SOCHI, December 8 (R-Sport) - Russian figure skating prodigy Elizaveta Tuktamysheva said Saturday she was shocked by how well she performed in the free skate at the Grand Prix Finals in Sochi.
Tuktamysheva, 15, finished fifth overall, one place lower than in the same competition last year, but posted the second-best free skate score of 117.14 points, behind only competition winner Mao Asada of Japan.
"I'm in shock now that I was able to hold everything together and gather myself, because I didn't expect it, especially after my lack of confidence in training sessions."
She added she had overcome injury and even thought of quitting after a poor short program Friday.
"My knee hurt, I couldn't jump, and in the warm-up I had problems, so I'm now very satisfied," she said.
"It even happened that my desire to skate fell away.
She added that she had proved her inner strength in the free skate. "I wanted to skate it out and show not everything was lost."
Tuktamysheva won two Grands Prix in her debut season last year but has struggled to replicate her form since as she struggles with growing pains, with her best result of 2012 being second at last month's Trophee Eric Bompard in Paris.
