Russian Nats Preview - Ladies
ATTN!!! THIS POST IS BROWSER KILLER!!!
KSENIA MAKAROVA
2010 Russian Senior Campion
Ksenia is the daughter of Larissa Selezneva and Oleg Makarov, 1984 Olympic bronze medalists in pair skating. She was born 20 December 1992 in Saint Petersburg, Russia. The family moved to US in 2002. She started skating when she was 5; the very first skating session ended with bad fall, and Ksenia said she would never go on ice again. But later she had changed her mind, skated in the US, and even made it to the 2007 US Junior Novice Championship, where she was 7th. At 2008 Russian Junior Nationals she placed 4th.
Ksenia started competing internationally in the season 2008-2009, placing 4th at both her Junior Grand Prix Events, in Madrid and in Sheffield. Since 2009 she is coached by Galina Zmievskaya and Victor Petrenko, in addition to her own parents. She won 2010 Russian Senior Championship (Ksenia was in second place after the short program, third in the free skating). As National Champion, she competed at 2010 European Championship in Tallinn (placed 9th), Olympic Games in Vancouver (10th), and the Worlds in Turin (8th). Ksenia has triples, except 3F (struggling with 3L), 2A, 3T-3T combo. Personal bests: SP 62,06, LP 112,69, overall 171,91.
Fun facts: her favorite skaters are Irina Slutskaya and Daisuke Takakhashi, she likes chemistry and want to be a criminalist. Her younger brother (he's 9) is a swimmer.
Also, well, everybody knows that she is Johnny Weir's little sister:
Her programs this year (both by Nina Petrenko):
SP Flamenco by Didulya
LP Evita OST
ALENA LEONOVA
2009 World Junior Champion
Photo by Alex Wilf
Born November 23 1990 in Leningrad, Russia, and started skating at the age of 3.
Her best results were in 2009, when she placed 4th at the European championship in Helsinki and 7th at Worlds in Los Angeles. In the season 2009-2010 she was 3rd at Rostelecom Cup of Russia and 2nd at NHK Trophy in Japan, and qualified for Grand Pix Finale in Tokyo, where she was 6th. Personal bests: SP 62,14, LP 110,73, overall 172,46.
Her programs for this season:
SP "Circus" (to the A. Schnittke's Polka) choreographed by Pasquale Camerlengo
LP "Witches of Eastwick" OST by Olga Volozhinskaya
Say "AWWWWW":
SOFIA BIRYUKOVA
She was born July 19 1994 in Moscow, Russia. Coach - Viktoria Volchkova (Russian single skater, four-time European bronze
medalist). She has all the triples, double axel and 3T-3T combo. Personal bests - SP 54,99, LP 98,06, total 153,05. Last year at Nationals, Sofia was in the first place after the short program - 0,22 points ahead of Ksenia Makarova. This year, she was the 6th at Cup of Russia (best results of all three Russian ladies).
Programs 2010-2011:
SP Tosca by Giacomo Puccini
LP Danse Macabre by Camille Saint-Saens
ADELINA SOTNIKOVA
2010 Junior Grand Prix Final Champion
2009 Russian Senior Champion
Adelina was born July 1st 1996, that is the reason this season is her first at Junior level - had she been born one day earlier, she wouldn't have lost one year. However, she made her debut with a bang - her score at the first Junior Grand Prix in Graz, Austria (178,97) is the best Junior debut score since the introduction of the new judging system and the second best ever (0,27 less than Mao Asada at 2005 Junior Worlds).
Her coach is Elena Vodorezova-Buyanova (Soviet single skater, European and World bronze medalist).
Adelina has all the triples, double axel, 3L-3Lo, 3S-3Lo, 2A-3T combos. Personal bests: SP 61,32, LP 117,65, overall 178,97.
Programs 2010-2011 (by Tatiana Tarasova):
SP Waltz by Johann Strauss
LP Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso by Camille Saint-Saens
She also has cool friends:
ELIZAVETA TUKTAMYSHEVA
2010 Junior Grand Prix Final silver medalist
Liza was born on 17 December 1996 in Glazov, Russia, started skating when she was 5; her coaches are Svetlana Veretennikova and Alexei Nikolaevich Mishin.
Liza competed at Russian Nationals for the first time in 2008 and placed 10th (in 2009 she lost to Adelina by 0,78 points, in 2010 she was 10th after the short program, but came 1st in the free skate and third overall).
She debuted at JGP this year, won both events and placed second at the JGPF.
