BEIJING (AP) — Russian figure skater Adeliia Petrosian is set to be a contender for the gold medal at next year's Winter Olympics after winning the final qualifying event Saturday.

Skating as an "Individual Neutral Athlete” without national symbols, Petrosian beat two former European champions with a total score of 209.63 points at the competition in Beijing on Saturday, with a Michael Jackson-themed short program and Argentine tango-style free skate.

This week marks the first time that Russian figure skaters have taken part in international competitions since the 2022 Olympics.

Anastasiia Gubanova of Georgia, the 2023 European champion coming off a 28th-place finish at the world championships this year, was second on 206.23. Belgium's Loena Hendrickx, 2024 European gold medalist coming

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