Elizaveta Tuktamysheva wins World Figure Skating gold in China
Saturday 28 March 2015 09:55, UK
Russian teenager Elizaveta Tuktamysheva took gold at the World Figure Skating Championships in Shanghai on Saturday.
The 18-year-old European champion scored 132.74 in the final segment to finish with 210.36 overall, some distance in front of second placed Satoko Miyahara (193.60) of Japan and Russia's Elena Radionova (191.47) in third.
The victory marks an incredible turnaround for the teen star, who failed to make the Russian team for last year's Sochi Olympics.
"I am full of emotion right now. This is an amazing moment," she said following the win.
Dancing to "Batwannis Beek" and "Sandstorm", the emerging star of women's skating looked less confident than in her opening short programme on Thursday, but still did enough to top the segment, with Americans Gracie Gold (128.23) and Ashley Wagner (127.20) in second and third.
The Russian recorded the third highest ladies short programme score in history in the opening round when she became one of only a select few women athletes to perform the risky triple axel jump in competition.
Tuktamysheva's win follows her victory at the Grand Prix Final in Barcelona in December.
At just 12-years-old, she was the runner-up in the Russian Championships, going on to win gold in her first Youth Olympics in 2012.
In 2013, she achieved bronze in the European championships, won the Russian nationals again and was being tipped for Olympic glory.
Miserable season
But she suffered a miserable season last year, with inconsistent results - including a tenth place finish at her national championships - leading to her failing to make the Russian team for the Winter Games.
She then suffered a broken foot and was off the ice for three months.
"After that unfortunate season, it was very tough for me," Tuktamysheva said.
"But my coaches helped me a lot and they believed in me even when I did not believe in myself anymore.
"(I) realised that I could go on and this is not the end yet, and I am very glad to be able to overcome this difficult time and come back so strong."
