Sergei Shakhrai

Sergei Shakhrai (Russian: Сергей Шахрай, b. June 28, 1958 in Soviet Union) was a Russian figure skater. He won the silver medal in pair skating with his partner Marina Cherkasova.

Cherkasova and Shakhrai trained in Moscow under the supervision of their coach, Stanislaw Schuck. They won the European title in 1979 and the World title in 1980, as well as the silver at the 1980 Winter Olympics. Cherkasova was only 15 years old when she competed at the Olympics. Shakhrai was 21.

Their main rivals included fellow Soviets Irina Rodnina & Alexander Zaitsev, whom they never defeated, Irina Vorobieva & Igor Lisovsky, Marina Pestova & Stanislav Leonovich, and Veronika Pershina & Marat Akbarov.

When the pair the first skated internationally in 1977, Shakhrai was approximately two feet taller than Cherkasova. This height difference facilitated innovation in twist and lift elements. In fact, they became the first pair to perform the split quadruple twist in 1978. Later, the judging standards were changed to value physical harmony between the partners, which handicapped Cherkasova and her partner.

By 1980, the year of their greatest success with the Olympic silver and the World gold, their size difference had become less immense, and it appeared as though they would finally become a physically-matched pair with strong technical elements and artistry. However, by 1981, Cherkasova had grown so tall that Shakhrai could no longer effectively lift her; at the same time, they had failed to develop artistically. This caused them to miss the medal podium at the World Championship in Hartford, Connecticut, finishing in fourth place.

Cherkasova and Shakhrai reportedly continued to train into the 1982 season; however, they performed poorly at the Soviet Nationals, placing behind Irina Vorobieva & Igor Lisovsky, Marina Pestova & Stanislav Leonovich, and Veronika Pershina & Marat Akbarov. This caused Cherkasova and Shakhrai to miss the trip to the World Championships for the first time since their debut in 1977, and they were subsequently forced to retire from the amateur ranks.

Competitive highlights

Olympic Winter Games

* 1980 – 2nd

= World Championships =

* 1977 – 4th
* 1978 – 4th
* 1979 – 2nd
* 1980 – 1st
* 1981 – 4th

= European Championships =

* 1977 – 3rd
* 1978 – 2nd
* 1979 – 1st
* 1980 – 2nd
* 1981 – 3rd

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Persondata
NAME=Shakrai, Sergei
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=Shakray, Sergey; Shakraj, Sergej; Shakhrai, Sergei
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Russian figure skater
DATE OF BIRTH=June 28, 1958
PLACE OF BIRTH=Soviet Union
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=