Elizaveta Sergeyevna Tuktamysheva ( ; ; born 17 December 1996) is a Russian former figure skater. She is the 2015 World champion, the 2021 World silver medalist, the 2015 European champion and the 2013 European bronze medalist. She has medaled 16 times on the Grand Prix series, including 5 gold medals and including gold at the 2014–15 Grand Prix Final and bronze at the 2018–19 Grand Prix Final. On national level she is an 8-time medalist in the Russian Championships and the 2013 Russian national champion, as well as 4-time medalist in the Russian Cup Finals. On the junior level, she is the 2012 Youth Olympic champion, 2011 World Junior silver medalist, and 2010–11 JGP Final silver medalist.
At the 2015 World Championships, she landed a triple axel in competition for the first time, making her the sixth woman, and second Russian woman to do so, and she became the first female skater to land four triple jumps in a short program (triple Axel, triple Lutz, and a triple toe-triple toe combination). At the 2018–19 Grand Prix Final, she landed the maximum eight triple jumps cleanly in the free skate allowed under the Zayak rule, becoming the third woman to do so after Japanese Rika Kihira and American Mirai Nagasu. She, therefore, also became the first woman to land the maximum twelve triple jumps in one international competition, albeit with the triple Axel in her short program deemed under-rotated. In the final event of the 2018–19 season, the 2019 World Team Trophy, she successfully landed all twelve jumps cleanly, becoming the first woman to accomplish this feat in an official international competition. She is also one of only four women to achieve a Grand Slam, when winning all major competitions in the 2014-15 season.
Tuktamysheva's career is notable for its consistency and longevity, especially in contrast with the young ages and high turnover of elite Russian women's skaters in her era („System Tutberidze“). Throughout 16 different seasons, she competed in 70 international events and 15 Russian Nationals, and never finished off the top 10. Additionally, she has maintained a triple axel for 8 years, landing it first in 2015, and still incorporating it in competitions in 2023.
Personal life Elizaveta Sergeyevna Tuktamysheva was born on 17 December 1996 in Glazov, Udmurtia, Russia. Her mother teaches algebra and geometry and was her daughter's class teacher from the 5th to 9th grade. Her father - a former skier who later coached football - died in April 2011. Elizaveta has a younger sister, Evgenia. The family moved from Glazov to Saint Petersburg in August 2011. Tuktamysheva had a Pomeranian dog named Kokosha, who died in March 2025.
In July 2020, Tuktamysheva received her diploma from the Lesgaft National State University of Physical Education, Sport and Health in Saint Petersburg.
She dated fellow Russian figure skater Andrei Lazukin from 2015 to 2020. As of 2026, she is in a relationship with fellow Russian figure skater, Petr Gumennik.
Tuktamysheva is bilingual and able to communicate in Russian and English fluently. In addition, she is a staunch advocate of women's rights in Russia, having criticized the country's rhetoric and policies in pressuring women to give birth, abortion restrictions, and the lack of protective laws towards victims of domestic violence.
Sanctions In April 2023, Tuktamysheva was sanctioned by the Ukrainian government due to her her participating in a pro-war ice show, with all her assets in Ukraine frozen and a 50-year ban on entering the country. Tuktamysheva, herself, expressed disappointment about the ice show being used as a Russia propaganda tool, writing in an Instagram post, "I really wanted to believe that sports are outside of politics, but today it turned out not to be so. I love figure skating, I truly love what I do - I live it. I want to compete, I want to skate, I want to put on new programs, I want to participate in ice shows. But I don't want the performances of athletes to become a way of manipulation and beliefs. At a total loss..."
Competitive career Early years Tuktamysheva started skating at the age of four after meeting girls interested in the sport at a summer camp. Her first coach was Svetlana Veretennikova in Glazov. Alexei Mishin observed Tuktamysheva at a competition in Belgorod but did not invite her into his group, considering her technique too incomplete. A year later, he saw her again and changed his mind due to her ability to jump high, but she had to rework the technique on all of her jumps. Since her family could not afford to move to a big city, she remained in Glazov, continuing to train under Veretennikova, but regularly visited Mishin in Saint Petersburg, where she lived in a dormitory. The train journey from Glazov to Saint Petersburg took 27 hours. Until the summer of 2011, she would spend an average of one to two weeks in Saint Petersburg and the rest of the month in Glazov.
Tuktamysheva was called a figure skating prodigy by the Russian media because at the age of 12, she performed difficult jumps, such as the triple Axel in practice, but she did not attempt the triple Axel in competition until 2015. In 2008, she placed tenth at the Russian Championships. Mishin was criticized for allowing Tuktamysheva to participate in the senior Russian Championships (2008) at only eleven years old.
2009–2015: Russian Championships to World Championship 2009–2010 season: Russian Championships silver In 2009, Tuktamysheva won the silver medal at the Russian Championships after placing fifth in the short program and first in the free skating. She placed second with a margin of 0.67 points behind champion Adelina Sotnikova, who is half a year older than Tuktamysheva. Mishin said his student was Russia's "main hope for the gold medal at the Sochi Olympics". Despite her medal, she was not sent to any ISU Championships, including Junior Worlds because she was not old enough according to ISU rules.
