Figure skater Anna Shcherbakova to undergo surgery

Anna Shcherbakova, who won the gold medal in figure skating at the Beijing 2022 Olympics, has revealed she will have to undergo knee surgery. Despite the injury, she reassured fans “everything is going to be good.”

The 18-year-old Russian skater won the gold medal in the women’s singles event at the Winter Olympics in February. She added the Olympic gold to her already impressive collection of achievements, including last year’s 2021 World Championship.

“Professional sport is a full dedication. Unfortunately, because of my old knee injury, I can’t train in full force. In several days I will have a surgery. Anyway, I am sure that everything is going to be good,” Shcherbakova shared on her social media in a message to fans.

According to Match TV, the general director of the Russian Figure Skating Federation, Aleksandr Kogan, said that Shcherbakova would undergo her operation in Germany and is scheduled to arrive on Wednesday.

Due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, Shcherbakova and other Russian skaters have been prohibited from participating in International Skating Union (ISU) events - including the upcoming 2022-23 Grand Prix season.

The Moscow-born Shcherbakova, is considered to be one of the most prominent figures in her sport. Teammates Kamila Valieva and Alexandra Trusova also train out of Moscow under the tutelage of renowned coach Eteri Tutberidze.

There were speculations Shcherbakova might retire after winning the gold medal, however, she recently voiced a desire to continue skating in pursuit of more titles.

Shcherbakova has come back from injury earlier in her career. She suffered a broken leg during the 2017-18 season as a junior and returned to win the 2019 Russian Championship.

Despite the restrictions preventing Russian skaters from participating in international competitions, officials in Russia have said domestic events will be arranged to compensate their skaters, who remain a box office draw.

China has also announced their support to organize similar events for the banned skaters. Li Jun of Beijing Global Dynamic Media is interested in organizing a tour including Shcherbakova and Valieva as all three skaters became very popular in China during the Beijing Games.

“We hope that the Sanva – Shcherbakova, Trusova and Valieva – will soon be able to come to China to participate in an ice show to fulfill the desire of many fans and give them the opportunity to see the performance of Russian skaters live, because they skate incredibly beautifully and impressively,” said Li.