Maria Sotskova
Sotskova at the 2018 Internationaux de France
Full nameMaria Romanovna Sotskova
Native nameМария Романовна Сотскова (Russian)
Born (2000-04-12) 12 April 2000 (age 23)
Reutov, Russia
HometownReutov, Russia
Height1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
Figure skating career
CountryRussia Russia
 Olympic Athletes from Russia (Russia not recognised in 2018 Olympics Winter Games[1])
CoachSvetlana Sokolovskaya
Skating clubCSKA Moscow
Began skating2003
Retired2020
Medal record
Representing  Russia
Figure skating: Ladies' singles
Grand Prix Final
Silver medal – second place 2017–18 Nagoya Ladies' singles
Winter Youth Olympics
Silver medal – second place 2016 Lillehammer Ladies' singles
World Junior Championships
Silver medal – second place 2016 Debrecen Ladies' singles
Junior Grand Prix Final
Gold medal – first place 2013–14 Fukuoka Ladies' singles
Silver medal – second place 2015–16 Barcelona Ladies' singles

Maria Romanovna Sotskova (pron. SOT-skoh-vah; Russian: Мария Романовна Сотскова; born 12 April 2000) is a retired Russian figure skater. She is the 2017 Grand Prix Final silver medalist, a two-time Internationaux de France silver medalist (2016, 2017), the 2016 NHK Trophy bronze medalist, the 2017 CS Finlandia Trophy champion, and the 2018 Russian national silver medalist. She placed 8th at the 2017 and 2018 World Figure Skating Championships and at the 2018 Winter Olympics.

Earlier in her career, Sotskova won silver at the 2016 Winter Youth Olympics, silver at the 2016 World Junior Championships, and gold at the 2013 Junior Grand Prix Final.

Personal life

Maria Romanovna Sotskova was born on 12 April 2000 in Reutov, Moscow Oblast, Russia.[8] As a young child, she was engaged in both skating and rhythmic gymnastics but dropped gymnastics after her coach said that she needed to choose.[9]

Sotskova plans to work in choreography and will begin an undergraduate degree at the Russian University of Theatre Arts - GITIS in the Ballet Masters program, from which graduates become either choreographers or tutors in the field of theatre, variety or sports choreography.

Sotskova's father passed away in June 2019.[10]

Skating career

Early years

Sotskova began skating as a four-year-old after her mother decided to bring her to an ice rink.[11] Her first coach was Svetlana Panova.[8] She won a bronze medal behind Serafima Sakhanovich at the 2013 Russian Junior Championships.

2013–2014 season: JGP Final champion

Sotskova made her junior international debut at the 2013 Junior Grand Prix (JGP) event in Riga, Latvia; she won the silver medal behind Evgenia Medvedeva by a margin of 3.03 points. At her next JGP assignment, in Ostrava, Czech Republic, she finished second to Alexandra Proklova by over 15 points. Sotskova's silver medals qualified her for the JGP Final in Fukuoka, Japan, where she defeated teammates Sakhanovich and Medvedeva for the gold. She then took silver behind Sakhanovich at the 2014 Russian Junior Championships and was assigned to the 2014 World Junior Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria. She withdrew due to a meniscus injury.[12][13]

2014–2015 season: The second Junior season

During the 2014 JGP series, Sotskova took silver in Tallinn, Estonia, finishing second to Japan's Miyu Nakashio by 0.97, and then won gold in Zagreb, Croatia, by a margin of 1.4 points over Karen Chen of the United States. She finished fourth in Barcelona, Spain at her second JGP Final. Making her senior national debut, she placed sixth at the Russian Championships before winning the junior silver medal. Concluding her season, she placed fifth at the 2015 World Junior Championships in Tallinn.

