Anna Stanislavovna Shcherbakova (Russian: Анна Станиславовна Щербакова, born 28 March 2004) is a Russian figure skater. She is the reigningOlympic champion inwomen's singles, the2021 World champion, the2022 European champion, and a three-timeRussian national champion (2019–2021).
Shcherbakova was the first female figure skater to land aquadLutz in senior competition and the first woman to land two quad Lutz jumps in a single program. She was also the first to land a quadflip in combination with a triple jump, as well as the first to land two quad flips in one program. She remains the only Olympic champion in women's single skating to have performedquad jumps.
Anna Shcherbakova was born on 28 March 2004 inMoscow, Russia.[1] Her father is a physicist and programmer, and her mother, Yulia, is a geologist-crystallographer.[2][3] Her great-grandfather, Prokhor Shcherbakov, was a statesman of theMari Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic.[4] She has an older sister, Inna, and a younger sister, Yana.[2][5] Shcherbakova's parents signed Inna and Anna up for skating lessons to keep them active.[2] As a child, Shcherbakova was also enrolled in drawing, swimming, and music classes and took tennis lessons.[6] Shcherbakova is fluent inEnglish and also studiedGerman.[7]
Shcherbakova began skating at age three in 2007 with her first coach Oksana Bulycheva at the Khrustalnyi rink of the Olympic Reserve Sports School No. 37 (later absorbed into the "Sambo 70" sports school) in Moscow.[3][8][9] Bulycheva would later describe Shcherbakova as a highly motivated skater who was advanced for her age.[10] She parted ways with Bulycheva in November 2013 at age nine and began training in the elite group at the same rink, led byEteri Tutberidze andSergei Dudakov.[6][9] In a 2020 interview, Shcherbakova shared that after joining Tutberidze's group, she stopped viewing skating as just a hobby and took her training more seriously.[11] In mid-July 2017, when she was 13, Shcherbakova broke her leg while performing a tripleloop at a training camp. As a result of the accident she missed most of the2017–18 season, including her plannedJunior Grand Prix debut. She did recover enough to compete at the 2018 Russian Figure Skating Championships where she finished 13th at the Junior level and 5th at the 2018 Russian Youth Championships – Elder Age level. This injury would continue to affect her knees throughout the course of her career.[12]
Shcherbakova returned to competition in January 2018 at the2018 Russian Junior Championships, finishing thirteenth with a total score of 179.19.[13] Then in February, she improved her total score by over 30 points at the2017–18 Russian Cup Final to win the gold medal in the junior category.[14]
Shcherbakova debuted internationally on theJunior Grand Prix circuit in August.[15] She was assigned to events inSlovakia andCanada. At the2018 JGP Slovakia, she placed first in both the short program and free skate, winning the gold medal by a margin of over 18 points over the silver medalist and fellow Russian competitorAnna Tarusina.[16] At the time, her scores at the competition were thehighest achieved in an international women's competition under the new +5/-5 GOE System.[a] Her short program and combined total records were surpassed later in the Junior Grand Prix season byAlexandra Trusova,[17][18] and the free program record was surpassed byAlena Kostornaia.[19]
At the2018 JGP Canada, Shcherbakova once again placed first in both the short program and free skate and won the gold medal by a margin of five points over the silver medalist,Anastasia Tarakanova.[20] With two gold medals on the Junior Grand Prix, she qualified for the2018–19 Junior Grand Prix Final.[21] In October, Shcherbakova competed at the 2nd stage of the 2018 Russian Cup and became the first woman skater to land aquadLutz at a domestic event.[22] At the Junior Grand Prix Final in December, Shcherbakova placed sixth in the short program and fifth in the free skate, resulting in fifth place overall.[23][24] Later in December 2018, at the2019 Russian Championships, she once again landed the quad Lutz and won the gold medal with a total score of 229.78.[25] At 14 years and seven months old, she became the third-youngest Russian women's singles champion in history.[26] Despite winning the Russian title, she was too young to compete in theEuropean Championships orWorld Championships of that season, both of which required participants to have turned 15 before 1 July 2018.[25]
In September, Shcherbakova entered her first international senior competition in Italy at theISU Challenger Series event, the2019 Lombardia Trophy. After the short program, she was in third place behindElizaveta Tuktamysheva andYou Young.[31] In the free program, she became the first senior woman to land a quad Lutz in senior competition, ensuring the gold medal in her senior debut.[32][33] Her free program featured a costume change when the music switches fromGnossiennes No. 1 toThe Firebird.[34]
