Russian athlete told whose performances her inspired and forced to work hard to prove their superiority. According to Alina Zagitova, she is motivated by competitors from the Land of the Rising Sun. Meanwhile, the main rival of the 16-year-old ice princess is considered to be her compatriot, the silver medalist of the Olympics in South Korea, Evgenia Medvedev.. "Japanese skaters did not surprise me, because when I was still in the junior season, I met a Japanese woman who jumps triple axel. Of course, this [rivalry] is impressive, but it makes you go ahead, "Sport-Express quotes Zagitov.. At the same time, Medvedeva’s rentals didn’t worry her very much, which young star admitted when speaking about the performance of her rival at the French Grand Prix. “Will I watch Medvedeva’s rental today? If it’s not too late, I’ll be there,” said the Olympic champion indifferently.. The confrontation of the strongest Russian figure skaters is watched with interest all over the world.. On most joint starts, Zagitova and Medvedeva breathe in the back of each other.. At the Grand Prix stages in Helsinki and Moscow, Alina became number one, doubly delighting her fans. After all, she set a world record, beating her own result. However, Medvedev at this time spoke at other venues.. The final tournament of the series will be held in Vancouver from December 6 to 9. Zagitova secured a ticket to the final. Whether Medvedev will get there will depend on her hire at the French Grand Prix, where Eugene will go on the ice today with a short program..