The 2026/27 international figure skating season officially got underway today, and Azerbaijan's national team will soon make its first appearances on the global stage with a squad strengthened by several newly naturalized athletes.
One of the most anticipated debuts is that of 18-year-old singles skater Veronika Zhilina. Her transfer to Azerbaijan was far from straightforward, as the Russian Figure Skating Federation was initially unwilling to release her. However, the required release letter was finally granted in May this year.
To learn more about Zhilina's competitive schedule, İdman.Biz contacted the Azerbaijan Winter Sports Federation. According to the federation, her first competition representing Azerbaijan is expected to be the ISU Challenger Series Kinoshita Group Cup, scheduled to take place in Tokyo from September 4 to 6. However, her participation has not yet been officially confirmed.
The event is expected to feature several top Japanese skaters, including 2026 Olympic bronze medallist Ami Nakai and World Championship silver and bronze medallist Mone Chiba. Russian media have also reported that Maria Zakharova, Alexandra Trusova and Kamila Valieva could compete in Tokyo if they receive neutral athlete status.
Zhilina trains at Evgeni Plushenko's skating academy. Her appearance at the Tokyo Challenger would mark not only her first competition for Azerbaijan but also her long-awaited return to competition after a three-season absence caused by injury and pandemic-related disruptions. Before that break, she was regarded as one of Russia's brightest junior prospects. Recent training footage suggests she has maintained excellent form and continues to perform the quadruple Salchow, one of the sport's most difficult ultra-c elements.
İdman.Biz also asked about the plans for another of Azerbaijan's rising stars, 15-year-old Arina Kalugina, who also has ultra-c elements in her repertoire. Representing Azerbaijan since the 2024/25 season, Kalugina has already made an impression on the international stage. At the junior Denis Ten Memorial Challenger in Almaty, she landed a clean quadruple Salchow and set an ISU junior record for the element's score.
The federation confirmed that Kalugina will compete in two ISU Junior Grand Prix events this September - in Ankara, Türkiye (September 17-19), and Batumi, Georgia (September 24-26). Those competitions are also expected to mark the Azerbaijan debut of Alexander Plushenko.
According to Gunel Badalova, Secretary General of the Azerbaijan Winter Sports Federation, the rest of the national team will also begin its international season in September.
