Sotnikova set for Cup of Russia return

MOSCOW: Olympic champion Adelina Sotnikova will be in the spotlight when she makes her comeback at Moscow’s Cup of Russia, the fifth in the six-leg ISU Grand Prix of figure skating series starting on Friday (today).
The Grand Prix season continues after the cancellation of last weekend’s Trophee Bompard following terror attacks in France.
And the return of 19-year-old Sotnikova, a surprise gold medal winner ahead of South Korean superstar Kim Yu-Na at her home Olympic Games in Sochi in 2014, will take centre stage as she returns after missing all of last season because of an ankle injury.
Sotnikova has not competed at any major international competition since the Olympics in February 2014 and tore an ankle ligament the following November.
“I had certain problems with motivation after my recovery from injury,” admitted two-time European silver medallist Sotnikova.
“But after a short period of hesitation I understood that I’m too young to finish my career. I want to show the fans something different, some new features of my skating.
“I was really missing the competitions throughout this year. I want to feel adrenalin in my blood ahead of the new start again,” added the former four-time national champion who competed in the 2015 Russian version of ‘Dancing with the Stars’.
Sotnikova’s best finish in her hometown event was a bronze medal in 2011 and she will likely face serious competition from compatriot Evgenia Medvedeva, this season’s Skate America winner, and Russian national champion Elena Radionova, a world bronze medallist and runner-up in last year’s Grand Prix final.
Japanese duo Rika Hongo, second in the Cup of China, and Yuka Nagai, third in Skate Canada, will also be looking for podium finishes again.
As Sotnikova is only competing in the Cup of Russia she cannot qualify for the Grand Prix final, with skaters needing to participate in a minimum of two events.
Reigning world champion Javier Hernandez of Spain, this season’s Cup of China winner, looks clear favourite in the men’s section of the event.
Russia’s Artur Gachinski, the 2011 world championships’ bronze medal winner and veteran Sergei Voronov, the European bronze medalist, are expected to challenge him along with Japan’s Takahiko Kozuko, the 2011 world championships’ runner-up.
In pairs local favourites Yuko Kavaguti and Alexander Smirnov, the reigning European champions and this season’s Cup of China winners, will face off against Olympic champions Tatiana Volosozhar and Maxim Trankov, who were leading the Trophee Bompard in Bordeaux in western France after Friday’s short programme before the event was cancelled.