Shcherbakova made herISU Grand Prix debut at the2019 Skate America, where she won the gold medal after placing fourth in the short program and first in the free skate.[35] At the competition, she became the first woman to land two quadruple Lutz jumps in the free skate in an international competition and the first woman to land a quadruple Lutz-triple jump combination (quad Lutz-triple toe loop) in an international competition.[36][37] In the free skate, she became the second woman to achieve a score above 160 points under the current GOE system when she scored her personal best score of 160.16 points. Shcherbakova also set new records for the highest valued single jump, earning 14.79 points for her quadruple Lutz, and for the highest valued jump combinations, when she earned 18.66 points for her quad Lutz-triple toe loop combination.[38] Shcherbakova also won her second event, the2019 Cup of China, by a 14.86-point margin and qualified for theGrand Prix Final inTurin.[39]
At the Grand Prix Final, Shcherbakova placed third in the short program behind teammatesAlena Kostornaia andAlina Zagitova.[40] In the free skate, she landed two quad Lutz and attempted for the first time, but fell on, the quadflip. She nevertheless placed first in the free skate and won the silver medal behind Kostornaia.[41] Then at the2020 Russian Championships, she skated cleanly to place second in the short program behind Kostornaia, who was ten points ahead going into the free skate. Shcherbakova won the free skate, landing two quad Lutzes and the quad flip for the first time, and won her second national title by just under two points overall.[42]
Shcherbakova competed at the2020 European Championships, delivering a clean short program skate to place second. In the free skate, Shcherbakova landed the quad Lutz-triple toe loop combination to start, followed by a quad flip. However, she fell on the second quad Lutz. Despite the fall, she placed first in the free skate and won the silver medal behind Kostornaia.[43] Together with Kostornaia and Trusova, who took the bronze, the trio made for an all-Russian podium in the women's singles event.[44] They were assigned to compete at theWorld Championships inMontreal, but the event was cancelled due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.[45][46]
Shcherbakova debuted both of her programs at the Russian senior test skates with only one fall on her quad Lutz attempt in the free program, which she called "a good starting point".[47] Due to theCOVID-19 pandemic and the lack of international competitions, all Russian skaters were required to compete in the 2020–21 Russian Cup series in order to qualify for the2021 Russian Championships.[48] Shcherbakova won the first stage inSyzran with a score of 246.40 and the third stage inSochi with 239.91 points.[49][50] She was assigned, as with other prominent Russian skaters, to the2020 Rostelecom Cup after the ISU decided to base theGrand Prix primarily on geographic location due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[51][52] However, she withdrew on the day of the event due to illness, later revealed to bepneumonia.[53]
Shcherbakova had limited ability to train in advance of the2021 Russian Championships due to pneumonia. She decided to compete in the event against her coaches' recommendation for her to withdraw.[54] She won both the short program and the free skate and successfully landed both a quad Lutz and quad flip. She won the national title with a total score of 264.10, ahead ofKamila Valieva andAlexandra Trusova.[55][54] Her free skate was praised by the Russian press as the best female performance of all time.[56][57][58] Shcherbakova made history by becoming the first woman to win three consecutive Russian titles sinceIrina Slutskaya (1999–2001) and the first since the introduction of theISU Judging system in 2004.[59] Shcherbakova was assigned to the Russian team for the2021 World Championships inStockholm.[60] Prior to the World Championships, she participated in the televised2021 Channel One Trophy as part of the Red Machine team captained byAlina Zagitova. She placed second in both segments of the competition, and the Red Machine won the trophy.[61] She opted not to participate in theRussian Cup Final in order to rest before the World Championships.[62]
In the short program at theWorld Championships, Shcherbakova skated a personal best in the short program, scoring 81.00 to place first ahead ofRika Kihira.[63] She then placed second in the free program with a score of 152.17 points despite falling on one of her quad jumps. Overall, Shcherbakova won the competition with a total score of 233.17 and became the World champion.[64] Shcherbakova, Tuktamysheva and Trusova's podium placements made this only the second time, after the United States in1991, that a single country had swept the women's podium at the World Championships.[65] Shcherbakova then competed as part of the Russian team for the2021 World Team Trophy in April, winning the short program on the opening day within one point ahead of Tuktamysheva. Shcherbakova finished in first place and won a gold medal with team Russia.[66][67]
Shcherbakova began her Olympic season in October at the2021 Budapest Trophy. She led after the short program but was later overtaken in the free skate by training-mateMaiia Khromykh after falling on her opening quad flip. She placed second in the free skate to finish narrowly behind Khromykh and take the silver medal overall.[68][69] Her firstGrand Prix assignment was initially the2021 Cup of China, but following its cancellation, she was reassigned to the2021 Gran Premio d'Italia inTurin.[70] After an error on her jump combination in the short program, she placed third in that segment behind Belgium'sLoena Hendrickx and Khromykh.[71] She came back in the free skate and landed a quad flip to win both that segment and the gold medal.[72] Shcherbakova went on to win her second event, the2021 Internationaux de France, defeatingAlena Kostornaia by almost eight points.[73] These results qualified her for theGrand Prix Final, which was subsequently canceled due to restrictions prompted by the spread of theOmicron variant.[74]
