Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Kamila Valieva
How Kamila Valieva built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.
Kamila Valieva is a Russian figure skater notable for her achievements, including winning the 2021 Rostelecom Cup, the 2021 Skate Canada, the 2020 Junior World Championship, and the 2019-20 Junior Grand Prix Final. She also secured a silver medal at the 2021 Russian National Championships, establishing herself as a prominent figure in the world of figure skating.
2009: Started Skating in Kazan
In 2009, Kamila Valieva began skating in RSDUSSHOR in Kazan, where she was first coached by Ksenia Ivanova.
2018: Switched to Sambo-70
In the spring of 2018, Kamila Valieva switched skating clubs to Sambo-70, where Eteri Tutberidze allowed her to join her group.
August 2019: International Debut and Quad Toe Loop
In August 2019, Kamila Valieva made her international debut at a Junior Grand Prix in Courchevel, France, winning gold and becoming the second female skater to land a quadruple toe loop in competition.
August 2019: Quadruple Toe Loop at Junior Grand Prix
In August 2019, at the junior level of the Grand Prix in France, Valieva performed a quadruple toe loop, making her the second woman to achieve this in ISU competitions.
2019: 2019-20 Junior Grand Prix Champion
In 2019, Kamila Valieva became the 2019-20 Junior Grand Prix Final champion, marking an early career achievement.
2019: Qualified for Junior Grand Prix Final
In 2019, Kamila Valieva qualified in first place for the 2019-20 Junior Grand Prix Final in Turin, Italy after winning two gold medals.
2019: Junior Grand Prix Final Victory
In December 2019, at the Junior Grand Prix Final, Kamila Valieva won the title after delivering a clean free skate, despite a minor injury preventing her from training the quadruple toe loop jump beforehand.
October 2020: Triple Axel with Complication in Training
In October 2020, a video surfaced showing Valieva performing a triple Axel with a complication in training.
December 2020: Clean Triple Axel at Russian Cup
On December 5, 2020, Valieva cleanly performed the triple Axel in the short program at the stage of the Russian Cup in Moscow.
2020: 2020 Russian Cup Performance
In 2020, Kamila Valieva participated in the Russian Cup, showcasing her new programs and winning a silver medal at the second stage and a gold medal at the fifth stage, achieving high scores in domestic competition.
2020: 2020 Junior World Champion
In 2020, Kamila Valieva won the Junior World Championships, further establishing her as a rising star in figure skating.
2020: 2020 JGP Russia Win
In 2020, at the JGP Russia, Kamila Valieva placed first in both programs with personal best scores, securing the title and qualifying for the Junior Grand Prix Final.
2020: 2020 Russian Junior Championships Win
In early February 2020, Kamila Valieva competed at the 2020 Russian Junior Championships, which she won after placing first in both programs and was named to the Russian team for the 2020 World Junior Championships.
2021: 2021 Skating Achievements
In 2021, Kamila Valieva achieved significant milestones, including becoming the 2021 Rostelecom Cup champion, the 2021 Skate Canada champion, and the 2021 Russian national silver medalist.
2021: Senior Grand Prix Debut and World Records
In 2021, Kamila Valieva made her senior Grand Prix debut at Skate Canada International, winning with record-breaking scores. She continued her success at the Rostelecom Cup, setting new world records in the short program, free skate, and total score. However, the Grand Prix Final was later canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
2021: Senior International Debut and World Record Score
In 2021, Kamila Valieva made her senior international debut at the CS Finlandia Trophy, achieving a world record free skate score of 174.31 points and a new world record for total points (249.24).
2021: 2021 Channel One Trophy and Russian Cup Final
In 2021, Kamila Valieva participated in the Channel One Trophy, winning both the short program and free skates. She also won the Russian Cup Final, despite errors in the free skate, securing the overall victory.
January 2022: 2022 Russian Championships and European Championships
In January 2022, Kamila Valieva won the 2022 Russian Championships and made her European Championships debut, finishing first but later having her results nullified by the CAS in 2024 due to a 2021 anti-doping violation. She was also named to the Russian Olympic team.
October 2022: Valieva Competes in Russian Grand Prix
In October 2022, Valieva continued to compete within Russian borders, participating in the Russian Grand Prix, despite Russia's ban from international skating events.
2022: Domestic Grand Prix Series
In 2022, Russian and Belarusian athletes were banned from international events, leading the Russian Figure Skating Federation to host its own Grand Prix series. Valieva participated, winning gold at the Golden Skate of Moscow despite a fall. She also won gold at the Grand Prix stage in Kazan. At the Russian Championships, she finished second overall.
2022: 2022 Winter Olympics Team Event
In 2022, during the Winter Olympics team event, Kamila Valieva contributed to the Russian team's apparent first-place finish with strong performances, but the medal ceremony was postponed due to a doping investigation. In 2024, her results were nullified and her team medal was stripped.
2022: 2022 Russian Figure Skating Championships
In 2022, following Valieva's disqualification from the Russian Championships due to a positive drug test, Alexandra Trusova was awarded the gold medal, Anna Shcherbakova the silver, and Adeliia Petrosian the bronze.
2026: Potential Eligibility for 2026 Winter Olympics
Although technically eligible after her suspension, Valieva's participation in the 2026 Winter Olympics is uncertain due to ongoing sanctions against Russia as of January 2024.
