Alina Zagitova facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Alina Zagitova
Zagitova in 2024
Personal information
Native name	Алина Ильназовна Загитова
Country represented	Russia
Born	(2002-05-18) 18 May 2002 (age 23) Izhevsk Russia
Home town	Moscow, Russia
Height	1.60 m
Coach	Eteri Tutberidze Sergei Dudakov Daniil Gleikhengauz
Skating club	Sambo-70 [ru]
Began skating	2008

Alina Ilnazovna Zagitova (born on May 18, 2002) is a famous Russian figure skater. She achieved incredible success in the sport. Alina became the Olympic champion in 2018. She also won the World Championship in 2019 and the European Championship in 2018. These are some of the biggest titles in figure skating!

Alina also won a silver medal with her team at the 2018 Winter Olympics. Before her senior career, she was a junior star, winning the World Junior Championships in 2017.

Alina Zagitova is special because she completed a "Super Slam." This means she won all the major international competitions at both junior and senior levels. She was one of the youngest skaters ever to do this! She also set a world record score in the short program. Alina was known for a unique skating style where she put most of her difficult jumps at the end of her routine. This strategy helped her earn extra points. Because of her success, the rules for jump bonuses were changed, and this change is sometimes called the "Zagitova rule".

Alina took a break from competitive skating during the 2019–2020 season. As of March 2026, she has not returned to compete. Since then, she has hosted TV shows like Ice Age and worked as a commentator for skating events.

Alina's Early Life and First Steps on Ice

Alina Zagitova was born on May 18, 2002, in Izhevsk, Russia. Her parents are Leysan and Ilnaz Zagitov. Her father, Ilnaz, was an ice hockey coach. Alina has a younger sister named Sabina, who also enjoyed figure skating. For her first year, Alina didn't have a name! Her parents finally named her "Alina" after seeing a famous Russian gymnast, Alina Kabaeva.

Alina's father taught her to skate when she was very young. She started formal lessons at age four in a town called Almetyevsk. Later, her family moved back to Izhevsk, and she continued her training there. When Alina was 13, she moved to Moscow with her grandmother. This move was so she could train with the well-known coach, Eteri Tutberidze.

Alina's Figure Skating Career

Starting Her Skating Journey

When Alina moved to Moscow, she began learning difficult triple jumps. However, she faced some challenges, including breaking her arm and then her leg. For a short time, her coach, Eteri Tutberidze, even removed her from the training group. But Alina was determined, and her coach soon welcomed her back.

In January 2016, Alina competed in her first big event, the Russian Junior Championships, where she placed ninth. A month later, she showed improvement by finishing fourth at the Russian Cup Final for juniors.

Becoming a Junior World Champion

Zagitova (center) with Marin Honda (left) and Kaori Sakamoto (right) at the 2017 World Junior Figure Skating Championships podium

For her first international season, Alina's coaches created beautiful programs for her. Her short program used music from Samson and Delilah, and her free skate was set to music from Don Quixote. Alina had a special strategy: she performed all her jumps in the second half of her program. This gave her extra points, which was a big advantage!

Alina's first international competition was in August 2016 in France. She won the gold medal, beating Kaori Sakamoto from Japan. Her score was one of the highest ever for a junior woman skater. She then earned a bronze medal in Slovenia. These results qualified her for the Junior Grand Prix Final in December. Alina won gold there too, setting a new record as the first junior woman to score over 200 points!

Later that season, Alina competed at the senior level in the Russian Championships. She won a silver medal, coming in second to her training partner, Evgenia Medvedeva. In February, she won the Russian Junior Championships and then a gold medal at the European Youth Olympic Festival. Her amazing season ended with a gold medal at the 2017 World Junior Championships in Taipei. She performed perfectly and set new junior world records for her free skate and total score.

Winning Olympic Gold

Alina was old enough to compete in senior international events for the 2017–18 season. She kept her Don Quixote free skate but got a new short program with music from Black Swan and Moonlight. She won her first senior international competition, the 2017 CS Lombardia Trophy.

