Niina Petrokina: “If I didn’t have this injury, maybe I’d be more nervous than I am now. A month ago, I didn’t even think I’d be going to Europeans, because I still couldn’t do anything with my leg.”
Niina Petrokina is looking forward to the European Championships with moderate nerves.
original source: sport.err.ee dd. 14th January 2026 by Anu Saartis
Defending champion Niina Petrokina is set to compete in the final group at the European Championships in Sheffield, feeling motivated and ready after overcoming injury and gaining confidence from recent show performances. Here’s a translation of her comments posted on ERR.
“If I didn’t have this injury, maybe I’d be more nervous than I am now,” said Petrokina. “A month ago, I didn’t even think I’d be going to Europeans, because I still couldn’t do anything with my leg. Now, I feel differently: I can, I know how, I want to go, because it’s been so long since I’ve competed in front of such a big audience. I really love competing when people are watching and supporting me. I’m really looking forward to that feeling,” added the defending champion.
Because her injury limited her competition experience, Petrokina performed in ice shows in Germany and France at the end of the year, where she was able to try more difficult jumps under pressure. These performances helped her regain form and added motivation.
“We performed in three cities: Ingolstadt, Oberstdorf, and Regensburg, and I also had a show in Vaujany, France. There were 4,000–5,000 people watching, and it was even harder because it was dark and you couldn’t see where you were skating. I can say that performing in a show is harder than in competitions, because we perform without a warm-up,” Petrokina explained.
“Since I didn’t have any major competitions this season and couldn’t compete in the Grand Prix events, I needed these performances to see how my body would react, how I’d handle the audience, what feelings would come up, and how I could manage myself. These were very high-quality and professional shows, and I enjoyed performing. The days were long, from morning until late at night with rehearsals and performances. If I hadn’t had these shows, I don’t know how I would have gotten into shape,” said the reigning European champion.
Now that her right leg allows her to do all the difficult jumps, Petrokina will wear brand new competition dresses for both the short and free programs at the European Championships. “All the costumes are new this time. We made a lot of costumes, chose and tried to find one that would look great at the European Championships – and, if possible, at the Olympics too.”
Related topics: European Championships, Niina Petrokina
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