I’m Maya Bagriantseva. I live in Riga and write about figure skating.

I began my career decades ago in television, producing prime-time news for a major broadcasting network. It was fast, demanding work, and it taught me how to recognize a real story when I saw one.

After quitting, a few relocations and three children later, I finally gave in to the passion that had been waiting patiently in the background all along: figure skating.

I trained in figure skating as a child, so the sport has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. I've been a devoted ice-dance fan, and I bring both a producer's eye and a longtime love of the sport to my coverage. I'm especially drawn to the layers that make skating so compelling: the storytelling, the pressure, the partnership, and the details casual viewers often miss.

Today, I write about figure skating with the perspective of someone who has spent years telling stories in high-stakes environments and knows exactly why this sport keeps people hooked.