Olympics Reflections: Trusova, Valieva, and Life Beyond the Ice

About the Olympics

The Beijing Olympic Games left fans of figure skating with memories of dramatic moments and hard-won hopes. Kamila Valieva, the star of the Russian national team, faced unprecedented pressure after a doping scandal and battled nerves that affected her performance, ultimately missing a personal medal promise. Another athlete, Anna, had comparisons drawn to gold medalist Alexandra Trusova, with Shcherbakova drawing particular attention in some accounts.

Among the highlights was Trusova’s presence in the Tutberidze group, where she entered the season promising an extraordinary feat: five quadruple jumps in a single free program. No woman had completed such a routine before. For much of the season she could not realize the full jump sequence, but at the Beijing Games she finally executed all five jumps across four program segments. Even so, gold eluded her.

Trusova spoke candidly about the personal significance of records and medals. She emphasized that while records matter, the gold medal she believed she deserved for her performance at the Olympics held deeper meaning. She recalled not regretting other medals that eluded her because of skating challenges and stated her goal had been reached in Beijing, which mattered most to her. These sentiments were shared in an interview with Sport24.

Following the event, Trusova experienced an emotional moment on air, crying and reflecting on the fact that many competitors earned gold, while she did not. Months later she acknowledged a nervous breakdown at the Olympics. In a subsequent interview she described a moment when she asked to leave the locker room and was not allowed to do so. She emphasized that she did not regret that surge of emotion.

She explained that she often revisits successful programs and free-skating segments from the Games because those moments demonstrated what she was capable of achieving on the ice. She also noted that she expected even more intensity from some programs and felt that the pressure of the Olympics amplified the challenge. She recalled telling herself not to worry before competitions, a mindset that shifted radically during the Games, making the Olympic experience uniquely different from regular events.

After the short program, Trusova placed fourth, trailing Valieva, Shcherbakova, and Japanese skater Kaori Sakamoto. During the event she struggled with a triple axel, a jump she had long fought to perfect. She explained that the complexity of ultra-C elements could make quad jumps with three and a half rotations feel easier than an axel, noting that balance and body control play crucial roles in competition anxiety and execution.

When speaking about technique, she observed that some skaters struggle with certain moves while she can sometimes perform others with ease. She noted that concerns about body control during competitions can influence performance and that the Olympics presented a different kind of challenge than other tournaments she had faced.

About relations with Mark Kondratyuk

Rumors about Trusova and fellow champion Mark Kondratyuk, who helped the team clinch Olympic gold, surfaced in the spring. Fans speculated about a romantic connection, which was later acknowledged in May when both athletes vacationed in Dubai with Valieva and another Tutberidze student, Maurice Kvitelashvili. Photos captured the two holding hands on the beach, and the couple began sharing pictures with affectionate captions on social media.

Trusova described the experience as uncomfortable at times because the paparazzi followed their every step. She said that they chose to share moments publicly because hiding was becoming impractical, and she appreciated the beauty of the images that resulted from their decision to be open about their relationship. She also mentioned that while the exposure could be odd, it did not ruin her enjoyment of travel or time with Kondratyuk.

She also noted that the media coverage of their relationship could be unsettling, but when asked for a photo, they generally agreed to participate. She added that even on vacations the couple remained approachable in different countries, though she believed her hair might attract a disproportionate amount of attention at times.

Trusova did not specify how long the relationship had lasted and commented that there is plenty of information available about their dating life, though she preferred not to dwell on specifics in public.

About life off the track

In early spring, a video surfaced showing Trusova dancing in platform shoes and high heels. She admitted an interest in fashion and ribbons, and she followed a new choreography program with interest, even supporting a team led by Nastya Yurasova. Although an immediate, personal lesson was not arranged, an exception was made to collaborate with Yurasova on a project. The process involved several practice sessions before a video of the routine was shared online, with the understanding that the choreography would continue to evolve as elements were refined in the music track.

During the summer, Trusova ventured into a new sport at Athletics Week, an event organized by Moscow’s City Ministry of Sports and the All-Russian Athletic Federation. She tried long jump and achieved steady improvement across four attempts, culminating in a personal best of 4.19 meters and finishing sixth among a field of professionals. She explained that she had agreed to participate after receiving an invitation and expressed surprise at the public reaction to her move into track and field.