The two-time and reigning European champion scored a personal-best 221.07 across both programs for her second career Grand Prix medal, and now targets the round later this month and much closer to home, in Helsinki.

She improved her short-program best in Canada, then bettered her free-skate score too. "I liked that I felt so free in the free skate. I felt my character, which is written into the story of the program," she told ERR Sport.

Three years ago in the US Petrõkina, 22, became the first Estonian skater to reach a Grand Prix podium, though that time the organizers saw fit to fly the Japanese flag at the ceremony. While this time the flag was right, the Estonian said her position was not quite. "I'd like to see it in first place," she added.

Petrõkina said the nerves never go away regardless of experience, and described her routine: six minutes of warm-up, then rest, a walk, and a reminder of why she does it. Every time I skate well and feel the emotion and the audience's support, I think — that's what I do it for."

The quadruple salchow, a a figure skating jump featuring four full revolutions (1,440 degrees) in the air, is the open question. She has landed it in training, and by early information the free skate in Canada was meant to open with it, but she chose the safer option."The goal is to show that jump, but for that it has to be stable. It's not clean enough in training yet," Petrõkina went on.

She framed the choice plainly: good scores and medals, and/or the quad. "The goals are there, the competition is strong and it motivates me to put those jumps in. Everyone is starting to jump them — I have to as well."

The Helsinki GP round takes place November 20-21, and Mihhail Selevko and Arlet Levandi are also representing Estonia there.

The original ERR Sport segment is below.

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