Russian figure skater Evgenia Medvedeva spoke about an unusual encounter with a doctor during a tour in Sochi with Ilya Averbukh. The episode centers on a back issue that became painful enough to prompt a medical visit while the show was underway in the city by the Black Sea.
According to Medvedeva, the doctor examined her back by placing pressure along the spine and made a blunt assessment: the skater was not training hard enough and her posture was worsening. The practitioner promised a brief but intense intervention, saying, “You’ll feel a small round of relief in eight seconds,” and then began a procedure that produced a burning sensation and an accompanying odor. When she questioned what was happening, the reply was terse: “Light a cigarette.” The physician reportedly applied the cigarette end to her skin, an act Medvedeva later described as placing a cigarette out on her back. The experience left a visible scar, a reminder of the session that many found perplexing and alarming.
In the sporting arena, Medvedeva’s career reached a peak at the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympic Games, where she earned a silver medal in the ladies’ singles and contributed to Russia’s team medal in the team event. The gold in ladies’ singles went to fellow Russian skater Alina Zagitova, continuing a strong display of depth in Russian women’s figure skating at the time.
Beyond the Olympics, Medvedeva’s trophy cabinet includes two gold medals from the World Championships and the European Championships, underscoring her status as one of the leading competitors in her generation. The skater’s competitive activity slowed in late 2019, and she announced her retirement in April 2023, marking the end of an era for a skater who had become a familiar name to fans around the world.
Earlier remarks by Medvedeva referenced reflections on her personal journey and happiness with her path, inviting readers to consider the emotional side of elite sport and how athletes reconcile public success with private moments of doubt and challenge.