Women’s sports had a pivotal year in 2024. Financially and culturally, a steady rise in popularity and reach has made women’s sports more valuable than ever.
Tribune photojournalist Stacey Wescott is spending 2025 highlighting Illinois women athletes, starting with Alina Bonillo.
Alina Bonillo was skating before she was born. That’s because her mom, Larissa Zamotina Bonillo, a Russian national medalist, skated and coached throughout her pregnancy. Seventeen years later, Alina is the top-ranked Illinois-based figure skater heading to Wichita, Kansas, this week for the 2025 Prevagen U.S. Figure Skating Championships.
Bonillo gained her spot by winning the Midwestern Sectionals in November with a nearly flawless free skate containing seven jumps, three spins and two footwork elements. While she knew she skated well, she hadn’t expected to win, much less surpass her best score by more than 15 points.
“It was surreal. It felt so good,” Bonillo beamed, quickly adding that “mostly everyone skated well … with top skaters scoring in the 170s.”
“That’s what I wanted most; to win while everyone is skating the best they can skate.”
Everything hasn’t always been perfect for Bonillo, who has had stress fractures in both feet that have sidelined her and tested her endurance. She also knows she has to improve her presentation skills and show more emotion.
“Putting all of the elements together is what I’ve been working on in my presentation and showmanship, and trying to use more of my face coming up to nationals.”
Bonillo hopes to do well in this week’s competition by staying focused on the moment.
“My new mindset is to take every step one step at a time. I try not to think about what is coming next.”
Of course she is looking forward to more national and international competitions.
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