Alina then competed in the Grand Prix Series. She won gold medals at the Cup of China and the Internationaux de France. These wins qualified her for the Grand Prix Final, which she also won! She achieved a personal best score of 223.30 points.

Alina continued her winning streak by becoming the Russian National Champion and the European Champion in 2018. After these victories, she was chosen to join the Russian Olympic team.

Short program

Free skate

Award ceremony

Zagitova at the 2018 Winter Olympics

At the 2018 Winter Olympics, Alina helped her team win a silver medal. In the individual event, she skated a flawless short program and set a new world record score of 82.92 points! In the free skate, she performed incredibly well. Alina and her teammate Evgenia Medvedeva both scored high in the free skate. But Alina's higher short program score meant she won the gold medal! She was only 15 years old, making her the second-youngest Olympic champion in women's singles.

After the Olympics, Alina competed at the 2018 World Championships. She finished fifth after some falls in her free skate. This was her only loss that season.

Becoming a World Champion

Zagitova performing her short program at the 2019 Russian Championships

For the 2018–19 season, Alina had two new programs. Her short program was to music from The Phantom of the Opera, and her free skate was to music from Carmen Suite. She started the season strong, winning the Nebelhorn Trophy in Germany. Because the ISU Judging System rules had changed, Alina set new world records for the short program, free skate, and total score.

She won gold medals at two Grand Prix events: the Grand Prix of Helsinki and the Rostelecom Cup. These wins qualified her for the Grand Prix Final, where she won a silver medal.

At the 2019 Russian Championships, Alina placed fifth. However, she was still chosen for the European Championships. At the 2019 European Championships, she won a silver medal.

Alina then went to the 2019 World Championships in Japan. She delivered a perfect short program, scoring 82.08 points. Two days later, she performed a clean free program, earning the highest score of the day. With a total score of 237.50, Alina won the World title! This made her the first woman to win the World Championships the season after winning the Olympics since 1985. She also became the second woman, after Yuna Kim, to achieve a "Super Slam" by winning all major junior and senior international competitions.

Taking a Break from Competition

Zagitova at the 2019 Internationaux de France

In the 2019–20 season, Alina introduced new programs. Her short program was to "Me Voy" by Yasmin Levy, and her free skate was inspired by Cleopatra. She won a silver medal at the Internationaux de France and a bronze at the NHK Trophy. These results qualified her for the Grand Prix Final, where she finished sixth.

After the Grand Prix Final, Alina announced she was taking a break from competitive figure skating. She did not compete in the 2020 Russian, European, or World Championships. She extended her break in October 2020 and was not on the Russian national team for the 2021–22 season. As of March 2026, Alina has not returned to competition, but she has not officially retired.

Alina's Skating Style

Alina was famous for her amazing endurance. She could perform all her difficult jumps in the second half of her programs. This strategy earned her extra points because the rules gave a 10% bonus for jumps done when skaters are more tired. Some people thought this made programs a bit unbalanced. To make things fairer, the ISU (International Skating Union) changed the rules after the 2017–18 season. This new rule, sometimes called the "Zagitova rule", limits how many jumps can get that bonus.

Alina was also known for her difficult triple Lutz-triple loop jump combination. At the time of her Olympic win, this was one of the hardest combinations in women's skating. The New York Times reported that her Olympic program was one of the most technically challenging ever performed by a women's Olympic gold medalist. However, by the time she took her break, other skaters, including her teammates, were performing even more difficult quadruple jumps and triple Axels.

Personal Life and Education

Zagitova receiving her Akita in a ceremony attended by Japanese prime minister Shinzō Abe

Alina Zagitova has an Akita dog named Masaru. She received Masaru as a gift from a Japanese breeder after her success at the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics. She has also had other pets, including cats and a chinchilla. Alina is a Muslim.

Alina finished high school in June 2020. She then studied journalism at the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, earning her degree in July 2024. She is now pursuing a second degree at the Russian State University of Physical Education, Sport, Youth and Tourism.

