From being nameless to becoming a household name

PYEONGCHANG: A Russian teenage girl who remained nameless for the first year of her life could become a household name at the Winter Olympics i n Pyeongchang.

Alina Zagitova is in contention for Olympic women’s figure skating gold after a breathtaking debut season on the senior circuit.

Born on May 18, 2002 in the Western Urals she went the first year of her life unnamed, until her parents settled on Alina, after celebrated Russian gymnast Alina Kabaeva.

The 15-year-old Russian travels to South Korea as European champion, a title she earned at the expense of two-time world and European champion Evgenia Medvedeva.

“I could hear kids shouting and people shouting ‘Go on Alina’“, she said after claiming the continental crown last month.

Returning after time off to re- cover from a broken foot, Evgenia was narrowly eclipsed by her training partner, close friend, and now deadly Olympic rival.

Pyeongchang promises to serve up an electric rematch between the two pals.

Alina burst onto the scene in 2016-2017, being crowned world junior champion and becoming the first junior to break the 200 point barrier.

Both Alina and Evgenia are among a group of Russians competing as neutrals at the 2018 Games with Russia serving a country ban for state-sponsored doping.

“At the Olympics we will be competing under the white flag, but we are still ‘Athletes from Russia’,” she said after succeeding Evgenia as European champion.

Ominously for her rivals she added: “I think there is still room for improvement for me.” AFP