Alina Zagitova's bid for a sweep of all the major titles in her first senior season was cut short at the World Championships in Milan, but the 15-year-old figure skater still got the special treatment Russian athletes have "enjoyed" over the past few years.
"I stayed there until three in the morning, in the end I just calmed down and sort of made my peace with it," Zagitova said according to FFKKR (Figure Skating Federation of Russia). "In the morning, I woke up, cried some more, and then I realized tears won't help."
READ MORE: Russian Figure Skater Zagitova's Coach Explains Failure at World Competition
She said her failure wasn't caused by nerves: "I've had many experiences where I botched the first jump, and then completed the routine cleanly, I wouldn't say I relaxed or got upset, gave up."
Zagitova shot into the spotlight at the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, coming back home with a gold and a silver.
