Inga Gurgenidze

Inga Gurgenidze, a 15-year-old NextGen skater from Georgia, is becoming the country’s newest hope for the upcoming Olympic cycle. Now in her third international junior season, she trains in Kazan, Russia, with coach Ludmila Gafarova.

Gurgenidze is one of the few junior skaters to have landed a triple Axel in competition. During the 2024 Junior Grand Prix series, she finished fifth and sixth in Turkey and China, respectively. While she didn’t qualify for the Junior Grand Prix Final, her impressive technical skills and exciting new routines are making waves and winning her fans all over the world.

2024-25 Programs: Creative Growth

Gurgenidze’s free skate program this season is particularly special to her. She is skating to the music of Björk from the famous film Dancer in the Dark, and the emotional depth of the music is reflected in her performance. Two pieces are used for this routine: “107 Steps” and “Cvalda.”

“I love this program so much,” said the young skater. “Even when I get into my starting pose, I just know it’s going to work out. I skate the whole routine in one breath. It flies by so fast that I don’t even have time to think about anything!”

“In this program, I portray a blind woman, someone dancing in the dark, moving with her soul, but unable to see,” she explained of her character.

“At the beginning of the program, she acts as if she’s counting steps to the wall,” added Coach Gafarova. “Inga imagines herself in a choreography hall, dancing alone with her soul, as her spirit struggles to break free.”

The free skate was choreographed by Sergey Plishkin, who came all the way from Moscow to work with Gurgenidze. Plishkin is a well-known Russian choreographer who also worked on new programs with another Georgian team, pair skaters Anastassia Metelkina and Luka Berulava.

“He watched Inga’s previous performances, chatted with her over a video call, and picked this music because it suits her perfectly,” Gafarova explained. “The moment we heard it, we knew it was the one.”

The team has worked hard to incorporate the triple Axel seamlessly into her routine.

“We tried different music options, but only with this piece did the Axel feel natural in run-throughs,” explained Gafarova. “The tempo and expression fit her perfectly! The free skate isn’t fully polished yet, so perhaps the character and story aren’t completely clear at this stage, but we are working on it.”

The short program to “Tango Time” by Atomic Overture was choreographed by Moscow-based choreographer Ivan Volobuev.

“This season, we wanted to showcase a different side of Inga and give her the chance to grow creatively,” Gafarova shared. “So, we invited outside choreographers. Previously, we had worked with local ones at our rink.”

Gurgenidze shared that she really connects with the music and this style of the program makes her feel very comfortable since she used to skate to Carmen at the novice level.

“But I’ve grown up, and now we’re exploring a more mature character that’s full of passion,” she offered.

The Challenge of the Triple Axel

One of Gurgenidze’s biggest challenges this season is nailing the triple Axel—a jump that sets the top skaters apart. The teenager has been working hard on it, and while she lands it reliably in practice, competitions are a different story.

“In practice, it’s super consistent, sometimes 10 out of 10, sometimes 7 or 8,” she revealed. “But in competition, it doesn’t always come together. I think it’s some kind of a mental block.”

Her coach agrees: “The triple Axel is tricky. If you’re even a little nervous, it’s hard to pull off. You can’t save it the way you might save a quad. There is no room for the slightest error, which unfortunately, only adds to the overall pressure. But we’re not giving up. We’re keeping it in the free program and pushing forward.”

Gurgenidze still remembers the exact day she first landed the element: April 1, 2022. Her mom didn’t believe it when coach Gafarova called to share the news. In fact, she thought it was an April Fools’ Day joke.

Since then, Gurgenidze has successfully landed this jump in competitions, but unfortunately, not with the consistency she hopes for.

Quads: a work in progress

While the team’s main focus is currently on the triple Axel, quads are definitely a possibility for the future. Two years ago, the skater attempted the quad toe loop. Last year, she landed a quad Salchow, albeit with an under-rotation.

“We had to pause working on the quads to concentrate on the Axel for the international junior events,” Gafarova explained. “Right now, it’s tough to manage both the Axel with all the triple combos.”

“But we’ll get the quads down too,” Gurgenidze quickly added. “It’s on our list!”

“I’m not afraid of quads,” she added. “Sometimes everything clicks, and I feel confident going for the quad. But other times, there’s this mental block, like I just can’t attempt the jump. It’s not a physical issue, but more of a mindset challenge.”

