Art on Ice
It seems that with each new season, Russia debuts a young shooting star that dominates the junior ladies discipline. That was the case with Adelina Sotnikova, Julia Lipnitskaia, Elena Radionova, Evgenia Medvedeva, Alina Zagitova, and Alexandra Trusova over the past decade.
Last season marked the arrival of Kamila Valieva, 13, the fourth consecutive student of Eteri Tutberidze, Sergei Dudakov, and Daniil Gleikhengauz to rule the junior world.
Though Valieva only made her international debut in August 2019, she was not a complete unknown to those who avidly follow the sport at the lower levels. Figure skating fans that had watched her compete at the novice level often posted videos of her performances online.
The popularity of her final short program at the novice level — “Girl on the Ball,” inspired by Pablo Picasso’s painting of the same name — was a factor in Valieva’s coaching team deciding to keep it for the 2019-2020 season. In an interview at the Russian test skates last fall, Tutberidze
