‘I get very strong emotions’: Zenit-loving figure skating queen Tuktamysheva hints she could include football in a future routine

Russian ice icon Elizaveta Tuktamysheva has admitted that she is excited about the new season for her beloved Zenit St. Petersburg, hinting that she uses football in her warm-ups and could be tempted to involve it in a program.

Former world, European and Grand Prix champion Tuktamysheva has never been afraid to feature unusual elements in her programs, most notably when she danced to Britney Spears hit 'Toxic' in 2018 while stripping down to a bra and knickers.

The 24-year-old showed savviness to combine elements of pop culture and burlesque in that risque routine, and she could capitalize on more cross-over appeal by bringing two of the most popular sports in Russia together for an enticing-sounding future performance.

"The fact is that football [provides] a cool and interesting warm-up, which we sometimes use during preparation," Tuktamysheva told her Instagram following of more than 285,000, accompanying her message with a photo of herself in the stands at Zenit's vast Gazprom Arena home.

"Few know. Perhaps I should consider including a soccer ball in one of my programs. What do you say?"

The long-time fan of the current Russian champions has been closely involved with the club, presenting sections on their YouTube channel in the past, as well as holding question-and-answer sessions at their training ground and dancing with long-serving former defender Luis Neto in support of the club's charitable work.

"Everyone knows that I have been rooting for a long time for Zenit," she said, writing on the day the club won the Russian Super Cup with a 3-0 win over Lokomotiv Moscow.

"And I'm looking forward to the start of the new season. It is at the stadium, as a spectator, that I get very strong emotions."

Zenit kick off their title defense at Khimki on Saturday, although Tuktamysheva will have to wait until at least August 7, when they play their first home fixture, for the chance to see them in action in St. Petersburg.

'The Empress' has had a superb year of her own, finishing second at the World Championships in March as Russia swept the podium in Stockholm.