2015–2016 season: World Junior silver medalist

In June 2015, Sotskova travelled to Artesia, California to have her programs choreographed, and to work with Rafael Arutyunyan on her jumps.[14] Competing in the 2015 JGP series, she won gold in Riga, Latvia, and Linz, Austria, resulting in qualification to her third JGP Final. Her first senior gold medal came at the Tallinn Trophy, an ISU Challenger Series event in November. In December, at the JGP Final in Barcelona, Sotskova placed fourth in the short and second in the free skate, which brought her the silver medal behind teammate Polina Tsurskaya and ahead of Japan's Marin Honda.

At the Russian Championships, she finished fifth on the senior level, in December, and went on to win the junior silver medal behind Tsurskaya, in January. In February, Sotskova represented Russia at the 2016 Winter Youth Olympics in Hamar, Norway, winning the silver medal behind teammate Tsurskaya again.[15] In March, she was awarded silver at the 2016 World Junior Championships in Debrecen, Hungary, between two Japanese Honda and Wakaba Higuchi. She was the only Russian to finish the competition, as her two teammates Polina Tsurskaya and Alisa Fedichkina withdrew right before the short skate and the free respectively, due to unexpected ankle injuries for both. Sotskova's silver medal secured the three spots for Russia in the next Junior World Champions, yet ended the Russia's five-year streak of World Junior ladies' titles.

Following the end of the season, she switched from Svetlana Panova to Elena Buianova due to CSKA Moscow's better training conditions.[16]

2016–2017 season: Senior debut

Sotskova began her season at the 2016 CS Ondrej Nepela Memorial, where she placed second in the short and first in the free skate to win the gold medal ahead of teammate Yulia Lipnitskaya.[17] Making her Grand Prix debut, she won silver at the 2016 Trophée de France and bronze at the 2016 NHK Trophy, earning qualification to the Grand Prix Final in Marseille, France. In December, she finished fifth in France and then received the bronze medal at the Russian Championships, having ranked second in the short and third in the free skate, which made her qualify for European and World Champions in her first senior season. In January 2017, she placed fourth at the 2017 European Championships in Ostrava, Czech Republic, behind the bronze medalist Carolina Kostner by 18 points due to a messy free program. Two months later, at the 2017 World Championships in Helsinki, Finland, she placed sixth in the short, eleventh in the free, and eighth overall.

2017–2018 season: Winter Olympics

After winning silver at the 2017 Skate Canada International and 2017 Internationaux de France, Sotskova qualified to her second Grand Prix Final. In December, she won two more silver medals, at the Grand Prix Final in Nagoya, Japan, and 2018 Russian Championships in Saint Petersburg.

At the 2018 European Championships, held in January in Moscow, Sotskova finished fourth, losing to teammates Alina Zagitova and Evgenia Medvedeva and Italy's Carolina Kostner. On the next day, she was named to the Russian Olympic team (together with Medvedeva and Zagitova).[18] In February, Sotskova represented OAR (Olympic Athletes from Russia) in Pyeongchang, South Korea.[19] She was not selected for the team event. Competing in individual ladies' singles, she placed twelfth in the short program, seventh in the free skate, and eighth overall. The following month, she ended up with the same final result at the 2018 World Championships in Milan, Italy, after placing fifth in the short and ninth in the free.[20]

2018–2019 season

Sotskova made her season debut at the 2018 Japan Open, where she placed sixth individually. Competing in her third Grand Prix season, she placed ninth at the 2018 NHK Trophy and seventh at the 2018 Internationaux de France. This was the first time Maria had not qualified for the Grand Prix Final. In early December she finished fifth at the 2018 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb after obtaining a season's best score of 179.18 points. It was the first time that season that she executed a triple flip-Euler-triple Salchow combination.

