Six Senior Ladies Who Defined Turin 2019
The Senior Ladies competition at the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final in Turin brought together six of the season’s most compelling athletes. From December 5–8, 2019, the Palavela arena became the setting for a contest shaped by technical ambition, contrasting performance styles, and a remarkably deep Russian and Japanese presence.
Each qualifier reached the Final through results in the Grand Prix Series. Their routes differed: some collected two victories, others combined a win with a high finish, and several arrived after demonstrating exceptional consistency against the world’s strongest skaters. Together, they represented the changing character of modern ladies’ singles.
The field included Olympic champion Alina Zagitova, rising quad-jumping stars Anna Shcherbakova and Alexandra Trusova, Japanese triple Axel specialist Rika Kihira, experienced champion Elizaveta Tuktamysheva, and expressive all-rounder Kaori Sakamoto. Their profiles reveal six distinct approaches to speed, difficulty, artistry, and competitive pressure.
A Final Field Built On Technical Range
The 2019 Senior Ladies lineup reflected a significant shift in skating technique. Triple jumps remained essential, but the leading contenders were also testing the limits of quadruple jumps and the triple Axel. These elements could transform a free skate, yet they demanded precise preparation, difficult entries, and the ability to preserve quality under pressure.
Russia supplied four qualifiers, each with a different competitive identity. Zagitova brought Olympic authority and polished presentation. Shcherbakova and Trusova represented the new generation of quad-jumping contenders, while Tuktamysheva offered proven experience and one of the strongest triple Axels in the field.
Japan’s two representatives balanced the Russian technical challenge with outstanding skating skills and performance quality. Kihira combined a triple Axel with increasingly ambitious combinations, and Sakamoto relied on exceptional speed, flow, edge quality, and powerful movement across the ice. The result was a field with no single definition of excellence.
Qualification depended on points earned at selected Grand Prix events, rather than reputation alone. That system rewarded athletes who could deliver across the series and made every short program and free skate meaningful long before the Turin Final began.
Alina Zagitova And The Weight Of Experience
Alina Zagitova entered Turin as the most decorated athlete in the field. The Russian skater won the 2018 Olympic title, the 2018 World Championships silver medal, and the 2018–19 Grand Prix Final. Her skating was already associated with high-stakes competition, elegant lines, and a free skate designed around difficult jumping content in the second half.
Her signature strength was the combination of technical planning and presentation. Zagitova’s programs demanded exceptional stamina because many jumps were placed late in the free skate, when fatigue can affect rotation, landing control, and flow. At her best, she connected those elements with refined posture, musical timing, and clean transitions.
The 2019–20 season brought a different atmosphere. Younger skaters were challenging established expectations with multiple quads, while Zagitova continued to build programs around quality, structure, and competitive maturity. Her presence in Turin gave the Final a central storyline: could the reigning Olympic champion impose her experience on a field energized by rapidly advancing technical content?
For spectators, Zagitova’s performances offered a useful study in details that can be overlooked beside headline-grabbing jumps. Her edge control, body alignment, spin positions, and ability to project emotion through choreography all contributed to her score. She demonstrated that a ladies’ singles program is judged as a complete performance, not simply a sequence of difficult elements.
Anna Shcherbakova And The Quadruple Revolution
Anna Shcherbakova was one of the clearest symbols of the new Russian technical movement. Her programs were built around quadruple jumps, particularly the quad Lutz, an element that requires a demanding outside edge and precise timing through takeoff and landing. She also showed the ability to connect difficult jumps with musical phrasing rather than treating them as isolated stunts.
Her rise was especially notable because she combined risk with composure. A quadruple jump can produce a major scoring advantage, but a fall, under-rotation, or unclear edge can quickly reduce that benefit. Shcherbakova’s skating stood out for the way she approached difficult content with a calm, controlled presence.
The teenager qualified after strong Grand Prix performances in the United States and China. Those results confirmed that her potential was translating into senior-level competition. She was not simply a promising junior moving upward; she was already capable of challenging established champions through a combination of technical base value and increasingly sophisticated interpretation.
Shcherbakova’s skating also carried an element of contrast. Her light presentation and graceful movement could make the programs appear effortless, while the underlying content required tremendous power and precision. In Turin, she represented a model of the modern contender: technically ambitious, aesthetically polished, and prepared to compete for the highest place.
Alexandra Trusova And The Highest-Risk Content
Alexandra Trusova had already earned the nickname “the Russian Rocket” because of her explosive skating and history of attempting several quadruple jumps. Her technical identity was unmistakable. The quad toe loop, quad Salchow, and quad Lutz formed part of a repertoire that changed expectations for what could be attempted in a senior ladies’ free skate.
Trusova qualified through strong results at Skate Canada International and the Rostelecom Cup. Across those events, she showed why a program with multiple quads could create an extraordinary scoring ceiling. Her speed into takeoff, athletic power, and willingness to pursue difficult content made every skate an event within the event.
The challenge was equally clear. More high-value jumps mean more opportunities for mistakes, and the free skate must be managed strategically from its opening seconds. A skater can possess remarkable technical ability and still lose ground through a touchdown, a step-out, or a jump that receives a rotation review from the technical panel.