At the 2010 Russian Championships, Tuktamysheva was tenth after the short program but earned 124.57 points in the free skate and was able to win a bronze medal. Her technical marks were higher than those of male competitors. In March, she skated in the Kings on Ice ice show. During the summer, she took part in training camps in Estonia, Italy, and Germany in preparation for the new season.
2010–2011 season: Junior World silver
In the 2010–11 season, Tuktamysheva was old enough to compete in ISU Junior competitions. She won her Junior Grand Prix events in Germany and Romania and qualified for the Junior Grand Prix Final. At the Final, she placed second in both programs to win silver behind Adelina Sotnikova. At the 2011 Russian Championships, she placed seventh in the short program and 3rd in the long, to win the bronze medal. She won the Russian Junior Championships by placing first in both programs. At the 2011 World Junior Championships, she won the silver medal behind teammate Adelina Sotnikova.
Tuktamysheva settled with her family in Saint Petersburg in the summer of 2011. In preparation for the new season, she took part in Mishin's training camps in Jaca (Spain), Tartu (Estonia), and Pinzolo (Italy).
2011–2012 season: Grand Prix debut and Youth Olympics
According to ISU age rules, Tuktamysheva was eligible for the senior Grand Prix circuit during the 2011–12 season, although not for senior ISU Championships. She was assigned to two Grand Prix events, the 2011 Skate Canada International and 2011 Trophée Éric Bompard. Tuktamysheva replaced the injured Sarah Meier at the Japan Open in October and won the event. Tuktamysheva debuted on the senior Grand Prix circuit at Skate Canada International, where she won the gold medal with a combined personal best score of 177.38 points, becoming the youngest champion in the event since Tracey Wainman in 1981. She dedicated the win to her late father. Tuktamysheva then won gold at 2011 Trophée Éric Bompard to qualify for her first senior Grand Prix Final. She is the first ladies' skater to win her senior debut event and to win both events in her senior Grand Prix debut. At the Grand Prix Final, she finished fourth with a combined total of 174.51 points.
At the 2012 Russian Championships, Tuktamysheva was seventh in the short program and fourth in the free skate and finished sixth overall. She then competed at the 2012 Winter Youth Olympics and won the gold medal. Tuktamysheva withdrew from the 2012 World Junior Championships in order to prepare for the following season, including working on the triple Axel.
2012–2013 season: National title and European bronze In the summer before the 2012–13 season, Tuktamysheva sustained a knee injury. She was assigned to 2012 Skate Canada International and the 2012 Trophée Éric Bompard, entering both events as the defending champion. In October, Mishin said that her participation at Skate Canada International was uncertain due to injury and growth issues. Tuktamysheva did compete in Skate Canada International, placing sixth in the short program and third in the free skate. She finished fourth overall with a total score of 168.00, just 0.04 less than bronze medalist Kanako Murakami. At the 2012 Trophée Éric Bompard, Tuktamysheva was third in the short program and second in the free skate. She obtained a personal best free skating score, 121.36 points, and won the silver medal ahead of teammate Yulia Lipnitskaya. Tuktamysheva qualified for the Grand Prix Final in Sochi, Russia, where she was fifth in the short program and second in the long, finishing fifth overall. At the 2013 Russian Championships, also held in Sochi, she placed first in the short program but fell ill with a cold before the free skate. Mishin initially indicated that she would withdraw, but later she and her team decided she would compete. Tuktamysheva said, "I might find myself in an even worse situation in the future. I have to know how to handle it, so we decided to skate." She finished first in the free skate and won her first senior national title.
At the 2013 European Championships, Tuktamysheva placed fourth in the short program, first in the long program, and won the bronze medal overall. She and silver medalist Adelina Sotnikova were Russia's first medalists in the Europeans ladies' event since Irina Slutskaya won the title in 2006. At the 2013 World Championships, Tuktamysheva was fourteenth in the short program after falling from a sit spin and singling her double Axel. She placed eighth in the long program and finished tenth overall in her Worlds debut. At the 2013 World Team Trophy in Tokyo, she finished tenth individually while Team Russia was fourth overall.
2013–2014 season Tuktamysheva started her season at the 2013 Finlandia Trophy. Placing sixth in the short and second in the free, she won the bronze medal behind Akiko Suzuki and Yulia Lipnitskaya. At the 2013 Skate America, she placed ninth in the short and third in the free, finishing fourth overall with 176.75 points. Despite a back injury, she competed at her next event, the 2013 Rostelecom Cup, and finished fourth behind Mirai Nagasu. After taking the bronze medal at the 2013 Golden Spin of Zagreb behind Miki Ando, Tuktamysheva competed as the defending champion at the 2014 Russian Championships. She came in tenth after placing ninth in both segments. On 2 March 2014, she sustained an ankle injury at the Russian Cup Final – the preliminary diagnosis suggested a torn ankle ligament. Although she hoped to resume training at the end of March, her injury took longer to heal, and she returned to the ice in mid-June.
2014–2015 season: World Champion