At the 2019 Russian Championships, Sotskova placed twelfth in the short program due to doubling her triple Lutz, therefore losing 3.8 points in base value. In the free skate, she made many errors on her jumps, including multiple falls and underrotations. She placed sixteenth in the free skate and sixteenth overall.[21] She was named as the second alternate to the 2019 Winter Universiade, and after the withdrawals of teammates Elizaveta Tuktamysheva and Evgenia Medvedeva, she was added to the team along with Stanislava Konstantinova. She placed seventh there with a total score of 170.20, the lowest score of her senior career.[22]

At the end of her season, Sotskova made the decision to part ways with coach Elena Buianova and joined Svetlana Sokolovskaya's training group. The parting was amicable.[22]

2019–2020 season

In the early season, Sotskova was ninth at the 2019 CS Ondrej Nepela Memorial and eighth at the Denis Ten Memorial Challenge. At her lone Grand Prix assignment, the 2019 Internationaux de France, she was eleventh of eleven skaters. She later withdrew from the Russian Nationals.

In July 2020, she announced her retirement from competitive skating.[23]

Over two months after her retirement, she received a 10-year disqualification from the sport by the Russian Anti-Doping Agency for forging a medical certificate to explain a doping violation; it was later reported that Sotskova was using the banned diuretic furosemide.[24] The Figure Skating Federation of Russia issued a verdict in March 2021 based on the RUSADA decision to disqualify Sotskova until April 5, 2030, backdating the start of her ban to April 2020.[25]

Programs

Sotskova at the 2016 World Junior Championships podium
Sotskova with her former coach, Svetlana Panova
Season Short program Free skating Exhibition
2019–2020 [22]
2018–2019 [20]
2017–2018
[26]
  • Kalinka[27]
    by Ivan Larionov
2016–2017
[16][28][29]
2015–2016
[30][31]
2014–2015
[32]
2013–2014
[33][34][35]
  • Winter
    (from The Four Seasons)
    by Antonio Vivaldi
    choreo. by Ilona Protasenia
  • Nuevo Tango
    by Viejos Aires
    choreo. by Ilona Protasenia
  • Pina
    by Thomas Hanreich
    choreo. by Ilona Protasenia
  • Nuevo Tango
    by Viejos Aires
    choreo. by Ilona Protasenia
2012–2013
  • Nuevo Tango
    by Viejos Aires
    choreo. by Ilona Protasenia
  • Pina
    by Thomas Hanreich
    choreo. by Ilona Protasenia
    choreo. by Ilona Protasenia
2011–2012
  • Nuevo Tango
    by Viejos Aires
    choreo. by Ilona Protasenia

Competitive highlights

GP: Grand Prix; CS: Challenger Series; JGP: Junior Grand Prix

International[36]
Event 12–13 13–14 14–15 15–16 16–17 17–18 18–19 19–20
Olympics 8th
Worlds 8th 8th
Europeans 4th 4th
GP Final 5th 2nd
GP France 2nd 2nd 7th 11th
GP NHK Trophy 3rd 9th
GP Skate Canada 2nd
CS Finlandia 1st WD
CS Golden Spin 5th
CS Ondrej Nepela 1st 9th
CS Tallinn Trophy 1st
Denis Ten MC 8th
Shanghai Trophy 3rd
Universiade 7th
International: Junior[36]
Youth Olympics 2nd
Junior Worlds WD 5th 2nd
JGP Final 1st 4th 2nd
JGP Austria 1st
JGP Croatia 1st
JGP Czech Rep. 2nd
JGP Estonia 2nd
JGP Latvia 2nd 1st
National[37]
Russia 6th 5th 3rd 2nd 16th WD
Russia: Junior 3rd 2nd 2nd 2nd
Team events
Japan Open 2nd T
6th P
TBD = Assigned; WD = Withdrew
T = Team result; P = Personal result.
At team events, medals awarded for team result only.

Detailed results

Senior level

Sotskova at the 2018 European Championships.
Sotskova at the 2016–17 Grand Prix Final.

Small medals for short and free programs awarded only at ISU Championships.

