Ekaterina Kurakova

Kurakova began learning to skate in 2006.[3] She was coached first by Natalia Dubinskaya and later by Inna Goncharenko at CSKA Moscow.[1] Representing Russia, she competed internationally in the advanced novice category for two seasons beginning in 2013–14 and then as a junior for two seasons.

In the summer of 2017, Kurakova decided to represent Poland and began training in Toruń, coached by Sylwia Nowak-Trębacka. After receiving financial support from an unpublicized sponsor, she decided to move to Toronto to train under Brian Orser at the Toronto Cricket Club, beginning in December 2018.[6] Later that month, she won the Four National Championships in Budapest,[7] thus becoming the 2019 Polish national champion. However, due to the recent change of her country of representation, she was unable to compete in any ISU events until after June 2019.[7]

On 1 July 2019, Kurakova received her clearance certificate, allowing her to officially represent Poland in international figure skating competitions and ISU championships.[8]

In her international senior debut at the Minto Summer Skate in Ontario, Canada she placed first, scoring overall 182.77 points.[9] She then competed at two ISU Junior Grand Prix events, placing fifth in Riga and seventh in Gdańsk. In November, she won gold at the 2019 CS Warsaw Cup, ahead of Bradie Tennell. In December, she defended her national title at the Four National Championships in Ostrava.

Kurakova competed at her first European Championships in January, placing tenth.[10] She finished the season at the 2020 World Junior Championships in Tallinn, Estonia, where she placed seventh. Kurakova remarked afterward "I'm so happy, because we did hard work with Brian and it was important for me to show what Brian made for me. I’m really grateful to my coaches and parents."[11] She was scheduled to make her senior World Championship debut in Montreal, but this was prevented by the event's cancellation due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[12]

Due to the pandemic, Kurakova was unable to return to Canada to train in Toronto. She temporarily began training in Italy under Lorenzo Magri, while receiving virtual coaching from Orser. Kurakova was assigned to compete at the 2020 Skate Canada International, but withdrew on October 7.[13]

After winning the Four National Championships for the third consecutive year, Kurakova made her World Championship debut in March at the 2021 World Championships in Stockholm. She placed 32nd in the short program after falling on her triple Lutz in her planned opening triple Lutz-triple toeloop combination. She managed to tack on a double toeloop onto a triple loop later in the program, but her reduced technical content was not enough to advance her to the free skate.[14]

Kurakova began the season at the 2021 CS Lombardia Trophy, where she won the silver medal.[15] She next competed at the 2021 CS Nebelhorn Trophy, seeking to qualify a berth for Poland at the 2022 Winter Olympics. She placed sixth in the short program after a combination error, but a second-place free skate saw her rise to the silver medal position, in the process securing the second of six available Olympic spots.[16]

Following the Challenger series, Kurakova made her Grand Prix debut at the 2021 Skate America, where she placed ninth. Returning to Poland to compete at the 2021 CS Warsaw Cup, she won the bronze medal, notably finishing first in the free skate.[17] At her second Grand Prix, the 2021 Rostelecom Cup, Kurakova finished in ninth place.[18]

Kurakova claimed her fourth consecutive Polish national title in December at the 2022 Four Nationals Championships, and was therefore assigned to Poland's berth in the women's event at the 2022 European Championships. At Europeans, Kurakova debuted a new short program to Tchaikovsky's "Valse Sentimentale", and skated cleanly in that segment to set a new personal best. She executed another clean program in the free skate to earn personal bests in that segment, as well as overall, and recorded a career best placement at the event with a fifth place finish. She cited breaking the 200 point mark as the most exciting result for her.[19]

Named to the Polish Olympic team, Kurakova placed twenty-fourth in the short program of the women's event, narrowly qualifying for the free skate.[20] Kurakova dramatically improved her position in the free skate, ranking twelfth in that segment and rising to twelfth overall.[21] Posting on Instagram afterward, she exulted: "Life is not always easy. We all have to go through difficult times at times. But if you don't give up, you will be rewarded. This is what I try to convey during my program. Life is Beautiful."[22] Kurakova finished the season with a thirteenth place at the 2022 World Championships.[17]