The key facts
- During the first run-through in Shenzhen, Trusova completed the quadruple Lutz with only three rotations and landed on two feet
- Later in the training session, several attempts at the jump ended successfully
- The Grand Prix stage in China runs November 6–8; this is Trusova's first international start in the series since 2021
A rough start to the run-through and subsequent attempts
Russian figure skater Alexandra Trusova failed to cleanly land a quadruple Lutz during the run-through of her free program at her first training session ahead of the Grand Prix stage in Shenzhen, China: she completed only three rotations and landed on two feet. This was reported by journalists observing the athlete's preparation (Life.ru). Later, the 2022 Olympic silver medalist did manage to land the jump.
How the run-through went
Trusova entered the run-through six minutes after the training session began. The other elements of the program went more confidently: she landed a triple loop and a triple flip, and in the second half of the program she performed two combinations with triple Lutzes and toe loops, one of which included a double Axel. Before the run-through began, the organizers mistakenly played another skater's music for her; she reacted with a smile during the warm-up. After the main run-through, the skater continued working on the quadruple Lutz: several attempts ended successfully, although there were also 'butterflies' — aborted jumps with a premature opening of the rotation position. Her preparation was observed by coaches Eteri Tutberidze and Sergei Dudakov.
Competition schedule and context
The Grand Prix stage in Shenzhen will take place from November 6 to 8. In the short program, Trusova will compete on November 6 as the third skater — her appearance on the ice is scheduled for 11:45 Moscow time. For her, this is the first stage of the international Grand Prix series since 2021; she came to China together with her young son Mikhail, and after the competition she intends to compete at the next stage of the series in the United States on November 13–15.
Russian Grand Prix without Trusova and Valieva
Earlier, Life.ru reported that Trusova and Kamila Valieva will skip all stages of the Russian Grand Prix in the 2026/2027 season. The reasons for the two athletes are different: Valieva is not competing for medical reasons, while Trusova has focused on international competitions in China and the United States. Thus, her performance in Shenzhen explains her absence from the Russian series — it is not a withdrawal from competition, but a choice of the international calendar.
