Figure skating-Russian teen Petrosian dazzles in Olympic figure skating debut

Advertisement Sport Figure skating-Russian teen Petrosian dazzles in Olympic figure skating debut Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics - Figure Skating - Women Single Skating - Short Program - Milano Ice Skating Arena, Milan, Italy - February 17, 2026. Adeliia Petrosian of AIN performs during the Short Program REUTERS/Yara Nardi Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics - Figure Skating - Women Single Skating - Short Program - Milano Ice Skating Arena, Milan, Italy - February 17, 2026. Adeliia Petrosian of AIN performs during the Short Program REUTERS/Claudia Greco Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics - Figure Skating - Women Single Skating - Short Program - Milano Ice Skating Arena, Milan, Italy - February 17, 2026. Adeliia Petrosian of AIN performs during the Short Program REUTERS/Claudia Greco Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics - Figure Skating - Women Single Skating - Short Program - Milano Ice Skating Arena, Milan, Italy - February 17, 2026. Adeliia Petrosian of AIN performs during the Short Program REUTERS/Claudia Greco 18 Feb 2026 04:07AM Bookmark Bookmark Share WhatsApp Telegram Facebook Twitter Email LinkedIn Set CNA as your preferred source on Google Add CNA as a trusted source to help Google better understand and surface our content in search results. Read a summary of this article on FAST. Get bite-sized news via a newcards interface. Give it a try. Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FAST FAST MILAN, Feb 17 : Russian teenager Adeliia Petrosian moonwalked her way into the global spotlight on Tuesday, gliding out for her Olympic debut in a red‑and‑black Thriller-inspired costume and delivering a short programme that could potentially put her in medal contention.The 18-year-old arrived in Milan shrouded in secrecy and untested on the global stage due to Russian athletes being banned from competing in international events by the sport's governing body following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Competing as an Individual Neutral Athlete (AIN), Petrosian scored 72.89 points, landing three triples in a programme that was notably missing both a triple Axel and a quadruple jump. "The emotions are great," she said. "I'm very happy with my performance and the scores, and everything went very smoothly today." Subscribe to CNA's Recommended Read A single handpicked story that we think you shouldn't miss. Just one a day. This service is not intended for persons residing in the E.U. By clicking subscribe, I agree to receive news updates and promotional material from Mediacorp and Mediacorp’s partners. Loading She skated second, and while she secured qualification for the free programme, she had to wait three more hours to see what position she would finish in after the remainder of the field had competed.Skating to a Michael Jackson medley, the teenager nodded to the late pop icon with hip thrusts, a moonwalk and a "Smooth Criminal" tilt. The crowd roared throughout, embracing the Russian newcomer."The audience received the programme well," she said. "And every time I think it would be a little less loud, the audience always shouts, they give me a warmer welcome, and that's great."While the Olympics mark her first major international competition, she insisted she felt no significant pressure."Not today," she said. "It's my first Olympic Games, and so far I don't feel any strong pressure. We'll see what happens in the free programme."Asked whether she will perform a quad and/or a triple Axel in Thursday's free programme, she said: "I would like to keep this a secret because I never tell about my programme."Petrosian booked her spot for the Milano Cortina Games by winning a qualifying event in Beijing in September, her only other senior event outside Russia. In Milan, her coaching setup involving Eteri Tutberidze has caused controversy. Tutberidze, who was accredited for the Games through the Georgian federation as she coaches that country's skater Nika Egadze, was not at rink level when Petrosian skated on Tuesday.Instead, she was joined in the "kiss and cry" by another member of her coaching team, former Russian ice dancer Daniil Gleikhengauz. Tutberidze's influence as a coach has been under the spotlight since the 2022 Beijing Olympics, when her former charge, Russian Kamila Valieva, was at the heart of a doping scandal.Tutberidze was not found guilty by WADA of any offence in relation to Valieva's positive test and never faced any sanction.In the wake of the scandal, the ISU raised the minimum senior competition age from 15 to 17. Source: Reuters Newsletter Recommended Read Subscribe to CNA's Recommended Read A single handpicked story that we think you shouldn't miss. Just one a day. Sign up for our newsletters Get our pick of top stories and thought-provoking articles in your inbox Subscribe here Get the CNA app Stay updated with notifications for breaking news and our best stories Download here Get WhatsApp alerts Join our channel for the top reads for the day on your preferred chat app Join here Advertisement