Dealing with Puberty and Pressure

Last season wasn’t as successful for Gurgenidze as her debut (her personal best total score still dates back to 2022), but the skater learned how to pick herself up and keep believing in herself. In fact, she scored a new personal best in the free skate two days ago in Wuxi, China (128.69).

“In your first season at the international level, you’re kind of an underdog, so there’s no pressure or big expectations to meet,” she pointed out. “But it’s the following year where there’s no room for error, and that can be hard to adjust to. There were some setbacks, but they didn’t last long because you learn to bounce back pretty quickly. You come up with new goals and realize you can’t just give up after putting in so much effort. It’s a shame to walk away just because of a few rough competitions.”

And she has her own recipe for pulling herself together after a bad competition.

“I try to get back on track as quickly as I can,” Gurgenidze explained. “I focus on my next training sessions, and that gives me a big boost of motivation to keep going and make sure I don’t mess up again. But sometimes I cry too; I’m only human.”

Inga’s coach acknowledges that it appears to be a mental issue.

“It’s this age,” said the coach. “Everything is changing: her body, her mindset, and even her emotions. A slight change in weight or height, and we have to readjust everything. The jumps start to slip, and uncertainty creeps in. After a weekend off, it can feel like starting all over again.”

With puberty comes instability, and fear and self-doubt emerge,” Gafarova added. “As the athlete grows, thoughts like, “Oh, what if I can’t do it? What if I let everyone down?’ start to pop up. Little kids don’t feel that kind of pressure; they just get out there and skate. But during puberty, they become aware that a particular performance can really matter. That’s when the nerves kick in. So, the coach has to take on the role of a mental coach too.”

All athletes have different methods of calming their nerves, and Gurgenidze shares what she does before stepping on the ice.

“First, I do some warm-up exercises,” she said. “Nothing fancy, but they really help relax my muscles and clear my mind. Then, I picture myself at my usual practice and pretend it’s my home rink. I’m all alone there, and my mind is completely blank, with no fears or negative thoughts.”

“My coach is great at helping me get in the zone for skating,” she added. “She always tells me, ‘Just do your thing, focus on yourself, remember your best run-throughs, and just copy and paste them.”

Rocky start to 2024-25

At the JGP event in Wuxi, China, Inga faced a new challenge: it was her first competition without a coach by her side. Unfortunately, Gafarova couldn’t make it due to visa issues, which meant Gurgenidze had to figure out how to prepare on her own.

“At first, I felt really scared since it was such a new experience for me,” Gurgenidze confessed. “But then I calmed down and ended up having a pretty stress-free event.”

Gurgenidze is quite pleased with her performance at her second JGP.

“I’d rate it a 7 out of 10,” she said. “Unfortunately, I just couldn’t shake off my nerves during the short program. Finishing in 13th place was definitely not what I had in mind.”

However, she was very happy with the free skate where she landed a triple Axel, albeit on the quarter. All other seven triple jumps were solid.

“I managed to pull it together for the free skate,” she said. “It feels amazing! Surprisingly, I felt even more stressed after landing the triple Axel because I realized I couldn’t afford to make any mistakes and had to skate clean.”

Despite a rocky start at GP series, Gurgenidze’s coach is hopeful that this season will be a good one for her, but she is being careful about setting goals.

“Sure, I have goals in mind, but I don’t always share them with the athletes,” she laughed. “I don’t want them to feel pressured like, ‘The coach said it, so I have to nail it.’ Right now, for Inga, it’s not about placements or medals; it’s about skating her programs clean this season.”

“And of course, getting the triple Axel down!” Gurgenidze chimed in. “But the main thing is to get my nerves under control. I want to learn to step onto the ice calmly, without getting the jitters. It’s all about gaining control over myself and my skating. ”

“And yes, I definitely want to stand on the podium,” she added of her future and present goals. “Both in the Grand Prix series and at the World Championships. This year I am aiming for the top 10 or even top 5 at Junior Worlds. I want to show that I deserve those medals and can prove it with my performances. I’m ready to compete with the best!”

Skating inspirations

When asked about her skating idols, Gurgenidze brings up some truly legendary names.