World Records

Alina Zagitova set world record scores five times at the senior level and five times at the junior level. In 2018, the International Skating Union (ISU) changed its judging system. Because of this, all records set before the 2018–19 season are now called "historical" records. Alina's short program score from the 2018 Winter Olympics is a historical world record.

Alina's Programs

Zagitova performing her short program at the 2018 European Championships

Zagitova performing her free skate at the 2019 World Championships

Competition and exhibition programs by season 

Season	Short program	Free skate program	Exhibition program
2016–17	Samson and Delilah Composed by Camille Saint-Saëns Choreo. by Eteri Tutberidze and Daniil Gleikhengauz	Don Quixote Composed by Ludwig Minkus Choreo. by Eteri Tutberidze	The Pink Panther Composed by Henry Mancini
2017–18	Black Swan Black Swan From Black Swan Composed by Clint Mansell "The Middle of the World" From Moonlight Composed by Nicholas Britell Choreo. by Daniil Gleikhengauz	Don Quixote Composed by Ludwig Minkus Choreo. by Eteri Tutberidze	"Afro Blue" Composed by Mongo Santamaría Performed by Jazzmeia Horn Choreo. by Daniil Gleikhengauz
2018–19	The Phantom of the Opera "The Phantom of the Opera" Composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber "Phantasia" Based on The Phantom of the Opera Performed by Julian Lloyd Webber "Think of Me" Performed by Emmy Rossum and Patrick Wilson Choreo. by Daniil Gleikhengauz	Carmen Suite Composed by Georges Bizet Choreo. by Daniil Gleikhengauz	"Survivor" From Tomb Raider Performed by 2WEI
			"Bad Guy" Performed by Billie Eilish Choreo. by Daniil Gleikhengauz
2019–20	"Me Voy" Performed by Yasmin Levy Choreo. by Eteri Tutberidze and Daniil Gleikhengauz	Cleopatra "The Feeling Begins" Composed by Peter Gabriel "Overture" From Lawrence of Arabia Composed by Maurice Jarre "Ramses" Composed by Khatir Hicham Choreo. by Daniil Gleikhengauz	"Outro" Performed by M83 Choreo. by Daniil Gleikhengauz
			"Bad Guy" Performed by Billie Eilish Choreo. by Daniil Gleikhengauz
2020–21	N/A	N/A	"To Build a Home" Performed by The Cinematic Orchestra Choreo. by Daniil Gleikhengauz
			"Esmeralda" From Notre-Dame de Paris Composed by Riccardo Cocciante Choreo. by Daniil Gleikhengauz
			"Outro" Performed by M83 Choreo. by Daniil Gleikhengauz
2021–22	N/A	N/A	"Can't Help Falling in Love" Performed by Diana Ankudinova
			"Я" (lit. I) Performed by Manizha
			"Esmeralda" From Notre-Dame de Paris Composed by Riccardo Cocciante Choreo. by Daniil Gleikhengauz
2022–23	N/A	N/A	"Молчи и обнимай меня крепче" (lit. Be silent and hug me tighter) Performed by Shura Kuznetsova
2023–24	N/A	N/A	"I Feel Like I'm Drowning" Performed by Two Feet
			"To Build a Home" Performed by The Cinematic Orchestra Choreo. by Daniil Gleikhengauz

Competitive Highlights

Zagitova at the 2019 Internationaux de France

Zagitova on the 2017 World Junior Championships podium

Detailed Results

Senior Level Results

Results in the 2016–17 season 

Date	Event	SP		FS		Total		Details
		P	Score	P	Score	P	Score
20–26 Dec 2016	2017 Russian Championships	3	74.26	2	146.95	2	221.21	Details

