Olympics-Figure skating-Russia's Petrosian brings big jumps, bigger unknowns to Olympic debut

By Rory Carroll

MILAN, Feb 16 (Reuters) - Russian teenager Adeliia Petrosian heads into her Olympic debut on Tuesday as an untested but technically loaded Olympic wild card, with former skaters saying her quad jumps and triple Axel firepower could put her on the podium if she delivers.

She is largely untested on the global stage due to the International Skating Union's ban on Russian athletes following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The 18-year-old booked her spot for the Milano Cortina Games by winning a qualifying event in Beijing in September.

"It's going to be a very interesting event for her because she's never really been on the international scene with these competitors," 1998 Olympic champion Tara Lipinski told Reuters.

"Imagine just showing up at the Olympics and it's go time. But she does have a (triple) Axle, she does have a quad. So she definitely puts herself in the mix.

"I don't think that it's likely she's going to steal away a gold medal here, but she definitely could be on the podium."

Johnny Weir, a two-time Olympian who works with Lipinski as an NBC commentator, agreed that Petrosian is a threat to medal in the wide-open women's event.

"I think she could definitely be on the podium with her technical skills, but artistically, she falls behind many of the star skaters that we've seen over the last quad (Olympic cycle)," he said.

In the background is another storyline following Petrosian in Milan - her coaching setup involving Eteri Tutberidze, who is linked to the controversy that engulfed the women's event at the Beijing Games four years ago.

Tutberidze had previously coached Kamila Valieva with the then 15-year-old testing positive for banned substance trimetazidine at the Russian national championships in December 2021, just weeks before she competed at the 2022 Olympics, triggering a global firestorm.

While Valieva was handed a four-year ban and the Russian Olympic Committee were stripped of their 2022 Olympics gold medal in the team event, Tutberidze was cleared after an investigation and never faced any sanctions.

Tutberidze was present at Petrosian's practice on Monday, and the head of the World Anti-Doping Agency earlier this month said he felt uncomfortable with her presence at the Games.

"This is the same coaching team of the 15-year-old that was doping in Beijing," former Olympic figure skater Adam Rippon told Reuters.

He said she will skate first in Tuesday's short programme due to her lack of international ranking points.

"From her perspective, I can't imagine the pressure that she must be putting herself under," he said of Petrosian, who has the chance to become the fourth consecutive Russian woman to win the title.

"This is why the Olympics are so exciting."