“Definitely Evgenia Medvedeva and Yulia Lipnitskaya,” she said. “I watched them and was totally mesmerized. Yulia had phenomenal flexibility and spins. What amazed me about Medvedeva was her incredible stability, not to mention her charisma and acting skills.”

But it’s Elizaveta Tuktamysheva that holds a special place in Gurgenidze’s heart. She was Gurgenidze’s biggest motivation to land a triple Axel.

“Her axel is incredibly powerful and with amazing rotation,” Gurgenidze noted. “It’s so effortless that you can hardly tell if it’s a triple or a double. And what really inspires me is that Liza relearned this jump after puberty, even after losing it for a while. Stable triple Axel at the age of 25—isn’t that outstanding? She’s such a big motivation for other skaters, showing that it’s totally possible. There’s no reason to give up if a jump suddenly goes wrong or disappears. If you have the passion and the goal, there are no limits. From the very beginning, I knew I wanted to jump the triple Axel just like Liza.”

School, languages and Georgian travel

“Committed and determined” are the words Gafarova uses to describe her student.

“She’s always chasing her goals, fully dedicated, and never gives up,” said the coach. “We can all agree that these are the most important qualities for an athlete. Even as a kid, she was super focused. While the others were whining and crying, she just kept going and did whatever she set her mind to. It’s just who she is.”

Gurgenidze shares that her biggest strengths are her strong self-motivation and her willingness to try new things.

“Some people might call me adventurous, but I just enjoy giving new stuff a shot,” said the teen. “For instance, I love practicing new combos like the triple Lutz-triple toe- triple loop or triple Lutz-triple loop just for fun. Not for competitions.”

Self-discipline definitely deserves a spot on that list, as the skater successfully juggles high school with her figure skating career.

“I don’t do online schooling,” she confirmed. “I attend regular classes between training sessions. I miss a lot of school, so I take extra classes, and my evenings are packed with homework and tutoring.”

Gurgenidze’s biggest challenge in school is languages.

“I’m learning English because I know how important it is, even though it’s a bit tough for me,” she admitted. “On top of that, I’ve been studying Georgian for the second year now. I understand a lot, but I still have a hard time speaking; the phonetics can be pretty complex.”

Since part of Gurgenidze’s family lives in Georgia, she’s been going there every summer since she was a kid.

“My granny makes the most amazing watermelon jam, and my uncle always surprises me with cool exotic salads. The food in Georgia is incredible; it’s truly a gastronomic paradise!”

But Georgia isn’t just a holiday destination for Gurgenidze; her team hosts training camps there when their home rink in Kazan closes for the summer.

“We need to keep training since the international junior season kicks off in August, and we can’t afford to take a break,” the skater explained.

Handmade Dreamcatchers: Snagging That Olympic Dream

Gurgenidze’s training schedule only allows for one day off each week. If she’s not studying that day, she’s either hanging out in the park with friends or making dreamcatchers and doing some embroidery at home. Gurgenidze says these activities help her “chill out” and take her mind off skating.

But the best way for the young athlete to unwind is with her dog. Her parents gave her a Pomeranian named “Zhuzha” when she started her first international junior season.

Like many teenage skaters, Gurgenidze loves to travel, and international competitions provide plenty of opportunities for it. She especially loved her trip to Taiwan last year. Not just to compete at Junior Worlds, but also to see the adorable pandas at the Taipei Zoo.

But out of all her journeys, the one the Georgian skater is really focused on is the road to the Olympics. She’s too young to compete in Milano-Cortina in 2026, but the Olympic Games in France in 2030 are her biggest goal.

“Last year, I was lucky enough to compete at the Youth Olympics, and it was an amazing experience!” she recalled. “The atmosphere was incredible, and I met so many new people—I love making friends and sharing a good laugh! Everything felt new to me: trading pins, soaking up the Olympic vibe, and being part of such a huge international sports event.”

“I also landed my triple Axel there and finished in the top 5,” she added. “This was a big deal for me. That experience really made me want to aim for the Olympics in 2030. I really hope to compete there; it’s my goal, and I’m ready to work hard for it!”

No doubt she will. Inga Gurgenidze is a name we’ll surely be hearing more of in the years to come.

Related Info:

• ISU Bio
• GS Fan Fest

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