Russian figure skating starlet Anastasia Gulyakova has shown she can dazzle her fans on and off the ice in a smouldering new shoot, sharing two photos of herself draped over a chair in an open jacket and towering heels.
An 18-year-old credited by her many new admirers with possessing throwback qualities reminiscent of 20th century figure skating icons, the 18-year-old hit the spotlight in November, when she won a bronze medal on her Grand Prix debut at the 2020 Rostelecom Cup in Moscow.
Her rise was halted by her training mate – former world champion Elizaveta Tuktamysheva – falling ill with Covid-19 and subsequently finishing 12th in the free program at the Russian championship, ruling Gulyakova out of the national team for the Olympic season.
Now the teenager has shown her style extends beyond sport, showing off the results of a photo session with a studio in the Vladimir Oblast region.
She posed in a black suit with nothing under her jacket as she posed at a camera overhead in an ornate-looking armchair, donning red lipstick and styling her hair for the eye-catching portraits.
At the end of a period in her career when she has faced some of her sternest tests, Gulyakova told her thousands of social media followers: "Stay strong."
This is far from the first time the fashion-loving youngster has taken part in a shoot.
In March, she posed with former Soviet champion and world and European medalist Alexei Mishin, wearing a flowing black dress as the veteran coach stood by her in a white suit, red bow tie and brown hat to mark his 80th birthday.
She enjoys wearing racey outfits more readily associated with bars and nightclubs on the ice, dancing to pop songs last season including 'Lady Marmalade', the collaboration between Christina Aguilera, Lil' Kim, Mya and Pink which became famous for its burlesque-inspired video.
Last week, the skating sensation also flaunted her athletic figure on a sandy beach in Sestroretsk, St. Petersburg.
Gulyakova's fans are used to receiving pearls of wisdom from the star alongside her selfies. "Happiness is always where a person sees it," she told them last week, having captioned a shot in the sea: "Enjoy the moment – here and now."
