Lyudmila Smirnova

Lyudmila Smirnova ( _ru. Людмила Станиславовна Смирнова; b. July 21, 1949 in Leningradcite book|title=Panorama of the 1972 Sports Year|year=1973|pages=p. 50|publisher=Fizkultura i sport|location=Moscow|language=Russian] ) was a Russian figure skater. She won the silver medal in pair skating at the 1972 Winter Olympics with Andrei Suraikin.

Smirnova began figure skating in 1955 and became a member of the USSR National Team in 1968. She trained in Leningrad at Spartak and was first paired with Suraikin.cite book|title=All about Olympic Games.|author=Boris Khavin|publisher=Fizkultura i sport|edition = 2nd ed.|pages=p. 448|year=1979|location=Moscow|language=Russian] They were the 2nd strongest Soviet pair behind Irina Rodnina and Alexei Ulanov, and placed second behind them at both the World and European Championships three times (1970-1972).

Smirnova and Ulanov, skating for rival teams, fell in love. The pairs decided to separate--a decision they made before the 1972 Games. Rodnina and Ulanov won the gold, and Smirnova and Suraikin the silver. Thereafter Smirnova began skating with Ulanov. They competed for 2 years, enjoying modest success at Worlds and Europeans (always finishing behind Rodnina and then-partner Alexander Zaitsev. Smirnova retired from competitive skating in 1974.

In 1972 Smirnova was awarded the Medal For Labour Heroism.

Competitive highlights

"with Suraikin, 1970-1972; with Ulanov, 1973-1974"

1972 Winter Olympics

* 2nd

World Championships

* 1970 – 2nd
* 1971 – 2nd
* 1972 – 2nd
* 1973 – 2nd
* 1974 – 2nd

European Championships

* 1970 – 2nd
* 1971 – 2nd
* 1972 – 2nd
* 1973 – 2nd
* 1974 – 3rd

= Winter Universiade =

* 1970 – 1st place

References

External links

* [http://www.pairsonice.net/profileview.php?pid=107 Smirnova and Suraikin profile]
* [http://www.pairsonice.net/record.php?f=Smirnova&m=Ulanov Smirnova and Ulanov competition results]

Persondata
NAME=Smirnova, Lyudmila
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=Smirnova, Liudmila; Людмила Смирнова
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Russian figure skater
DATE OF BIRTH=July 21, 1949
PLACE OF BIRTH=Soviet Union
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=