SOCHI, Russia — Many expected a Russian to contend for a gold medal in women’s figure skating at the Sochi Games, but hardly anyone expected that it would be Adelina Sotnikova.
Overlooked by her own country earlier at the Olympic team event, Sotnikova, 17, waited patiently and calmly for the singles competition and delivered a sophisticated performance on Thursday to win the long program in a major upset over the 2010 champion Kim Yu-na of South Korea.
Sotnikova landed seven triple jumps to six for Kim and scored more than 5 points higher in the mark for technical elements, winning the long program with 149.95 points. She finished with 224.59 overall points.
Kim skated a calm and poised tango routine and finished with 144.19 points in the long program, but she did not attempt a triple loop or a double axel, triple toe loop combination, as did Sotnikova. Also, Kim did not receive the highest level for her step sequence or her layback spin. She took the silver medal with 219.11 collective points.
Despite all that, a debate is likely to roil the sport again, with Kim’s legions of fans contending that she deserved another gold.
“It was totally fair,” said Elvis Stojko, the two-time Olympic silver medalist from Canada. “Adelina was ready. Kim didn’t have enough technical ammunition.”
Carolina Kostner, 27, of Italy, overcame collapses at the past two Olympics to win the bronze medal in an encouraging story of perseverance. She was calm and joyous Thursday after falling three times in the long program at the 2010 Vancouver Games and finishing 16th after completing only one triple jump.
After Wednesday’s short program, Sotnikova and Kostner trailed Kim by less than a point. On Thursday, Sotnikova’s only obvious mistake was a two-footed landing at the end of a triple-flip, double-toe loop, double loop combination.
When she finished her four-minute routine, she put her hands to her face in realization that she might win the gold medal.
Russia has a prominent, even dominant, place in international skating, but until Thursday no Russian woman had won an Olympic gold medal in singles competition.
Sotnikova’s victory also confirmed Russia’s re-emergence in international figure skating after it failed to win a single gold medal for the first time in five decades at the 2010 Vancouver Games.