Adelina Sotnikova made history as she beat defending champion Kim Yuna and won Russia's first ever Olympic gold medal in the women's figure skating on Thursday.

Performing to Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso, Sotnikova, silver medalist at the European championships in January, produced a triple lutz-triple toeloop, a triple flip-double toeloop-double loop and excellent spins to score her new season's best 149.95 points with a winning total of 224.59 points.

"I smashed my highest score for my whole career and I did it at the Olympics. I didn't think I could skate like I did today," the 17-year-old Sotnikova said.

"I found something totally different in myself today. Just before I started skating, I was completely calm. I just felt how much I love to skate. I think I found a new me," she added.

South Korean Kim's free skating to Adios Nonino was highlighted by a triple lutz-triple toeloop, a triple salchow-double toeloop and a double axel, earning 144.19 points to receive 219.11 points overall.

"It was my last competition, and I was not as keen as how I was in Vancouver to win a gold," said the 23-year-old Kim.

"The most important thing for me was sanding on the ice at the Olympics."

Carolina Kostner of Italy, winner at the world championships in 2012, delivered a stunning performance to Bolero by Maurice Ravel to come third with a total of 216.73 points.

The 27-year-old veteran believed she had reached her goals in her third Olympics, and she said: "To do it here, my dream came true. I was telling myself I should fight and that I should believe that anything is possible and as it turned out, it is possible.

"It's been years of work, just learning to believe in yourself, that this is my life path. I go along with it with all my heart by myself. It has been my longtime goal."

The 23-year-old Kim, who missed most of season because of a foot injury, edged out Sotnikova and Kostner for a narrow lead in the short program as the top three were virtually tied with just a few tenths of a point between them.

Though earning her personal best free skating score of 142.71 points, Japanese Mao Asada, 2010 Olympic silver medalist, took the sixth place due to a disappointing short program.

"I was determined to carry out what I've been working on all long. I wasn't that sharp in practice this morning and yesterday was a massive disappointment," she said.

"I may not be able to bring back an Olympic medal to Japan but I feel like I had the best performance I possibly could. I'm obviously upset with myself from yesterday but everything I've been practising for the past four years bore fruit today."

Two Chinese skaters Li Zijun and Zhang Kexin finished their first Olympic trip by placing 14th and 15th respectively.

"I learned a lot from competing here. When I go back home, I will work hard not only on my skating skills, but also on how to skate my best performance when I'm not in good shape," said the 17-year-old Li.