Anyone who thinks Adelina was a "small name" hasn't been following figure skating too much. As NBC noted, she is a four-time national champion. That means the Russian Federation likes her – a lot. I've read on this very forum that she's one of Vladimir Putin's favorite skaters. That counts – for a lot. She's been a very competitive runner-up at the European Championships both years she's been eligible. She's always in contention if she skates well in the short program and sometimes when she doesn't. This is a girl the judges and her federation have always wanted to reward, and it just so happens that she gave them an excuse to do so at the best possible time (for her). Did I personally think she deserved it? Given her planned technical advantage (according to NBC) and what she put out there, I would have had her very close, but I don't think I'd have given it to her – I felt she was just a little too sloppy on the jumps. I'm not at all surprised this judging panel did so under these circumstances, though.
I knew who she was but never considered her "top tier" among the ladies, internationally. She did poorly at Worlds last year, which is a reason why they only had two spots for Sochi.