Alina Zagitova: 5 things you should know about her, the new Olympics Champion

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Alina Zagitova: 5 things you should know about her, the new Olympics Champion

2018-02-27 12:02 Last Updated At：12:02

Just 15: this incredible new superstar in figure skating is the second youngest Olympics Champion.

After defeating Evgenia Medvedeva, the two times of world champions and her senior under the same coach, Alina Zagitova's popularity has grown rapidly.

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Alina Kabaeva(online photo)

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She fifty thousand followers on Instagram before the Winter Olympics and now the number is over two hundred thousand.

Besides her excellent skating performance, here are five things you should know about her, the Russian new superstar in figure skating.

Why is she called Alina:

Zagitova's parents decided to call her Alina when she was still 1-year-old after watching the performance of Alina Kabaeva, the Russian former gymnast Olympics Champions. Until now, Zagitova also regards the gymnast as an idol. "I know how strong her personality is, and I like her performance very much," she said.

Born in a skating family:

Zagitova began to skate when she was 6 years old and her father Ilnaz Zagitov is an ice hockey coach, who once competed for Russia. Alina's sister Sabina is also a fancy skater. The whole family has a deep fate with the winter sports.

The loneliness of figure skating:

In pursuit of her "skating dream", Alina has moved to Mosco, 800 miles from her home and received training there since she was 13.

Being separated from her family for two years, Alina admits, "In the first month, it was really hard for me to accept that I can't meet my family and I felt that my soul is destroyed. But then we chat through Skype, and my mood began to recover. "She also said that she didn't have many friends around her at that time, and everyone she saw on the ice rink is rival.

Under the same coaching with Medvedeva:

Alina Zagitova and Evgenia Medvedeva respectively win gold and silver medal in Pyeongchang Winter Olympics. They are both the students of the famous skating coach Eteri Turberidze, the winner of 2014 Winter Olympic gold medal.

The first season for her to participate in high-level games:

15-year-old Alina has been playing in the junior group before "stepping into" the senior group last summer vacation. After winning the gold medal in the European Championships held in Jan, she became an Olympic representative. This new Olympics Champion is young and promising.

Bayern demolishes Wolfsburg 8-1 to go 11 points clear in Bundesliga

Michael Olise scored twice as Bayern Munich started the new year by routing Wolfsburg 8-1 with six second-half goals to move 11 points clear at the top of the Bundesliga.

Olise, Harry Kane and Luis Díaz picked apart the Wolfsburg defense on Sunday in a display of dominance which leaves Bayern firmly on course to defend the title in only the 16th game of the 34-game season.

Bayern coach Vincent Kompany was pleased his players didn't let up.

“It’s these moments where it’s five, six, 7-1, and they keep running, they keep pressing and keep trying to score goals," he told broadcaster DAZN. "I have to say, I like that.”

In freezing temperatures for Bayern's first game since the winter break, Olise got a brace and Kane and Díaz one apiece, along with goals for substitutes Raphael Guerreiro and Leon Goretzka, and two Wolfsburg own-goals.

Bayern only had two nervous moments all game. The first was Dzenan Pejcinovic's goal for Wolfsburg in the 13th, which leveled the score at 1-1 after right back Konrad Laimer missed an interception.

The other was a brief injury scare for Kane, who needed treatment after being caught on the ankle by defender Moritz Jenz midway through the first half but was soon back in action.

It was Bayern's biggest margin of victory in a Bundesliga game since Kompany took over ahead of the 2024-25 season. His team has scored a remarkable 63 goals in 16 league games this season, nearly four per game, and conceded only 12.

Bayern hasn't lost a Bundesliga game since March and remains the only unbeaten team in any of Europe's five biggest leagues. Wolfsburg is 14th, three points above the relegation zone, as a troubled season hits a new low.

Bayern's closest rivals all had difficulties this weekend as second-place Borussia Dortmund drew 3-3 with Eintracht Frankfurt, Bayer Leverkusen lost 4-1 to Stuttgart and Leipzig’s game was postponed due to snow.

Wolfburg's American midfielder Kevin Paredes entered in the 77th minute, his first match this season after recovering from foot surgery in August.

Also Sunday, United States full back Joe Scally scored his first goal since 2023 as Borussia Moenchengladbach beat Augsburg 4-0. Gladbach moved up two places to 10th after winning at home for only the second time this season.

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