Estonian figure skater Niina Petrõkina is preparing for her performance in the free program at the Milano Cortina Olympics, scheduled to take place on Thursday evening. With a short program score of 69.63 points, which ranks her 10th, Petrõkina has set herself up for a potential rise in the standings, as she is poised just over three points behind the fifth place contestant, Adeelia Petrosian. Despite feeling nervous during her short program, she expressed satisfaction with her execution of all the required elements, though she wished for higher scores.

The challenges she faced were evident as Petrõkina recounted her experience on the ice, revealing that she struggled with a specific cascading element where she did not achieve the desired rotations. Nevertheless, the support from her choreographer, Alina Boyko, played a pivotal role in helping her stay focused and execute her routine to the best of her ability. Her admission of nerves illustrates the pressure athletes often feel at international competitive events, especially at the Olympic level.

As Petrõkina gets ready to skate in the penultimate group of competitors, the audience will be watching closely to see if she can translate her hard work into a stronger performance. The results of her free program will determine her ultimate placement in the competition, with the Olympic champion title expected to be awarded around midnight, making this a crucial moment in her career.