2019–20 season
Date Event SP FS Total
24–29 December 2019 2020 Russian Championships
WD
WD
WD
1–3 November 2019 2019 Internationaux de France 11
50.38 		11
94.51 		11
144.89
9–12 October 2019 2019 Denis Ten Memorial Challenge 7
49.80 		8
84.77 		8
134.57
19–21 September 2019 2019 CS Ondrej Nepela Memorial 10
48.93 		7
106.32 		9
155.25
2018–19 season
Date Event SP FS Total
7–9 March 2019 2019 Winter Universiade 7
58.43 		6
111.77 		7
170.20
19–23 December 2018 2019 Russian Championships 12
65.73 		16
114.17 		16
179.90
5–8 December 2018 2018 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb 5
60.35 		5
119.37 		5
179.72
23–25 November 2018 2018 Internationaux de France 5
61.76 		7
115.83 		7
177.59
9–11 November 2018 2018 NHK Trophy 9
60.75 		9
116.24 		9
176.99
6 October 2018 2018 Japan Open – 6
111.78 		6P/2T
2017–18 season
Date Event SP FS Total
19–25 March 2018 2018 World Championships 5
71.80 		9
124.81 		8
196.61
14–25 February 2018 2018 Winter Olympics 12
63.86 		7
134.24 		8
198.10
15–21 January 2018 2018 European Championships 4
68.70 		3
132.11 		4
200.81
21–24 December 2017 2018 Russian Championships 2
76.39 		2
145.37 		2
221.76
7–10 December 2017 2017–18 Grand Prix Final 4
74.00 		2
142.28 		2
216.28
24–26 November 2017 2017 Shanghai Trophy – 3
128.18 		3
17–19 November 2017 2017 Internationaux de France 2
67.79 		2
140.99 		2
208.78
27–29 October 2017 2017 Skate Canada 3
66.10 		2
126.42 		2
192.52
6–8 October 2017 2017 CS Finlandia Trophy 2
67.69 		1
137.61 		1
205.30
2016-17 season
Date Event SP FS Total
29 March – 2 April 2017 2017 World Championships 6
69.76 		11
122.44 		8
192.20
25–29 January 2017 2017 European Championships 4
72.17 		5
120.35 		4
192.52
20–26 December 2016 2017 Russian Championships 2
74.39 		3
145.51 		3
219.90
8–11 December 2016 2016–17 Grand Prix Final 6
65.74 		5
133.05 		5
198.79
25–27 November 2016 2016 NHK Trophy 2
69.96 		3
125.92 		3
195.88
11–13 November 2016 2016 Trophée de France 3
68.71 		2
131.64 		2
200.35
29 September - 1 October 2016 Ondrej Nepela Trophy 2
61.58 		1
128.38 		1
189.96

Junior level

Sotskova at the 2015–16 Junior Grand Prix Final
Sotskova at the 2014–15 Junior Grand Prix Final
Sotskova at the 2013–14 Junior Grand Prix Final

Small medals for short and free programs awarded only at ISU Championships.

2015–16 season
Date Event Level SP FS Total
14–20 March 2016 2016 World Junior Championships Junior 3
64.78 		3
123.94 		2
188.72
12–21 February 2016 2016 Winter Youth Olympics Junior 8
53.40 		2
116.10 		2
169.50
19–23 January 2016 2016 Russian Junior Championships Junior 2
67.70 		2
124.11 		2
191.81
24–27 December 2015 2016 Russian Championships Senior 8
66.14 		4
135.18 		5
201.32
10–13 December 2015 2015−16 JGP Final Junior 4
62.64 		2
121.37 		2
184.01
17–22 November 2015 2015 Tallinn Trophy Senior 1
64.82 		1
121.48 		1
186.30
9–12 September 2015 2015 JGP Austria Junior 2
62.97 		1
122.47 		1
185.44
27–30 August 2015 2015 JGP Latvia Junior 2
62.73 		1
121.72 		1
184.45
2014–15 season
Date Event Level SP FS Total
2–8 March 2015 2015 World Junior Championships Junior 10
53.95 		5
115.09 		5
169.04
4–7 February 2015 2015 Russian Junior Championships Junior 2
65.93 		3
120.37 		2
186.30
24–27 December 2014 2015 Russian Championships Senior 8
61.66 		6
124.40 		6
186.06
11–14 December 2014 2014–15 JGP Final Junior 4
62.28 		4
113.71 		4
175.99
8–11 October 2014 2014 JGP Croatia Junior 2
58.48 		1
112.33 		1
170.81
24–27 September 2014 2014 JGP Estonia Junior 2
52.06 		2
107.61 		2
159.67
2013–14 season
Date Event Level SP FS Total
23–25 January 2014 2014 Russian Junior Championships Junior 2
64.26 		2
127.43 		2
191.69
5–6 December 2013 2013–14 JGP Final Junior 1
61.29 		1
115.46 		1
176.75
3–5 October 2013 2013 JGP Czech Republic Junior 3
57.74 		2
107.85 		2
165.59
29–30 August 2013 2013 JGP Latvia Junior 1
59.45 		2
107.04 		2
166.49
2012–13 season
Date Event Level SP FS Total
2–3 February 2013 2013 Russian Junior Championships Junior 7
58.83 		3
122.29 		3
181.12
2010–11 season
Date Event Level SP FS Total
24–25 April 2010 Rostelecom Crystal Skate Novice 2
39.80 		2
80.88 		2
120.68

