Golden girl
Russian figure skater Adelina Sotnikova, meanwhile, earned a silver medal in Innsbruck behind compatriot Elizaveta Tuktamysheva, after benefitting from invaluable advice from the then reigning Olympic champion and Winter YOG ambassador Yuna Kim. Sotnikova, who said at the time that the key to success was “all in the mind”, was already completely focused on the Sochi Games, and had resolved to use the two intervening years to make significant technical, physical and mental improvements.
On 20 February 2014, in front of an enraptured crowd in Sochi’s Iceberg Skating Palace, Sotnikova finished ahead of Kim to secure gold. “It’s a dream, an absolute dream!” she exclaimed. “The Games are being held in my own country and I’ve won a gold medal – it’s a very special feeling that I’ll remember for the rest of my life.” Kim was magnanimous in defeat: “She put on a great show,” said the Korean of her young Russian rival. “She’s a highly technical skater and was very difficult to beat tonight. I saw her in Innsbruck as part of my role as Games ambassador. We both battled for gold tonight, but she managed to come out on top.”