MILAN – Russian teenager Adeliia Petrosian captured global attention on Tuesday with a dazzling Olympic debut, performing a short program in a red-and-black Thriller-inspired costume that kept her in medal contention.

The 18-year-old arrived in Milan largely untested on the international stage. Russian athletes have been banned from competing in international events following Moscow's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, making Petrosian’s appearance even more remarkable. Competing as an Individual Neutral Athlete (AIN), she scored 72.89 points, landing three triple jumps in a program that notably omitted both a triple Axel and a quadruple jump, ultimately finishing fifth.

Petrosian trailed top-ranked Japanese skater Ami Nakai by 5.82 points, while third-placed American Alysa Liu held a 3.7-point advantage over her.

"The emotions are great," Petrosian said. "I'm very happy with my performance and the scores, and everything went very smoothly today."

Having skated second, Petrosian waited three hours as the rest of the field completed their routines before learning her final ranking going into Thursday’s free program.

Her short program, set to a Michael Jackson medley, included nods to the pop icon through hip thrusts, a moonwalk, and a Smooth Criminal tilt. The crowd enthusiastically embraced the performance.

"The audience received the program well," she said. "And every time I think it would be a little less loud, the audience always shouts. They give me a warmer welcome, and that's great."

Despite this being her first major international competition, Petrosian said she felt no significant pressure.

"Not today," she said. "It's my first Olympic Games, and so far I don't feel any strong pressure. We'll see what happens in the free program."

When asked whether she plans to attempt a quadruple jump or triple Axel in Thursday’s free program, she declined to reveal her strategy. "I would like to keep this a secret because I never tell about my program," she said.

Petrosian qualified for the Milano Cortina Games by winning a Beijing qualifying event in September, her only senior competition outside Russia.

Her coaching setup, involving Eteri Tutberidze, has sparked controversy. Tutberidze, accredited for the Games through the Georgian federation as she coaches Georgian skater Nika Egadze, was not present at rink level during Petrosian’s performance. Instead, former Russian ice dancer Daniil Gleikhengauz joined Petrosian in the "kiss and cry" area.

Tutberidze’s coaching has been under scrutiny since the 2022 Beijing Olympics, when her former student, Kamila Valieva, was involved in a doping scandal. Tutberidze faced no sanctions from WADA regarding Valieva’s positive test. In response to the controversy, the ISU raised the minimum senior competition age from 15 to 17.

Former Russian skaters praised Petrosian’s performance. 2002 Olympic men’s champion Alexei Yagudin told Russian news agency Tass, "(It was) a very good, confident skate. Her short program has laid the groundwork for a breakthrough." -Reporting by Lori Ewing, additional reporting by Agnieszka Flak; editing by Pritha Sarkar/Reuters