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Despite Russia's ban, the intense rivalry between Alina Zagitova and Evgenia Medvedeva (pictured) will come to a head at the Winter Olympics.
• Accomplished Russian figure skaters Evgenia Medvedeva and Alina Zagitova both train together under the same coach.
• They're also set to face off at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympic Games.
• Medvedeva has long been a dominant presence in figure skating. However, she was recently hobbled by a broken foot.
• Zagitova is fresh off a victory over Medvedeva at the 2018 European Figure Skating Championships.
An intense showdown is about heat up the world of ice skating at the upcoming Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.
This year, the battle for gold may come down to Russian figure skaters and training partners Evgenia Medvedeva and Alina Zagitova.
Medvedeva, 18, has long been regarded as the favorite. She's twice swept the world, European, and Russian championships. The Muscovite was also named one of Business Insider's 50 most dominant athletes.
On the other hand, Zagitova recently spoiled Medvedeva's winning streak at the 2018 European Figure Skating Championships, the Japan Times reported. The 15-year-old also scooped up gold at the last Russian Championships, which Medvedeva missed due to a broken foot.
The two Russians train with the same coach and will compete at this year's Winter Games as neutral athletes. They're two of the 169 Russian athletes who have been cleared to compete in Pyeongchang in the wake of their home country's massive, government-sponsored doping scandal.
Here's a look at what's shaping up to be one of the most talked-about rivalries of the 2018 Winter Olympics: