On the junior level, she is the 2017 JGP Croatia and 2017 JGP Italy champion. Since retiring from competition, she has been working as a skating coach.[2]
Samodurova started her season off at the 2018 CS Lombardia Trophy. Placing second in the short program and fourth in the free skate, she placed second overall, earning the silver medal, trailing behind fellow Russian competitor Elizaveta Tuktamysheva. She made her Grand Prix debut at Skate America, where she won the bronze medal behind Satoko Miyahara and Kaori Sakamoto with a personal best score of 198.70 points. In mid-November she competed at the 2018 Rostelecom Cup where she won the silver medal behind Alina Zagitova after placing second in both programs. With one Grand Prix silver medal and one bronze medal she qualified for the 2018–19 Grand Prix Final, where she finished fifth with a personal best score of 204.33 points: "Achieving the season's best was great. I believe that today I did everything to the maximum."[6]
At the 2019 Russian Championships, Samodurova placed sixth in both programs and overall. She was the third-ranked skater eligible to compete at senior international competitions, behind Stanislava Konstantinova and Alina Zagitova.[7] At the 2019 European Championships in Minsk, Samodurova placed second in the short program behind Zagitova, passed the 70-point mark for the first time.[8] In the free program, Zagitova skated poorly, while Samodurova skated a clean program and won the European title ahead of Zagitova and Finnish figure skater Viveca Lindfors. Of the result, she said "I can't find words to describe what I am feeling now. I am European Champion and that's so awesome!"[9]
Samodurova was assigned to the World Championships in Saitama along with Zagitova and Evgenia Medvedeva. She placed ninth in the short program, and expressed disappointment that her scores were lower than those at the European Championships.[10] She rose to eighth place in the free skate, making only one minor error on a double jump, and said she felt "only happiness" with the result.[11] Samodurova concluded the season as part of the bronze medal-winning Team Russia at the 2019 World Team Trophy.[12]
Samodurova performed her short program at the senior Russian test skates, but withdrew from the free skate due to a cold.[16] She placed fourth at both the second and third stages of the Russian Cup series, qualifying for the 2020 Russian Championships.[17]
With the COVID-19 pandemic limiting international travel, Samodurova competed at the 2020 Ice Star, winning the bronze medal. She was assigned to the 2020 Rostelecom Cup, the ISU having run the Grand Prix based mainly on geographic location. She was sixth in the short program, but dropped to seventh place after the free skate.[18][19] At the 2021 Russian Championships, Samodurova placed tenth.[15]
2021–2022 season
Samodurova picked music from Harry Gregson-Williams' Mulan score for the free program, citing parallels between the title character and her own life as a "fighter."[20] She made her season debut at the 2021 Budapest Trophy, winning the bronze medal.[15] Samodurova's lone Grand Prix assignment for the season was initially the 2021 Cup of China, but following its cancellation she was reassigned to the 2021 Gran Premio d'Italia in Turin.[21] She placed seventh at the event, and pronounced herself "really happy" with her free skate despite a triple flip error.[20]
Following the national championships, Samodurova decided to retire, and informed her coach that she intended to move to Kazakhstan to live with her parents and extended family. However, her coach Alexei Mishin persuaded her to remain as a coach at his skating school working with younger children.[2]
TBD = Assigned; WD = Withdrew; C = Cancelled Levels: N = Advanced novice; J = Junior T = Team result; P = Personal result. Medals awarded for team result only.
Small medals for short and free programs awarded only at ISU Championships. At team events, medals awarded for team results only.
Personal bests highlighted in bold.
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