Is there anything that creates a greater sense of inadequacy than sitting on the couch in pajamas while watching someone your own age excel on the worldwide stage? If you have paid any attention to the Sochi Olympics, chances are you have heard of 15-year-old sensation Yulia Lipnitskaia. The Russian figure skater captivated people all over the world after two flawless performances in the team figure skating event. She instantly became a face of Russia and the Olympics, melting the hearts of all who witnessed her performance. She is known for her technical excellence, her grace, a maturity on the ice far beyond her years, and most of all, her jaw-dropping flexibility. Her best element, the thing that sets her far apart from all of the other skaters, is her ability to spin. Her uncanny ability of pulling her leg to what seems past 180° degrees while making several rotations per second ceases to amaze.

Not many people had heard of Lipnitskaia before the Sochi games began. Due to her age, she was only able to compete in senior International Skating Union events starting in the 2013-2014 season. She made the age requirement for the Olympics by just 26 days. Her Olympic debut amazed everyone as she skated two flawless performances. She placed first in both the ladies short program and free skate in the team event, beating out more well-known skaters such as American Gracie Gold and bronze medalist, Carolina Kostner. Her first place finishes helped Russia eventually captured the team figure skating gold medal.

Expectations were high coming into the ladies individual event. There was an unimaginable amount of pressure on the 15-year-old to deliver. After her stunning performances in the team event, Lipnitskaia was considered by many to be the main threat to defending gold medalist, Yuna Kim. When the time came, however, the result turned out very differently from what people expected. The crowd erupted in cheers the moment she stepped out on the ice. She began her program as planned, landing three difficult jumps cleanly. On her last jump, however, the unexpected happened when she fell on the triple flip. She did end the program with her strongest element, spinning on one leg while pulling the other past her head. Despite the fall, Lipnitskaia placed 5th, still within medal contention.

Many were expecting Lipnitskaia to come back in the free skate, where she had done exceptionally well in the team event, beating second place by over 12 points. The crowd greeted her with an enormous applause as she took to the ice. She started her performance off great, landing seven jumps seemingly perfectly, including the jump she had fallen on the previous day. The individual event once again turned out much differently than expected, though, as she fell again towards the end of her program. She landed two more clean jumps and ended her program with her trademark spins. Her free skate score of 135.34 and her total combined score of 200.57 was enough to keep her in 5th place.

Despite her disappointing results in the individual competition, Lipnitskaia remains a star of the Olympics. The gold medal in the team event that she helped earn made her the youngest gold medalist in a ladies individual figure skating event in Olympic history, at 15 years and 249 days old. She also performed a flawless performance in the figure skating gala, where the top scorers in each category get to skate one last time on Olympic ice without the pressure of medals. During the closing ceremony on Sunday night, she walked out with her fellow Russian gold medalists, carrying the Russian flag. The focus on her is now for the 2018 Olympics in South Korea. Lipnitskaia made her mark in her Olympic debut in Sochi. Expect her to be a major gold medal contender in 2018.