Shortly after the conclusion of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, Russia launched a military offensive against Ukraine. Since then, there have been many cases in which Russian and allied Belarusian athletes have been excluded from international sports competitions, but the door to the Milan-Cortina d'Ampezzo 2026 Winter Olympics has only recently been opened. The International Skating Union (ISU) announced in December last year that Russian skaters and others would be allowed to qualify for the 2026 Winter Olympics. Figure skating can feature one man and one woman in singles, and one in pairs and ice dance. In each of the individual events, one person can sign up for speed skating and short track speed skating.

Top three women's singles figure skating at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics

Russia has a lot of talented figure skaters, especially the women's single skaters before they were left out. At the Beijing Winter Olympics, Anna Shcherbakova won the gold medal and Alexandra Trusova won the silver medal. The Russian women's singles figure skating has been inherited by the younger generations, and at the Russian Championships last December, 17-year-old Adlia Petrosyan made two quadruple jumps in the free skate and won the title. Although its total score of 262.92 points is not recognized, it is equivalent to the second place in the world. With the return of the Russian team to the international stage, the international figure skating landscape is expected to change, and Japan's Kaori Sakamoto, who has won three consecutive World Championships titles, said: "It's a burn to be able to fight again, and I'm really looking forward to it from now on. ”

The president of the Russian Olympic Committee, Mikhail Dykcharev, told the domestic media: "The process of a full return to international sport is difficult, but events such as the decision of the ISU will be an important step." "Whether the ISU's decision will affect the Russian legion's qualification for other events at the Winter Olympics is also being closely watched.