Maria Sotskova

Maria Romanovna Sotskova (pron. SOT-skoh-vah; ; born 12 April 2000) is a retired Russian figure skater. She is the 2017 Grand Prix Final silver medalist, a two-time Internationaux de France silver medalist (2016, 2017), the 2016 NHK Trophy bronze medalist, the 2017 CS Finlandia Trophy champion, and the 2018 Russian national silver medalist. She placed 8th at the 2017 and 2018 World Figure Skating Championships and at the 2018 Winter Olympics.

Earlier in her career, Sotskova won silver at the 2016 Winter Youth Olympics, silver at the 2016 World Junior Championships, and gold at the 2013 Junior Grand Prix Final.

Personal life Maria Romanovna Sotskova was born on 12 April 2000 in Reutov, Moscow Oblast, Russia.

Skating career Early years Sotskova began skating as a four-year-old after her mother decided to bring her to an ice rink. Competing in the 2015 JGP series, she won gold in Riga, Latvia, and Linz, Austria, resulting in qualification to her third JGP Final. Her first senior gold medal came at the Tallinn Trophy, an ISU Challenger Series event in November. In December, at the JGP Final in Barcelona, Sotskova placed fourth in the short and second in the free skate, which brought her the silver medal behind teammate Polina Tsurskaya and ahead of Japan's Marin Honda.

At the Russian Championships, she finished fifth on the senior level, in December, and went on to win the junior silver medal behind Tsurskaya, in January. In February, Sotskova represented Russia at the 2016 Winter Youth Olympics in Hamar, Norway, winning the silver medal behind teammate Tsurskaya again.

Over two months after her retirement, she received a 10-year disqualification from the sport by the Russian Anti-Doping Agency for forging a medical certificate to explain a doping violation; it was later reported that Sotskova was using the banned diuretic furosemide. The Figure Skating Federation of Russia issued a verdict in March 2021 based on the RUSADA decision to disqualify Sotskova until April 5, 2030, backdating the start of her ban to April 2020.

Programs

Season Short program Free skating Exhibition 2019–2020