Azerbaijani figure skater Vladimir Litvintsev is still struggling to explain his disappointing performance at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Italy, according to the general secretary of the country’s Winter Sports Federation.
Speaking to İdman.Biz, Gunel Badalova commented on Litvintsev’s showing in Milano-Cortina, where he finished last, 29th, in the men’s short programme with 63.63 points. At the previous Winter Olympics in Beijing in 2022, the skater placed 18th among 29 competitors, marking a significant drop in results this time around.
Badalova insisted that there had been no warning signs ahead of the event. “Vladimir’s training sessions were going extremely well. Even the six-minute warm-up immediately before the competition was perfect. Throughout the season he skated at a solid level and delivered clean performances in the Grand Prix stages. He was ready, everything seemed fine. But this is sport, these things happen. The skater himself cannot clearly explain what went wrong. Perhaps it was very strong nerves. All of that had an impact and unfortunately it did not work out this time,” she said.
The federation official added that Litvintsev now has an opportunity to respond at the World Championships at the end of March. “He will compete at the World Championships, where he needs to bounce back and show his true level. Right now his full focus is on that event. After it, we will understand how to move forward,” Badalova explained.
The remarks come amid wider discussion in Azerbaijan about the future direction of figure skating in the country following a difficult Olympic campaign.