Liza has all triples, including 3A (but she hasn't yet tried it in competitions), 3L-3T combo. Personal bests: SP 57,35, LP 115,43, overall 172,78.
Programs 2010-2011:
SP Oriental selection
LP Asturias by Isaak Albeniz
Fun:
Liza the Princess on Ice:
POLINA AGAFONOVA
2010 Russian Junior Champion
Born April 2nd 1996 (which means that she shares the birthday with some obscure Swiss figure skater guy) in Severodvinsk, Russia. Started skating at the age of 5, coaches - Olympic champion Alexei Urmanov and Tatiana Kositsina. Polina has all the triples (3L and 3f are unstable, 3Lo underrotated/two-footed), double axel, 3Lz-3T combo. Personal bests: SP 56,28, LP 97,99, overall 154,27.
Last year she was third at Junior Worlds.
Programs 2010-2011:
SP Korobushka (Russian folk song)
LP Gräfin Mariza by Emmerich Kalman
As you can see, she is young, genius and fab:
POLINA SHELEPEN
2009 Junior Grand Prix Final silver medalist
Polina was born 28 July 1995. On ice since the age of 4, her coach is Eteri Tutberidze.
She started skating at the international level last season, won both her Junior Grand Prix events and placed second at the JGP Final. She was third at 2010 Russian Junior Championship and 4th at Junior Worlds. She has all the triples, 2A, 3L-3T and 2A-3T combo. Personal bests: SP 59,54, LP 103,31, overall 159,29.
She chooses the music and creates costumes for her programs; in the kindergarten she refused to wear shoes when she thought they didn't match the dress; at first, she did figure skating and artistic gymnastics, but then chose skating.
Programs 2010-2011:
SP Swan Lake by P. I. Chaikovsky
LP Korobeiniki (Russian folk)
YULIA LIPNITSKAYA
Born June 5th 1998 in Ekaterinburg, Russia. Started skating when she was 4, in 2009 moved to Moscow, now her coach is Eteri Tutberidze. Yulia has all the triples (flutz), 2A, amazing natural flexibility, exquisite spins and spirals.
She's not yet eligible for international competitions, so no personal bests. Her favorite skaters are Stéphane Lambiel, Javier Fernandez, Mao Asada. Hobby and passion - horse riding.
Programs 2010-2011:
SP
LP
THIS IS AMAZING:
KSENIA MAKAROVA
2010 Russian Senior Campion
Ksenia is the daughter of Larissa Selezneva and Oleg Makarov, 1984 Olympic bronze medalists in pair skating. She was born 20 December 1992 in Saint Petersburg, Russia. The family moved to US in 2002. She started skating when she was 5; the very first skating session ended with bad fall, and Ksenia said she would never go on ice again. But later she had changed her mind, skated in the US, and even made it to the 2007 US Junior Novice Championship, where she was 7th. At 2008 Russian Junior Nationals she placed 4th.
Ksenia started competing internationally in the season 2008-2009, placing 4th at both her Junior Grand Prix Events, in Madrid and in Sheffield. Since 2009 she is coached by Galina Zmievskaya and Victor Petrenko, in addition to her own parents. She won 2010 Russian Senior Championship (Ksenia was in second place after the short program, third in the free skating). As National Champion, she competed at 2010 European Championship in Tallinn (placed 9th), Olympic Games in Vancouver (10th), and the Worlds in Turin (8th). Ksenia has triples, except 3F (struggling with 3L), 2A, 3T-3T combo. Personal bests: SP 62,06, LP 112,69, overall 171,91.
Fun facts: her favorite skaters are Irina Slutskaya and Daisuke Takakhashi, she likes chemistry and want to be a criminalist. Her younger brother (he's 9) is a swimmer.
Also, well, everybody knows that she is Johnny Weir's little sister:
Click to viewHer programs this year (both by Nina Petrenko):
SP Flamenco by Didulya
LP Evita OST
ALENA LEONOVA
2009 World Junior Champion
Photo by Alex Wilf
Born November 23 1990 in Leningrad, Russia, and started skating at the age of 3.
Her best results were in 2009, when she placed 4th at the European championship in Helsinki and 7th at Worlds in Los Angeles. In the season 2009-2010 she was 3rd at Rostelecom Cup of Russia and 2nd at NHK Trophy in Japan, and qualified for Grand Pix Finale in Tokyo, where she was 6th. Personal bests: SP 62,14, LP 110,73, overall 172,46.
