Alina Zagitova is a legendary Russian figure skater and the first Muslim athlete to win Olympic gold. She is the only Russian figure skater to have won the Olympics, World Championships, European Championship, Grand Prix Final, and Russian National Championship.
Quick Facts
Full Name | Alina Ilnazovna Zagitova |
Name | Alina Zagitova |
Native Name | Алина Ильназовна Загитова |
Date of Birth | 18 May 2002 |
Age | 20 years old |
Birth Place | Izhevsk, Udmurtia, Russia |
Residence | Moscow, Russia |
Nationality | Russian |
Ethnicity | Tatar |
Religion | Muslim |
Zodiac Sign | Taurus |
Height | 1.60 m (5 feet 3 inches) |
Weight | 43 kg |
Hair Color | Black |
Eye Color | Dark Brown |
Father’s Name | Ilnaz Zagitova |
Mother’s Name | Leysan Zagitova |
Siblings | 1; Sabina Zagitova |
Education | Journalism |
College | Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA) |
Marital Status | Unmarried |
Boyfriend | Not Available |
Children | None |
Profession | Figure Skater |
Olympics wins | 1 Gold (2018) and 1 Silver (2018) |
Medals | 6 Gold and 3 Silver. |
Rider Type | Off-road |
Club | Sambo-70 |
Debut Year | 2007 |
Status | Active |
Major Achievement |
|
Net Worth | $1- $5 million |
Social Media | Instagram, Tiktok |
Merch | Legends of Women Figure Skating (Hardcover) |
Last Update | July, 2022 |
Personal Life of Alina Zagitova
Alina Zagitova was born in the Russian city of Izhevsk on May 18, 2002. The city is located approximately 800 miles east of Moscow. She is the eldest child of Leysan (Mother) and Ilnaz Zagitova (Father). Sabina Zagitova, Zagitova’s younger sister, is five years her junior.
Ilnaz, Alina’s father, is a former Tatarstan ice hockey coach. Her parents are both Volga Tatars. To those who are unaware, Tatars are an ethnic Muslim minority in Russia. Her mother, however, decided that she should relocate to the capital in order to pursue better opportunities in life. When Zagitova was 13, she moved to Moscow to live with her grandmother.

Alina was named after Alina Kabaeva, a famous Russian rhythmic gymnast. Kabaeva’s performance moved her parents, who decided to name their daughter Alina after her. Zagitova considers Alina Kabaeva to be her role model, stating that she was impressed by her performance and looks up to her.
Alina, on the other hand, enjoyed drawing as a child. She is also an avid animal lover who has raised chinchillas as a pet. She also has an Akita Inu dog, which she received as a gift from a Japanese after the Pyeongchang Olympics. Masaru is the name she has given to her.
Zagitova passed her Unified State Examinations (USE) in June 2020 and enrolled in the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA) to study journalism.
Alina Zagitova | Figure Skating Career
Alina’s father coached the Neftyanik ice hockey team. So Alina was familiar with winter sports, and she began official skating lessons when she was four years old, thanks to his connections. She did, however, travel to Moscow on her own to receive professional coaching lessons. Initially, the coaches thought Alina was too fat and unattractive to participate in sports. She, on the other hand, proved them wrong.
Zagitova’s perseverance helped her finish ninth at the 2016 Russian Junior Championships. She also finished 12th in the short program and 8th in the free skate. Nonetheless, this was the first step in Zagitova’s professional career.
Being crowned World Junior Champion
Zagitova made her international debut in Saint-Gervais-Les-Bains, France, during the 2016-17 ISU Junior Grand Prix (JGP). Her overall score of 194.37 points earned her the gold medal. At the junior level, it was the second-highest score by a single female skater.
Zagitova finished first in both parts of France, breaking junior female records in all categories. She won gold with 207.43 points, 13 points ahead of her rival and silver medalist Anastasiia Gubanova. As a result, she became the first female junior skater in history to surpass 200 points.

