The Russian Figure Skating Federation has released a preliminary entry list for the fourth stage of the national Grand Prix series, known as "Zoloto Urala" (Ural Gold), which will be held at Yekaterinburg's UGMK Arena from November 6 to 9, according to 66.RU. The tournament is one of five stages in the series and will bring together junior and senior competitors, with 36 singles skaters and eight pairs scheduled to take the ice.
Seniors compete on November 7 and 8. The field includes an Olympic medalist as well as national and European champions, 66.RU reports.
Why it matters
The Yekaterinburg stage is not just a showcase. Results here earn ranking points that feed into selection for the Russian championship and the series final, and the strongest performers receive invitations to the national team. For several skaters, the event also marks a first competitive appearance of the new season on home ice — including one high-profile athlete competing under a new coach.
The senior program covers three disciplines: women's singles, men's singles and pairs. The federation has published 12 names in each singles discipline and eight pairs, though the list may still change before competition begins.
A women's field built on ultra-C elements
The headline name in women's singles is a three-time Russian champion and three-time winner of the national Grand Prix final. According to 66.RU, she was the first skater in the history of women's singles to land a quadruple Rittberger in official competition — one of the hardest and most spectacular jumps in the sport.
Her technical arsenal includes four ultra-C elements: a triple Axel, a quadruple toe loop, a quadruple flip and a quadruple Rittberger. She placed sixth at the 2026 Olympic Games. Yekaterinburg will be her first domestic competition of the new season and her first since leaving Eteri Tutberidze's coaching team in the summer, 66.RU reports.
A second contender is the 2025 Russian championship silver medalist and a silver medalist at the 2026 national Grand Prix final. Last season she won the Grand Prix stage in Omsk, landing two quadruple toe loops in her free program. Her ultra-C set comprises a triple Axel, a quadruple toe loop and a quadruple Lutz, and 66.RU notes that she pairs difficult jumps with expressive choreography.
The men's draw and a deep pairs entry
The most decorated name on the men's side is an Olympic bronze medalist from the 2022 team event, the 2022 European champion and a Russian national champion. 66.RU describes his skating as explosive and energetic, with artistic programs and the ability to raise his speed and intensity in the second half of a routine, when difficult elements are physically hardest. He is also known for rescuing jumps from awkward positions. His repertoire includes quadruple Lutz, toe loop and Salchow.
Another men's contender took silver at the 2025 Russian championships. In October 2026 he finished second at the Denis Ten Memorial in Kazakhstan, beaten only by fellow Russian Vladislav Dikidzhi. 66.RU highlights his technical range: he can perform six ultra-C jumps — quadruple toe loop, Rittberger, Salchow, Lutz and flip, plus a triple Axel — and executes demanding combinations. In free programs he is capable of five quadruple jumps, a feat only around ten skaters worldwide attempt, according to the outlet.
The pairs competition features eight entries, and the same Yekaterinburg arena is also hosting junior Grand Prix action during the week. Polina Shesheleva and Egor Karnaukhov won the junior short program, with Polina Sazina and Alexei Belkin second and Kira Domozhirova and Ivan Vegera third, the Russian federation reported. In ice dance, Drozhzhina and Telnov lead after the rhythm dance, according to Match TV.
Local coverage suggests strong public interest: the regional newspaper Oblastnaya Gazeta reported that Sverdlovsk region residents gave a warm reception to the first all-Russian figure skating tournament held there in 11 years.
What to watch: whether the preliminary entry list holds, and how the top women's contenders fare with their ultra-C content as the series moves toward the national championship.
