Medvedeva's 80.75 points on Friday — 0.1 points off her record — placed her more than six points ahead of 2014 Olympic bronze medalist Carolina Kostner of Italy. Japan's Wakaba Higuchi was in third, more than 11 points behind the leader.
The program to a dreamy Chopin nocturne showed Medvedeva's characteristic penchant for raising an arm during jumps and for placing the jumps late in the program, which adds to the base value in scoring and heightens drama.
Russia's Evgenia Tarasova and Vladimir Morozov led the pairs after a short program highlighted by a high triple twist lift and her light landing of a triple loop throw.