References

  1. ^ Ruiz, Rebecca R.; Panja, Tariq (5 December 2017). "Russia Banned from Winter Olympics by I.O.C." The New York Times.
  2. ^ "Seasons Best Scores". www.isuresults.com. Retrieved 25 September 2018.
  3. ^ "Seasons Best Scores". www.isuresults.com. Retrieved 21 February 2018.
  4. ^ "Seasons Best Scores". www.isuresults.com. Retrieved 17 February 2018.
  5. ^ "Seasons Best Scores". www.isuresults.com. Retrieved 17 February 2018.
  6. ^ "Seasons Best Scores". www.isuresults.com. Retrieved 17 February 2018.
  7. ^ "Seasons Best Scores". www.isuresults.com. Retrieved 17 February 2018.
  8. ^ a b Сотскова Мария Романовна [Maria Romanovna Sotskova] (in Russian). Russian Figure Skating Federation. Archived from the original on 11 October 2014.
  9. ^ ""Больше не прошу забрать меня домой". Как Мария Сотскова полюбила соревноваться" [How Maria Sotskova began to love competing]. sovsport.ru (in Russian). 8 January 2016. Archived from the original on January 10, 2016. Retrieved 2016-04-05.
  10. ^ Pilyasov, Anton. "У Марии Сотсковой умер папа" [Maria Sotskova's dad passed] (in Russian). Sports.ru.
  11. ^ Ermolina, Olga (6 December 2013). Мария Сотскова: Положила свой страх в рюкзак [Maria Sotskova cast aside her fear] (in Russian). Russian Figure Skating Federation. Archived from the original on 2 January 2014.
  12. ^ Фигуристка Медведева заменила Сотскову на юниорском ЧМ в Болгарии [Figure skater Medvedeva replaces Sotskova at the World Junior Championships in Bulgaria] (in Russian). R-Sport. 11 March 2014.
  13. ^ Ermolina, Olga (20 March 2014). Мария Сотскова: «У меня поврежден мениск, но операция не понадобится» [Maria Sotskova: "I injured the meniscus but an operation is not necessary"] (in Russian). Russian Figure Skating Federation. Archived from the original on 23 March 2014.
  14. ^ "Мария Сотскова: приехала в США специально и целенаправленно для занятий у Рафаэля Арутюняна". All Sports Info. All Sports Info. Retrieved 31 December 2015.
  15. ^ "Top two Tsurskaya and Sotskova cap a memorable day at Hamar for Russia". Olympic. 16 February 2016.
  16. ^ a b Flade, Tatjana (26 July 2016). "New beginnings for Russia's Maria Sotskova". Golden Skate.
  17. ^ Renee, Felton (30 September 2016). "Sotskova roars back in free to win Ondrej Nepela". Ice network.
  18. ^ "Объявлены имена российских фигуристов, которые поедут на Олимпиаду в Пхенчхане" (in Russian). R-Sport / RIA Novosti. 21 January 2018. Retrieved 2018-01-21.
  19. ^ "Athlete Profile - Maria SOTSKOVA". pyeongchang2018.com. 2018-06-29. Archived from the original on 20 April 2018.
  20. ^ a b Flade, Tatjana (16 May 2018). "Sotskova: 'I'll remain in skating for many years to come'". goldenskate.com.
  21. ^ Flade, Tatjana (21 December 2018). "Zagitova skates to confident lead in Saransk as Medvedeva falters". Golden Skate.
  22. ^ a b c Flade, Tatjana (5 June 2019). "Maria Sotskova: 'I can't give up. This is what I love'". Golden Skate.
  23. ^ Sotskova, Mariya (July 8, 2020). "Когда ты впервые почувствовал вкус победы, тебе кажется, что это никогда не закончится" [When you first get a taste of victory, you think it will never end.] (Instagram) (in Russian). Archived from the original on 2021-12-24.
  24. ^ "Мария Сотскова дисквалифицирована на 10 лет за подделку медицинской справки" [Maria Sotskova was disqualified for 10 years for forging a medical certificate] (in Russian). Rsport. September 17, 2020.
  25. ^ "Maria Sotskova, retired Russian figure skater, banned 10 years". NBC Sports. March 3, 2021.
  26. ^ "Maria SOTSKOVA: 2017/2018". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 14 May 2018.((cite web)): CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  27. ^ ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating 2017 Skate Canada International - Gala Exhibition (Television production). Eurosport. 29 October 2017.
  28. ^ Luchianov, Vladislav (17 October 2016). "Sotskova feels confident ahead of Grand Prix debut". IceNetwork.com.
  29. ^ "Maria SOTSKOVA: 2016/2017". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 4 July 2017.((cite web)): CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  30. ^ Мария Сотскова: в короткой программе у меня Black Magic Woman Карлоса Сантаны, в произвольной – музыка из балета "Ромео и Джульетта" [Maria Sotskova: For short program I have Black Magic Woman by Carlos Santana, for free - music from the ballet "Romeo and Juliet"]. Team Russia 2014 (in Russian). 28 July 2015. Archived from the original on 19 January 2016. Retrieved 29 July 2015.
  31. ^ "Maria SOTSKOVA: 2015/2016". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 28 May 2016.
  32. ^ "Maria SOTSKOVA: 2014/2015". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 22 May 2015.((cite web)): CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  33. ^ "Maria SOTSKOVA: 2013/2014". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 24 March 2014.((cite web)): CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  34. ^ "Maria SOTSKOVA: 2013/2014". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 27 September 2013.((cite web)): CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  35. ^ Ermolina, Olga (30 January 2014). Мария Сотскова: «Спортсмены – это лицо тренера» [Maria Sotskova interview] (in Russian). Russian Figure Skating Federation. Archived from the original on 3 February 2014.
  36. ^ a b "Competition Results: Maria SOTSKOVA". International Skating Union.
  37. ^ Сотскова Мария Романовна [Maria Romanovna Sotskova] (in Russian). fskate.ru.

External links

Media related to Maria Sotskova at Wikimedia Commons

Ondrej Nepela Trophy champions in figure skating – Women's singles
Finlandia Trophy champions in figure skating – Women's singles
Tallinn Trophy champions in figure skating – Women's singles
Junior Grand Prix Final champions in figure skating – Women's singles
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