Niina Petrokina: “The plan is to restore the triple flip and lutz. I hope my leg can handle it and stays strong. My goal at every competition is to do what I can at that moment.”
Niina Petrokina defended title at the Estonian Nationals.
original source: sport.err.ee dd. 14th December 2025 by Anu Saartis
Estonian figure skater Niina Petrokina discusses her challenging season after Achilles surgery, her recovery, and her goals for the European Championships and the Olympics. Here’s a translation of her comments posted on ERR.
On October 9, Petrokina had surgery in Munich, where the inflamed sheath around her right Achilles tendon was removed, which had restricted movement. She returned to competition at the end of November and became Estonian champion on the second weekend of December.
“In October, I didn’t think I would go to these competitions at all,” Petrokina said in an interview with ERR. “The question was whether to choose health or continue skating and training. But it turned out that surgery was necessary. Then it was a matter of quickly, quickly regaining form.”
Q: You managed to skate two very good programs. Are you super satisfied with what you were able to do with such confidence?
Niina Petrokina: I am very satisfied with my programs! I already saw the protocol – every spin and step in the free program was at level four. That means I didn’t just stand still when my leg hurt. I worked on other elements. I’m very happy with that! I did all the jumps, even the harder ones. I didn’t make any mistakes today, and I’m very satisfied.
Q: Does your leg still hurt?
Niina Petrokina: It does. After a competition, it takes several days to recover. But I’m used to it. It’s not as painful as before the surgery. Now it’s much easier, and thank God I can do the harder jumps.
Q: The European Championships in Sheffield are coming up. What can you do in a month, and how do you feel about the pressure of defending your title?
Niina Petrokina: The plan is to restore the triple flip and lutz. I hope my leg can handle it and stays strong. My goal at every competition is to do what I can at that moment. I don’t know what I’ll be able to do in a month. I hope for the best and want to do everything I can. I’m doing the same program as last season. But life will show.
Q: Has the pressure eased now? To some extent, you just have to fight for survival. Was it greater at the start of the season?
Niina Petrokina: All season I was thinking about my leg. I couldn’t really think about big competitions. I just lived step by step and worked. I’m very happy that last season I earned three spots for the European Championships, two for the World Championships, and one for the Olympics. Now my goal is to go to the Olympics. But for that, I need to work harder.
Q: For that, you need to do well at Europeans.
Niina Petrokina: Yes!
Q: You got a small test for major championships with today’s competition and with the long day, coming straight from the doping test.
Niina Petrokina: It’s normal to have a doping test after a big competition. This time it didn’t take as long as I thought, but it still took a while.
Q: All the steps for Europeans are done; now it’s just about continuing to improve.
Niina Petrokina: Yes!
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