Russian figure skater Alexandra Trusova, who now also goes by the surname Ignatova, finished fourth in the short program at the Kinoshita Group Cup, an International Skating Union Challenger Series event in Tokyo, scoring 74.92 points, according to Sport-Express.
The 22-year-old cleanly landed every element of her routine, including a double axel, a triple loop and a combination of a triple lutz and a triple toe loop. Spectators stood and applauded after she completed her performance.
Japan's Ami Nakai leads the competition after the short program with 80.27 points. Her compatriot Mao Shimada is second with 78.84 points, while Russia's Kamila Nelyubova sits third with 76.08. Another Russian skater, Anna Frolova, placed fifth with 73.66 points. Nelyubova's third-place finish and Frolova's fifth added to a strong showing for Russian skaters in the standings.
Rival praises Trusova's performance
Shimada, speaking to the Russian broadcaster Match TV, said Trusova's performance had been very beautiful and clean. She added that Trusova's command of the quadruple jump made her an example to follow.
An Olympic medalist's long-awaited return
Trusova won the silver medal in the women's singles event at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, a competition that was overshadowed by a doping case involving her teammate Kamila Valieva. She built her reputation as a teenager for her technical range, becoming known as the first woman to land a quadruple lutz in international competition and later adding a quadruple flip to her programs, jumps that remain rare among women in the sport.
She trains at the Moscow academy run by Yevgeni Plushenko, the 2006 Olympic champion.
The Kinoshita Group Cup marks her first appearance in international competition in four and a half years. Figure skaters from Russia have been excluded from International Skating Union competitions since 2022, after the International Olympic Committee recommended that athletes from Russia be barred from international sport following the invasion of Ukraine.
The ISU Challenger Series ranks below the Grand Prix circuit on the international calendar and is typically used by skaters early in the season to test new programs and earn ranking points ahead of bigger events.
Free skate set for Sunday
The free skating program at the Kinoshita Group Cup is scheduled for September 6.