Her programs for this season:
SP "Circus" (to the A. Schnittke's Polka) choreographed by Pasquale Camerlengo
LP "Witches of Eastwick" OST by Olga Volozhinskaya
Say "AWWWWW":
SOFIA BIRYUKOVA
She was born July 19 1994 in Moscow, Russia. Coach - Viktoria Volchkova (Russian single skater, four-time European bronze
medalist). She has all the triples, double axel and 3T-3T combo. Personal bests - SP 54,99, LP 98,06, total 153,05. Last year at Nationals, Sofia was in the first place after the short program - 0,22 points ahead of Ksenia Makarova. This year, she was the 6th at Cup of Russia (best results of all three Russian ladies).
Programs 2010-2011:
SP Tosca by Giacomo Puccini
LP Danse Macabre by Camille Saint-Saens
ADELINA SOTNIKOVA
2010 Junior Grand Prix Final Champion
2009 Russian Senior Champion
Adelina was born July 1st 1996, that is the reason this season is her first at Junior level - had she been born one day earlier, she wouldn't have lost one year. However, she made her debut with a bang - her score at the first Junior Grand Prix in Graz, Austria (178,97) is the best Junior debut score since the introduction of the new judging system and the second best ever (0,27 less than Mao Asada at 2005 Junior Worlds).
Her coach is Elena Vodorezova-Buyanova (Soviet single skater, European and World bronze medalist).
Adelina has all the triples, double axel, 3L-3Lo, 3S-3Lo, 2A-3T combos. Personal bests: SP 61,32, LP 117,65, overall 178,97.
Programs 2010-2011 (by Tatiana Tarasova):
SP Waltz by Johann Strauss
LP Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso by Camille Saint-Saens
She also has cool friends:
ELIZAVETA TUKTAMYSHEVA
2010 Junior Grand Prix Final silver medalist
Liza was born on 17 December 1996 in Glazov, Russia, started skating when she was 5; her coaches are Svetlana Veretennikova and Alexei Nikolaevich Mishin.
Liza competed at Russian Nationals for the first time in 2008 and placed 10th (in 2009 she lost to Adelina by 0,78 points, in 2010 she was 10th after the short program, but came 1st in the free skate and third overall).
She debuted at JGP this year, won both events and placed second at the JGPF.
Liza has all triples, including 3A (but she hasn't yet tried it in competitions), 3L-3T combo. Personal bests: SP 57,35, LP 115,43, overall 172,78.
Programs 2010-2011:
SP Oriental selection
LP Asturias by Isaak Albeniz
Fun:
Liza the Princess on Ice:
POLINA AGAFONOVA
2010 Russian Junior Champion
Born April 2nd 1996 (which means that she shares the birthday with some obscure Swiss figure skater guy) in Severodvinsk, Russia. Started skating at the age of 5, coaches - Olympic champion Alexei Urmanov and Tatiana Kositsina. Polina has all the triples (3L and 3f are unstable, 3Lo underrotated/two-footed), double axel, 3Lz-3T combo. Personal bests: SP 56,28, LP 97,99, overall 154,27.
Last year she was third at Junior Worlds.
Programs 2010-2011:
SP Korobushka (Russian folk song)
LP Gräfin Mariza by Emmerich Kalman
As you can see, she is young, genius and fab:
POLINA SHELEPEN
2009 Junior Grand Prix Final silver medalist
Polina was born 28 July 1995. On ice since the age of 4, her coach is Eteri Tutberidze.
She started skating at the international level last season, won both her Junior Grand Prix events and placed second at the JGP Final. She was third at 2010 Russian Junior Championship and 4th at Junior Worlds. She has all the triples, 2A, 3L-3T and 2A-3T combo. Personal bests: SP 59,54, LP 103,31, overall 159,29.
She chooses the music and creates costumes for her programs; in the kindergarten she refused to wear shoes when she thought they didn't match the dress; at first, she did figure skating and artistic gymnastics, but then chose skating.
Programs 2010-2011:
SP Swan Lake by P. I. Chaikovsky
LP Korobeiniki (Russian folk)
YULIA LIPNITSKAYA
Born June 5th 1998 in Ekaterinburg, Russia. Started skating when she was 4, in 2009 moved to Moscow, now her coach is Eteri Tutberidze. Yulia has all the triples (flutz), 2A, amazing natural flexibility, exquisite spins and spirals.
She's not yet eligible for international competitions, so no personal bests. Her favorite skaters are Stéphane Lambiel, Javier Fernandez, Mao Asada. Hobby and passion - horse riding.
Programs 2010-2011:
SP
LP
THIS IS AMAZING: