Of all the Olympic sports, figure skating is one of the most beautiful and expressive. Although it is extremely difficult to master the technical steps required in a program, the dancers make it look effortless as they drift across the ice. The best very skaters don’t just master the jumps, spins and tricks.
Instead, they also learn to truly express the emotion of the songs they perform to. If you want to meet someone who is the embodiment of skating meet Veronika Zhilina. Veronika is a Russian figure skater whose gorgeous performance to Alexandra Burke’s rendition of Hallelujah has gone viral.
It is one of the most emotional and touching performances you will ever watch, and it’s even more amazing because she was only ten years old at the time.
Veronika Vladislavovna Zhilina was born on the 15th of May 2008 in Arkhangelsk, Russia. She is already a successful skater but admittedly she did start young. Her mother Ludmilla started teaching her to skate when she was only three years old.
She showed a true aptitude for skating, and even though she was only a little girl, there was no chance for her to get lonely. Soon she and her mum were joined by her younger sister Alena. Forging a career in figure skating requires intensive training but both girls were happy to make the commitment because skating is their passion.
They stayed in Arkhangelsk until 2018 before moving to Moscow to train with prestigious Russian figure skating coaches Sergei Dudakov, Sergei Rozanov and Eteri Tutberidze. Just a year later Veronika competed in the junior category of the Russian Younger Age Championships and won! She went on to show this was not beginner’s luck as she successfully defended her title a year later.
Around this time, one of her coaches, Sergei Rozanov, moved to the Academy Angels of Plushenko. Veronika and Alena went with him, joining another talented figure skater, Alexandra Trusova. In the years that followed Veronika has won or placed highly in competitions in Russian and may soon be ready to skate internationally.
If her performance to Hallelujah is anything to go by, she will score well, particularly in artistic expression. When she comes onto the ice she’s carrying a light that she waves gracefully above her head. The audience joins in with lights of their own, forging a bond between skater and audience.
Veronika places her light on the ice as she begins to skate. It’s a stunning performance. Veronika flows across the ice, almost seeming to become one with it. Her white dress perfectly compliments her blonde hair, and her face is angelic. Veronika’s skating is flawless, her transitions are as smooth as if she’s made of water rather than flesh and blood.
The routine has been perfectly choreographed and it expresses the mood of the song perfectly. It’s a performance that you absolutely must not miss. Then if you wonder if her little sister is as talented, check her out too. It seems guaranteed that these two talented young ladies have amazing careers ahead of them.
