In a competition that will help define her skating career, Riedell figure skater Elena Radionova made history when she became the first lady to be named World Junior Champion two years in a row. Susan D. Russell’s article in IFS Magazine, “Uprising in Sofia,” takes a close look at Elena and other skaters who rose to the top during the 2014 World Junior Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria. Read on for a summary of what they had to say about Elena.

After blowing judges away with a successful short program and an impressive Latin-themed free, Elena soared to the top of the podium with a combined score of 194.29. This win (by more than a 10-point margin) can be accredited to a high-scoring line-up of combinations, including a triple Lutz-triple toe, a triple loop-single loop-triple Salchow and more!

“My performance today was one of the best in my career so far.”
-Elena Radionova to IFS Magazine

There is a bright future ahead for this already seasoned 15-year-old, who continues to amaze us with her grace and powerful presence on the ice. While this accomplishment has helped define her as a competitive figure skater, expect to see her achieve even more at the senior level!

Read more about Elena and other high-scoring competitors from the 2014 World Junior Championships in the June 2014 issue of IFS Magazine.

Best of luck to Elena! We can’t wait to see what’s next for her on the ice!

Image Credit: Robin Ritoss, IFS Magazine