Following the Moscow competition, talk swirled around Kamila Valieva as 2012 World Championship silver medalist Alena Leonova hailed the young skater as a goddess after Valieva’s standout showing in the sixth stage of the Russian Grand Prix. Leonova’s comments, shared through agency coverage, framed Valieva as a transformative figure rising through the ranks of Russian figure skating. She observed a noticeable slimming that complemented an already electric program and contributed to an overall impression of composure even when a misstep occurred. The observer emphasized Valieva’s focus on the program’s aims and the evident confidence she carried onto the ice, suggesting the evening stood as a clear demonstration of Valieva’s growing mastery and poise on a high-stakes stage.
Valieva captured the Moscow Grand Prix title with a total score of 226.22 points. Her routine featured two falls during the free program, yet she also delivered a quadruple toe loop and a triple lutz, underscoring the technical depth she can bring to competitive programs. Veronika Yametova finished second with 212.75 points, maintaining clean execution at the expense of more ambitious technical attempts. Sofia Muravyova completed the podium with 210.25 points, a result that reflected her place within Evgeni Plushenko’s coaching lineage, including a triple Axel attempt that did not land this time. The event highlighted the fine line between risk and precision that defines top-tier ladies’ skating, with Valieva’s artistry and difficulty continuing to draw attention from fans and analysts alike.
The broader competitive landscape for Russian and Belarusian skaters faced disruption as the International Skating Union (ISU) implemented suspensions on athletes from those nations. During the 2022/23 season, emphasis shifted to domestic circuits, including Russian Grand Prix stops and the national championships. While talks about the possible return of Russian athletes to international competition surfaced at an ISU gathering in October, those discussions did not advance onto the formal schedule of that meeting. This context underscored how governance and eligibility rules can shape strategic planning for athletes, coaches, and national federations heading into major events, and how athletes navigated evolving opportunities to compete on the world stage.
Within this environment, observers and participants alike reflected on the emotional dynamics of a sport where personal narratives mingle with federation decisions. Muravyova’s supporters and critics weighed her performances against the expectations tied to a coach’s legacy, recognizing that even when results are solid, the ebb and flow of program choices, execution, and public perception can influence the course of a season. Throughout the season, the convergence of technical ambition, artistic expression, and regulatory constraints continued to shape the conversation about who would define the next chapter in Russian figure skating and how athletes would balance risk with consistency as they pursued podium moments on the grand stage. .