AFP/Moscow
Olympic women’s champion Adelina Sotnikova will not compete in the world championships in Japan starting next week, the Russian figure skating federation announced yesterday.
Sotnikova controversially won gold in Sochi last month ahead of defending champion Kim Yu-Na of South Korea to become Russia’s first ever women’s Olympic figure skating champion.
Federation president Alexander Gorshkov said that Sotnikova, who has never competed at the Worlds, would not compete to allow the two-time European silver medallist rest and prepare for next season.
The 17-year-old has been listed as a substitute for the March 24-30 Championships in Saitama. “Her (Sotnikova) preparations for this season were initially completely focused on her peaking for the Olympic Games,” Gorshkov said. “Sotnikova managed to win there, which demanded a huge performance. The federation have decided to give her an opportunity to recover completely before the start of her preparations for the new season.”
European champion Julia Lipnitskaya, 15, who helped Russia win gold in the team gold in Sochi, will compete in the women’s event along with Anna Pogorilaya.
Kim, 23, announced her retirement after Sochi but Italy’s Olympic bronze medallist Carolina Kostner, the 2012 world champion, will compete along with Japan’s Mao Asada, the Vancouver silver medallist.
