Figure Skating Championships, European Figure Skating Championships and Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final.

Alina Zagitova is the first Muslim athlete to win an Olympic figure skating gold medal, a world title and the Super Slam.

Alina Zagitova is the youngest and second ladies' singles skater, after Yuna Kim, to win gold in all major ISU championship titles including the Junior Grand Prix Series and Final, World Junior Championships, Grand Prix Series and Final, European Championships, World Championships, and Winter Olympic Games.

Alina Zagitova has broken the world record once under the old system and four times under the new system.

Alina Zagitova had her first formal skating lessons as a four-year-old with Damira Pichugina in Almetyevsk, Tatarstan, where her father was a hockey coach for the Neftyanik club.

Alina Zagitova finished 9th at the 2016 Russian Junior Championships after placing 12th in the short program and 8th in the free skate.

Alina Zagitova took the bronze medal at her JGP event in Slovenia, behind Japanese skaters Rika Kihira and Marin Honda.

In France, Alina Zagitova ranked first in both segments and scored new junior ladies' records in all categories.

Alina Zagitova was awarded the gold medal with a total of 207.43 points, 13 points above her teammate and silver medalist Anastasiia Gubanova.

Alina Zagitova became the first junior lady skater in history to have a total score above the 200 mark.

In February 2017, Alina Zagitova won the gold medal at the European Youth Olympic Festival in Turkey.

At the 2017 World Junior Championships in Taipei, Alina Zagitova placed first after the short program with 70.58 points.

Alina Zagitova set two new world record of 138.02 points for junior ladies' free skating, and 208.60 points for combined total.

At the Internationaux de France, Alina Zagitova placed fifth in the short program after a fall on her triple lutz and several under-rotation deductions.

At the Grand Prix Final, Alina Zagitova scored a personal best in the short program, 76.27, and was in second place behind Kaetlyn Osmond heading into the free skate.

At the 2018 Europeans in Moscow, Alina Zagitova finished first, winning over Medvedeva who had remained unbeaten for more than two years.

At the Olympics team event, the 10 points Alina Zagitova earned for the first place in the ladies' free skating helped Olympic Athletes from Russia to a silver medal in the competition.

Alina Zagitova scored 158.08, setting a new personal best and breaking the record for the highest-ever technical score in ladies' team figure skating.

Alina Zagitova's total score of 239.57 was a new personal best.

Alina Zagitova began the season at the 2018 CS Nebelhorn Trophy in Oberstdorf, Germany.

Alina Zagitova finished in first place after both the short program and free skate events, winning the gold with a total of 238.43 points.

In early November, Alina Zagitova competed at her first Grand Prix event of the season, the 2018 Grand Prix of Helsinki.

Alina Zagitova was ranked first in both the short program and the free skate, winning the gold medal by a margin of about 18 points over the silver medalist, who was her teammate Stanislava Konstantinova.

Alina Zagitova was again ranked first in both programs and won the gold medal by a margin of about 25 points over the silver medalist, her teammate Sofia Samodurova.

Alina Zagitova placed twelfth in the free skate, and fifth overall; however, she was still granted an automatic place on the Russian team for the European Championships because the top three skaters were junior competitors and thus ineligible for the team; Zagitova was second out of the senior competitors despite finishing in fifth place.

Alina Zagitova did not speak to the media after the competition.

At the 2019 European Championships, Alina Zagitova placed first in the short program despite an under-rotation on her triple loop.

Alina Zagitova fared poorly in the free skate, falling once and under-rotating or downgrading the majority of her jumping passes, which led to her placing fourth in the free skate, and second overall, behind Samodurova and less than four points ahead of Finnish skater Viveca Lindfors.

Alina Zagitova received a season's best score of 82.08, which was more than five points ahead of Kaori Sakamoto, who placed second, and more than eleven points ahead of Rika Kihira, who had been anticipated to be Zagitova's closest rival for the gold medal.

Alina Zagitova was less successful in the free skate, falling on a double Axel and having several other jumps deemed underrotated or downgraded, and finished sixth in that segment and overall.

Alina Zagitova suspended her season following the Grand Prix Final, stating that she no longer had motivation to compete.

Alina Zagitova withdrew from the 2020 Russian Championships and thus, did not contend for berths on the 2020 European Championships.

Alina Zagitova did not intend to compete in the 2020 World Championships either prior to its cancellation.

Alina Zagitova is known for her signature triple lutz-triple loop combination, and has executed other triple loop combinations such as the triple flip-triple loop.

Alina Zagitova regularly employs the "Rippon" variation, with both arms over the head when jumping.

Alina Zagitova was awarded the Order of Friendship by Vladimir Putin for her Olympic win at the 2018 Winter Olympics.

Alina Zagitova is a two-time winner of the Silver Doe Prize, awarded by the Federation of Sports Journalists of Russia, as one of the ten best athletes of 2017 and 2018.

Alina Zagitova was named female "Athlete of the Year" in the nomination "Pride of Russia" by the Ministry of Sport of Russia in 2018, leaving behind fencer Inna Deriglazova and gymnast Angelina Melnikova.

Alina Zagitova is part of the list of Top 40 most successful Russians from sport and show business under the age of 40.

Alina Zagitova opted out of the 2020 Russian Test Skates, stating she was wanting to focus on her new role as the host of a Russian reality TV show, Ice Age.

Alina Zagitova is currently the ambassador for sports brand Puma.

Alina Zagitova has advertised for Shiseido, Sberbank of Russia, smartphone game Madoka Magica, and PepsiCo's brand of flavored water "Aqua Minerale Active".

Alina Zagitova appeared on the front cover of the May 2020 issue of Cosmopolitan Russia.

Alina Zagitova was born on 18 May 2002 in Izhevsk, Udmurtia.

Alina Zagitova is the daughter of Leysan Zagitova and Ilnaz Zagitov, an ice hockey coach from Tatarstan, both of them are Volga Tatars.

Alina Zagitova has a sister, Sabina, who is five years younger than her.

Alina Zagitova was nameless for a year until her parents decided to name her "Alina" after watching Russian rhythmic gymnast Alina Kabaeva.

Alina Zagitova moved to Moscow at age 13 alongside her grandmother, and continues to live with her.

Alina Zagitova owns an Akita Inu dog named Masaru, given to her by a Japanese breeder as a gift after the Pyeongchang Olympics.

In June 2020, Alina Zagitova passed the Unified State Exam and later in August it was announced that she'd entered the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration to pursue a degree in journalism.