Russian figure skater Adeliia Petrosian is set to be a contender for the gold medal at next year's Winter Olympics after winning the final qualifying event Saturday.

Skating as an Individual Neutral Athlete without national symbols, Petrosian beat two former European champions with a total score of 209.63 points in Beijing on Saturday, with a Michael Jackson-themed short program and Argentine tango-style free skate.

This week marks the first time that Russian figure skaters have taken part in international competitions since the 2022 Olympics.

The International Skating Union president defended its stance on allowing Russian skaters to compete as neutrals, in comments to The Associated Press ahead of Saturday’s free skate.

Jae Youl Kim said the ISU followed the International Olympic C

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