World junior champion Kamila Valieva lands triple Axel in training
The 14-year-old Russian skater is still ineligible to compete at senior level internationally but is already landing the biggest Axel jump.
Figure Skating
Heads up, figure skating fans: here comes another Russian ladies' skater with a big jump.
World junior champion Kamila Valieva, who trains under Eteri Tutberidze, has cleanly landed a triple Axel in training. Better known as an artistic skater, Valieva is marking herself out as one to watch as she adds difficult jumps which will add to her technical element scores.
The 14-year-old already counts a quadruple toe loop as part of her repertoire, and adding the triple Axel is bound to make her tougher to beat.
It comes barely a week after the Russian Figure Skating Federation game Valieva an exemption to compete in the senior Cup of Russia series event in Moscow, where she won the short program before eventually finishing second.
Despite not having a triple Axel last season, Valieva relied on her artistry to clinch wins at both the Junior Grand Prix Final and the World Junior Championships.
At the World Juniors, Valieva attempted her quad toe loop twice in her free skate, landing one cleanly as part of a quad toe, double toe combination.
Last week in Moscow during the Cup of Russia, the Kazan-born skater struggled during her free skate, which saw her lose top spot overall, but landing the triple Axel should provide a new boost of confidence for the young star, who will be knocking on the door for a possible Beijing 2022 selection.