Trusova’s appeal extended beyond her jump list. She attacked the ice with directness and intensity, creating a strong competitive presence. Her programs showed the tension at the heart of elite skating in 2019: how far can difficulty be pushed while preserving skating quality, musical connection, and control?
| Skater | Nation | Defining Strength | Technical Feature | Qualification Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alina Zagitova | Russia | Competitive maturity and presentation | Difficult late-program jumping layout | Grand Prix victories in France and Japan |
| Anna Shcherbakova | Russia | Quadruple-jump consistency and elegance | Quad Lutz and other high-value content | Strong results in the United States and China |
| Alexandra Trusova | Russia | Explosive athleticism and risk-taking | Multiple quadruple jumps | High finishes in Canada and Russia |
| Rika Kihira | Japan | Balance between difficulty and flow | Triple Axel combinations | Strong performances in Canada and Japan |
| Elizaveta Tuktamysheva | Russia | Experience and jump quality | Powerful triple Axel | Reliable Grand Prix campaign |
| Kaori Sakamoto | Japan | Speed, edge quality, and expression | Flowing skating with strong triple jumps | Consistent results across the series |
Rika Kihira And The Triple Axel Tradition
Rika Kihira arrived as one of Japan’s leading hopes and one of the few skaters in the field with a reliable triple Axel. The jump had been central to her rise, giving her a significant technical advantage when landed with speed, height, and a controlled exit. She also worked to include demanding combinations and maintain quality throughout the rest of her program.
Kihira’s route to the Final included a victory at the NHK Trophy and a strong performance at Skate Canada. Her qualification reflected more than one standout moment. She had developed the consistency needed to earn points against deep fields, and her programs were sufficiently complete to score well in both technical elements and program components.
Her skating style was fluid and musical. Rather than separating jumps from choreography, she used transitions, turns, and changes of direction to keep the performance moving. That quality made her especially effective in the free skate, where stamina and continuity become increasingly important as the program progresses.
Kihira also occupied an interesting position within the technical race. She did not need a collection of quads to remain competitive because her triple Axel could supply comparable value when executed cleanly. Her skating demonstrated that the sport’s evolution was not following a single path: outstanding technique could emerge through different combinations of elements.
Elizaveta Tuktamysheva And The Return Of A Champion
Elizaveta Tuktamysheva brought veteran authority to a field filled with younger skaters. The 2015 World champion and 2015 Grand Prix Final winner had already experienced the full cycle of elite competition: breakthrough success, difficult seasons, reinvention, and a return to the international spotlight.
Her triple Axel remained the defining feature of her technical arsenal. Tuktamysheva performed the jump with a powerful takeoff and a confident, attacking quality. She also understood how to build a performance around her strengths, combining difficult elements with a mature sense of rhythm and presentation.
The qualification campaign showed the value of experience. While other contenders were introducing new quadruple jumps, Tuktamysheva continued to compete with a clear identity and dependable content. Her ability to manage a long season, respond to mistakes, and deliver under pressure made her a serious threat in any Grand Prix field.
She also added personality to the competition. Tuktamysheva’s programs often carried a bold, theatrical character, and her expression was direct rather than understated. In a discipline where technical innovation frequently dominates coverage, she reminded audiences that confidence, charisma, and interpretation remain powerful scoring tools.
Kaori Sakamoto And The Power Of Flow
Kaori Sakamoto offered one of the strongest examples of how skating quality can create competitive separation. Her speed was immediate and sustained, with deep edges, expansive knee bend, and powerful pushes that carried her from element to element. She covered the Palavela ice with an ease that made difficult skating look natural.
Sakamoto did not depend on quadruple jumps or a triple Axel to define her programs. Instead, she built her scores through high-quality triple jumps, efficient transitions, strong spins, and excellent program components. Her skating skills allowed her to generate speed without appearing hurried, while her choreography used that momentum to create a clear performance arc.
She qualified after a solid Grand Prix season in which she remained firmly among the leading contenders. Her place in Turin was important because it broadened the competitive picture. The Final was not simply a contest between quad jumpers and triple Axel specialists; it also showcased the value of complete skating, where every movement contributes to the overall impression.
Sakamoto’s performance style was energetic, open, and emotionally accessible. She could project joy and determination without sacrificing technical precision. For many viewers, her programs provided a reminder that the quality of a skating step, landing, or transition can be as memorable as the most difficult jump.
What To Watch In The Palavela Arena
The Senior Ladies event offered several useful viewing points for anyone following the short program and free skate. Instead of focusing only on jump difficulty, spectators could compare how each athlete handled entries, landings, transitions, spins, musical timing, and the demanding second half of the free skate.
- Watch the triple Axel specialists for takeoff control, rotation speed, and the quality of the landing edge.
- Compare the quad jumpers’ risk management, especially how they respond after an imperfect element.
- Follow skating skills through deep edges, acceleration, turns, and the amount of ice covered between jumps.
- Notice how choreography and transitions connect the technical elements into a complete program.
- Use the official results and protocols to compare base value, grades of execution, and program component scores.
The Palavela setting added to the occasion. A Grand Prix Final is more than a competition schedule: it includes practice sessions, athlete preparation, arena atmosphere, and the anticipation surrounding the exhibition gala. Watching the qualifiers in practice can also reveal how they prepare difficult jumps, test program timing, and adapt to the ice before the decisive performances.
These six skaters made Turin 2019 especially significant because they represented different stages of an athlete’s career. Zagitova and Tuktamysheva carried championship experience, while Shcherbakova and Trusova embodied the sport’s technical future. Kihira and Sakamoto showed the depth of Japanese skating through complementary strengths in difficulty, flow, and performance.
Their presence also made the Final a snapshot of a changing era. The technical panel, judges, coaches, and athletes were all negotiating how new jump content would fit alongside established values such as skating skills, interpretation, transitions, and performance quality. That balance gave the Senior Ladies competition its lasting interest.
Follow the Turin 2019 event archive for competitor backgrounds, schedules, official results, practice-session information, venue details, and the exhibition gala. The six qualifiers offer six different ways to understand elite figure skating—and every program at the Palavela adds another layer to their stories.