Zagitova performing her free skate at the 2018 Winter Olympics

Results in the 2017–18 season 

Date	Event	SP		FS		Total		Details
		P	Score	P	Score	P	Score
14–17 Sep 2017	2017 CS Lombardia Trophy	3	71.29	1	147.17	1	218.46	Details
7 Oct 2017	2017 Japan Open	N/A	N/A	3	145.28	1 (3)	N/A	Details
3–5 Nov 2017	2017 Cup of China	4	69.44	1	144.44	1	213.88	Details
17–19 Nov 2017	2017 Internationaux de France	4	69.44	1	144.44	1	213.88	Details
7–10 Dec 2017	2017–18 Grand Prix Final	2	76.27	1	147.03	1	223.30	Details
21–24 Dec 2017	2018 Russian Championships	1	78.15	1	155.44	1	233.59	Details
15–21 Jan 2018	2018 European Championships	1	80.27	1	157.97	1	238.24	Details
9–12 Feb 2018	2018 Winter Olympics (Team event)	N/A	N/A	1	158.08	2	N/A	Details
21–23 Feb 2018	2018 Winter Olympics	1	82.92	2	156.65	1	239.57	Details
19–25 Mar 2018	2018 World Championships	2	79.51	7	128.21	5	207.72	Details

Zagitova at the 2019 World Championships

Results in the 2018–19 season 

Date	Event	SP		FS		Total		Details
		P	Score	P	Score	P	Score
26–29 Sep 2018	2018 CS Nebelhorn Trophy	1	79.93	1	158.50	1	238.43	Details
6 Oct 2018	2018 Japan Open	N/A	N/A	1	159.18	2 (1)	N/A	Details
2–4 Nov 2018	2018 Grand Prix of Helsinki	1	68.90	1	146.39	1	215.29	Details
16–18 Nov 2018	2018 Rostelecom Cup	1	80.78	1	142.17	1	222.95	Details
6–9 Dec 2018	2018–19 Grand Prix Final	2	77.93	2	148.60	2	226.53	Details
19–23 Dec 2018	2019 Russian Championships	1	80.62	12	131.41	5	212.03	Details
21–27 Jan 2019	2019 European Championships	1	75.00	4	123.34	2	198.34	Details
18–24 Mar 2019	2019 World Championships	1	82.08	1	155.42	1	237.50	Details

Results in the 2019–20 season 

Date	Event	SP		FS		Total		Details
		P	Score	P	Score	P	Score
5 Oct 2019	2019 Japan Open	N/A	N/A	2	154.41	1 (2)	N/A	Details
1–3 Nov 2019	2019 Internationaux de France	2	74.24	3	141.82	2	216.06	Details
22–24 Nov 2019	2019 NHK Trophy	4	66.84	3	151.15	3	217.99	Details
5–8 Dec 2019	2019–20 Grand Prix Final	2	79.60	6	125.63	6	205.23	Details

Junior Level Results

Zagitova at the 2017 World Junior Championships

Results in the 2015–16 season 

Date	Event	SP		FS		Total		Details
		P	Score	P	Score	P	Score
19–23 Jan 2016	2016 Russian Junior Championships	12	52.85	8	108.08	9	160.93	Details
16–20 Feb 2016	2016 Russian Cup Final (Junior)	6	57.55	1	121.04	4	178.59	Details

Results in the 2016–17 season 

Date	Event	SP		FS		Total		Details
		P	Score	P	Score	P	Score
24–27 Aug 2016	2016 JGP France	1	68.07	1	126.30	1	194.37	Details
22–24 Sep 2016	2016 JGP Slovenia	1	68.09	4	109.29	3	177.38	Details
8–11 Dec 2016	2016–17 Junior Grand Prix Final	1	70.92	1	136.51	1	207.43	Details
1–5 Feb 2017	2017 Russian Championships (Junior)	1	74.46	1	142.36	1	216.82	Details
13–15 Feb 2017	2017 European Youth Olympic Festival	1	58.30	1	128.76	1	187.06	Details
15–19 Mar 2017	2017 World Junior Championships	1	70.58	1	138.02	1	208.60	Details

Images for kids

• 

  Zagitova performing her short program at the 2018 European Championships

• 

  Zagitova performing her free skate at the 2019 World Championships

See also

In Spanish: Alina Zaguítova para niños