Unexpected Second Place: Agata Petrova Reflects on Her Short Program Journey

Russian figure skater Agata Petrova, a student of Alexei Mishin and Sofia Samodurova, shared her thoughts on securing second place in the short program at the second stage of the Junior Grand Prix in Magnitogorsk, where she scored 62.81 points.

«Honestly, it was quite nerve-wracking. I aimed for a decent performance, but I didn’t quite reach my full potential at this moment; I felt more tense than I do during practice. The competition highlighted the areas I need to improve. The venue is stunning, reminiscent of the Russian Championship, and the ice is excellent, making it a pleasure to skate. There are a lot of spectators here, and their support was great, which added to the enjoyment.

Did I expect to be in the top three? Honestly, no. My initial goal was just to go out there and perform my routine. Surprisingly, I wasn’t nervous until the six-minute warm-up, but a couple of jumps during that warm-up threw me off balance. However, I managed to regroup. The program was choreographed by Ilya Averbukh, and I worked on it further with ElizavetaNavislavskaya.

In terms of the character I portray, I am a strong and independent girl who can decide what to wear and how to express herself. I can do everything that other women or men can do and get myself geared up for a strong performance (laughs). Does this persona resonate with me? I feel it very much aligns with my inner self, especially at home when I sometimes indulge in a bit of mischief; my character can get fiery (laughs). It happens in practice too, sometimes things just don’t go as planned,» Agata shared her thoughts with Championship correspondent Anastasia Matrosova.