At the2022 Russian Championships, Shcherbakova placed second in the short program behindKamila Valieva.[75] She fell on her only quad attempt in the free skate, placing fourth in that segment, but took the bronze medal overall behind Valieva andTrusova.[76] [77] However, in 2023, Valieva was stripped of the Russian title due to testing positive for a banned substance, so Shcherbakova became the silver medalist.[78][79] At the2022 European Championships inTallinn, Shcherbakova placed fourth in the short program after falling on her triple Lutz and failing to execute a jump combination.[80] Mounting a comeback in the free skate with a quad flip and seven triple jumps, she placed second in the segment and took the silver medal.[81] Two years later, in January 2024, Shcherbakova became the 2022 European champion after Valieva's results were annulled.[82]
On 20 January, Shcherbakova was officially named to theRussian Olympic team.[83] She was not considered the favorite to win the gold medal in the women's event after losing to Valieva at both the Russian and European Championships.[84] She was not selected to compete in theteam event as Valieva competed in both segments.[85] In the short program of thewomen's event, she skated cleanly and placed second in the short program with a score of 80.20, 1.94 points behind segment leader Valieva and 0.36 points ahead of third-placeKaori Sakamoto.[86] In the free skate, Shcherbakova skated cleanly once again, scoring 175.75 and a total score of 255.95.[87] Shcherbakova won the gold medal and became the Olympic champion ahead of teammate Trusova and Japan'sKaori Sakamoto.[88][89] She was the first Olympic champion in women's single skating to compete quadruple jumps. After winning the gold medal, Shcherbakova indicated that she wanted to continue competing, including at the upcoming World Championships.[90]
In early March 2022, the ISU banned all figure skaters and officials from Russia and Belarus from attending theWorld Championships due toRussian invasion of Ukraine in late February; therefore, Shcherbakova was not allowed to participate and defend her title.[91][92] Instead, Russia organized theChannel One Trophy to occur during the World Championships. Shcherbakova was named the captain of the Red Machine team. The first day of the competition was a jumping competition, and Shcherbakova led her team to victory.[93] She finished second in the short program with a score of 82.90 and first in the free skating with a score of 176.12. This led the Red Machine team to win the competition.[94]
In August 2022, Shcherbakova traveled to Germany in order to have knee surgery for an old injury.[95] She did not recover from the surgery in time for the2023 Russian Championships.[96] On 18 March 2023, Shcherbakova performed in Moscow at a show program tournament called the "Russian Challenge". She presented a program to the music from the Soviet TV series "Seventeen Moments of Spring" and finished third in the competition with a score of 19.08.[97][98]
Shcherbakova was listed as a reserve member of the 2023–24 Russian Women's Figure Skating national team.[99] In July 2023, while at Eteri Tutberidze's team preparatory camp training for a potential resumption of competition, Shcherbakova contractedmononucleosis and was forced to suspend training.[100] She was absent from a list of participants in the Russian national team's pre-season skating tests published 30 August by the Russian Figure Skating Federation.[101] In March 2024, Shcherbakova was injured and underwent ankle surgery.[102]
Shcherbakova's skating has been distinguished by her high consistency in the performance of her programs.[103][104] Her performances and technique are also highlighted by her ability to consistently land the quad Lutz and quad flip.[36] Her quad jumping ability is often compared to those of her teammatesKamila Valieva andAlexandra Trusova.[103] Because she performs fewer quad jumps than Valieva and Trusova, Shcherbakova relies on her consistency and artistry.[105] She is known for her musicality and dramatic performances.[106]
Alongside teammate Trusova, Shcherbakova is credited for ushering in the era of quad jumps in competitive women's figure skating, especially domestically. Prior to Shcherbakova's senior domestic debut, not a single quad jump was landed by any of the woman skaters at theRussian Figure Skating Championships. Since then, quad jumps have become a prominent feature in Russian women's single skating.[107][108][109]