In late December, Zagitova competed at the senior level in the 2017 Russian Championships. She finished second overall after finishing third in the short and second in the free. At the 2017 World Junior Championships in Taipei, the Russian figure skater won the short program with 70.58 points. She also won first place and a gold medal in the free program.
She set two new world records in junior ladies’ free skating (138.02 points) and a total of 138.02 points (208.60 points).
Being crowned World Champion.
In 2018, Zagitova competed in her first Grand Prix event of the season. She took first place in both the short program and the free skate. Zagitova also took first place in the short program at the Russian Championships in 2019. She struggled, however, and fell twice, resulting in a poor free skate.
Zagitova was given an automatic spot on the Russian team for the European Championships despite finishing fifth in the free skate and 12th overall. This was due to the fact that the top three skaters were junior competitors and thus ineligible.
As a result, Zagitova won the short program at the 2019 European Championships. She struggled in the free skate, however, and even fell once. This had a significant impact on her overall score, and she finished fourth in the free skate.
Her victory in the short program, however, more than compensated for her free skate score, and she finished second overall. Zagitove went on to represent Russia at the 2019 World Championships, which were held in Saitama, Japan. She once again delivered her best performance, earning the season’s highest score of 82.08. Zagitova defeated Medvedeva, who had been undefeated for more than two years, to win the 2018 European Championships in Moscow. This earned her a spot in the 2018 Olympics.
Obtaining Olympic Gold
Russia brought two Olympic medals in figure skating to the 2018 Olympics, thanks to Alina Zagitova. Russia not only won gold, but also set a new Olympic record in figure skating. She won a silver medal in the Olympics team event thanks to Zagitova’s victory in the women’s free skating.

With 158.08, she also set a new personal best and broke the record for the highest-ever technical score in ladies’ team figure skating. Zagitova set a new world record of 82.92 in the ladies’ individual event with a flawless short program. She had earlier that evening surpassed Medvedeva’s previous record of 81.61 sets.
She won the most anticipated gold medal. It was a huge accomplishment for Russia, and even Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated her on the Kremlin’s official website.
Zagitova’s Rule
Alina Zagitova won gold at the 2018 Winter Olympics with an unexpected technique. She timed all of her incredible jumps in the second half and backloaded her free skate to earn bonus points.
Following this, the International Skating Union (ISU) imposed a new rule requiring single skaters to repeat only two triple or quadruple jumps in their free skating performances. They couldn’t do four-revolution jumps more than once. The Zagitova rule was given to this new rule.
Alina Zagitiva | Awards and Achievements
- Order of Friendship award by Vladimir Putin for her Olympic win at the 2018 Winter Olympics
- Two-time Silver Doe Prize recipient as one of the best athletes of Russia in 2017 and 2018.
- Named as ‘Athlete of the Year‘ in 2018
- Listed in Forbes Russia’s Top 30 Under 30 list
- Listed in Top 40 most successful Russians from the sport
- Awarded ‘Sportswoman of the Year‘ at the 2019 Glamour Russia Awards
The Break from a Successful Career
Following the 2019 Grand Prix Final, Zagitova announced her retirement from tennis. As a result, she opted out of competing in the 2020 European Championships. Zagitova announced that she lacked motivation to compete and has extended her hiatus until 2021, with no plans to return.
Russia’s national team announced on May 14, 2021, that Zagitova is not included in the 2021-22 season, making her participation in the 2022 Beijing Olympics questionable.
Alina Zagitova | Guinness World Records
Alina Zagitova holds four world records in the +5 / -5 GOE (Grade of Execution) system. In the 2018 Nebelhorn Trophy, she scored 238.43 (Combined total) and 158.50 (Free skate record), the highest scores in each category.
However, a year later, fellow Russian figure skater Alexandra Trusova broke the record.
She does, however, have the highest score in the Senior Ladies Short Program with 79.93, which no one has yet surpassed. Alina set one senior world record and five junior world records prior to implementing the new grading system.
In the 2018 Olympics, she set a new world record of 89.82 seconds, which has yet to be broken. In addition, Zagitova scored 207.93 points in the 2016 Junior Grand Prix final, becoming the first junior to do so.
Alina Zagitova | Net Worth
Alina Zagitova’s net worth is estimated to be between $1 million and $5 million. She amassed the net worth of her figure skating career. Olympic gold medalists in Russia are paid $61,000 in addition to additional luxury cars. Zagitova delivered Russia’s much-anticipated gold medal in figure skating at the 2018 Olympics.
It is unknown how much incentive she received for this medal, but it is safe to assume she profited handsomely from it. Aside from that, she has also benefited from endorsements. She is a brand ambassador for several companies, including Puma, Sberbank of Russia, Pepsi, and others. She was also the cover girl for the May 2020 issue of Cosmopolitian Magazine Russia. You ay also like to read about Anna Bessonova
Presence on Social Media
You can certainly look through her social media accounts and follow her to get to know her better.
Instagram has 1.1M followers.
Tiktok has 558K followers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Alina Zagitova still alive?
Alina Zagitova has not yet officially retired. She is currently on a career break and will most likely return when she feels ready to compete again. Alina Zagitova’s skating equipment.
Jackson Ultima Skates are used by Alina Zagitova. She claims she enjoys using the skate and that the matrix blades allow her to move freely on the ice.
Is Alina Zagitova in a relationship with Vladimir Putin?
No, the Russian figure skater is not romantically involved with Vladimir Putin. Alina Kabaeva is not to be confused with Alina Kabaeva, a former gymnast who is said to be dating Vladimir Putin.