For the past five years, Russia's Viktoria Volchkova has been overshadowed by the exploits of her older and more famous compatriots, Maria Butyrskaya and Irina Slutskaya, who have won eight Russian championships and eight European championships between them since 1995.
I've always gotten a good feeling from Viktoria...she just seems to me to be a very down-to-earth person. I was happy for her last year with two great performances at COR and Worlds. I hope she can increase her speed and work on the layback/spirals...then she will nearly have it all. Hopefully, this year she can continue where she left off in Washington D.C.
A timely and interesting piece. This could be a do or die season for Vika. The American baby ballerinas and the Japanese (and Italian!) even babier ballerinas are clamoring to be heard.
Vika is a beautiful skater with gorgeous long lines and excellent jumps. But to me her programs do not flow together as smoothly as her rivals' do.
I like Vika's style - and also her womanly appearance But somehow I don't quite see her at the very top, not as long as there will be the likes of Michelle, Irina, Sasha, Elena and Fumie to compete against. But who knows, maybe she'll prove me wrong.