In March 2020, Shcherbakova signed an endorsement contract withNike,[110] and Nike listed her as a "Nike Athlete".[111] Starting in November 2021, she became an official brand representative for Russian financial services companySberbank and starred in an advertisement.[112] The Chinese auto maker,Chery, welcomed Shcherbakova as their ambassador in May 2022 to endorse the Chery Omoda 5 model,[113] and she received a custom Omoda model as her first car.[114] Later the same year, with her father's advice,[115] Shcherbakova collaborated with Chinese company Geetaverse to release a collection ofNFTs titled "Born to Skate".[116][117] In the first 24 hours after the launch, the sales amount reached nearlyRMB¥1 million, and the total sales amount reachedRMB¥1.6 million. This marked a new milestone as the quickest and largest NFT sales in China's sports industry for a single individual, with transactions totalingUS$237,500 in a few days.[116] Shcherbakova started endorsing MELA, a Russian sporting goods brand, as their ambassador in March 2023.[118] In the next month, she promoted the Chinese video gameHonkai: Star Rail, publishing a photoset in which she appeared as "Seele", the first limited banner character in the game created byHoYoverse.[119][120]TCL Electronics announced Shcherbakova as the brand ambassador in Russia starting from June 2023, and she also featured in their promotional material.[121]
In January 2024, Shcherbakova was appointed as an ambassador of the national brand "Made in Russia" by the Russian Export Center and attended the opening ceremony of the first "Made in Russia" Festival-fair in Shenyang, China.[122][123] At a press conference at the Russian national team's test skate, Shcherbakova was announced as an ambassador for the 2025 Russian Championships in Omsk.[124][125]
In October 2022, Shcherbakova joined fellow Russian Olympic championsAlexei Yagudin andAlina Zagitova as a host of the ninth season ofIce Age onChannel One.[131] In December 2022, Shcherbakova hosted the New Year's Eve show on Channel One.[21][132] Shcherbakova was voted byKomsomolskaya Pravda readers as the second-best Russian television presenter of 2022, behind Zagitova.[133][23] On 22 November 2022, Shcherbakova made her voice actor debut in aCGTN production titled "Revived Myths of Ancient China". The project has released three animated videos: "Nv Wa", "Hou Yi" and "The Classic of Mountains and Seas".[134][135]
First woman skater to land a quad Lutz on 6 October 2018 at the 2nd stage of the 2019 Russian Cup, which is recognised by ISU in the media guide.[22]
Second senior woman skater afterElizabet Tursynbaeva to land a quad jump internationally at the 2019 CS Lombardia Trophy.[138]
First woman skater to land a quad Lutz in senior international competition on 14 September 2019 at the 2019 CS Lombardia Trophy.[33]
First woman skater to land twoquad Lutz jumps in one program in ISU-sanctioned international competition at the2019 Skate America. At this competition, she also became the first woman to land a quad Lutz and a triple jump combination in an international competition.[37]
Set the new record for thehighest valued single jump when she earned 14.79 points for her quadruple Lutz at the2019 Skate America. At this competition, she also set the new record for the highest valued jump combination when she earned 18.66 points for her 4Lz+3T combination.[38] This was later broken byAlexandra Trusova when she earned 14.95 points for her quadruple Lutz at the 2019 Rostelecom Cup.[139]
First senior woman skater to land two quad flip jumps in one program atthe 2022 Winter Olympics. At this competition, she also became the first woman to land a quad flip and a triple jump combination in competition.[140]
First Olympic champion in women's single skating with quad jumps.[140]
^abThis was at the beginning of the 2018–19 season. Due to a change in how scores are calculated, scores in the 2018–19 season and after are not comparable to those from earlier seasons, which are termed "historical". Thus, Shcherbakova's scores set the new world record.[137]
^Melnikova, Daria (14 January 2023)."Валиеву лишат золотой медали чемпионата России из‑за допингового скандала" [Valieva will be deprived of the gold medal at the Russian Championship due to a doping scandal].Афиша (in Russian). Retrieved31 October 2023.The Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) has decided to annul the result of figure skater Kamila Valieva at the Russian Championships. ...After the redistribution of awards, the gold medal will go to Alexandra Trusova, the silver will go to Anna Shcherbakova, and the bronze to Adelia Petrosyan.
^"Тарасова о Щербаковой в роли комментатора: «Аня – очень умненькая девочка, у нее огромный словарный запас. С ней было приятно работать»".Sports.ru [ru] (in Russian). 23 December 2024. Retrieved25 March 2025. [Tarasova on Shcherbakova as a commentator: "Anya is a very smart girl, she has a huge vocabulary. It was a pleasure to work with her" Tatyana Tarasova assessed Anna Shcherbakova as a commentator. The Olympic champion commented on the Russian Championship in Omsk and the Grand Prix stages on Channel One. "Anya Shcherbakova is a very smart girl, very educated, she has a huge vocabulary, and she speaks very well. I think she has the ability to commentate. She knows and loves figure skating. It was a pleasure to work with Anya Shcherbakova. She made a very good impression on me," Tarasova said. (Google Translate)]
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Anna's short program performance at the 2022 Beijing Olympics
2019 CS Lombardia Trophy
2019 Skate America
2019 Cup of China
2020 European Championships
2021 World Championships
2021 World Team Trophy
2021 Budapest Trophy
2021 Internationaux de France
2022 European Championships
2018 JGP Slovakia
2018 JGP Canada
2019 European Youth Olympic Festival
2019 World Junior Championships
