Vladimir Kovalev

Vladimir Kovalev

Vladimir Kovalev ( _ru. Владимир Ковалев) (born February 2 1953) is a retired figure skater who competed internationally for the USSR. He is an Olympic silver medalist and 2-time World champion. He trained at VSS Trud in Moscow. Kovalev is pronounced, "ko-va-lyov."

Career

Kovalev placed second behind his British rival John Curry at the 1976 Winter Olympics. However, Kovalev's short and free programs were filled with mistakes and the audience was displeased when the results were announced that he had placed ahead of such skaters as Toller Cranston and Jan Hoffmann. Kovalev went on to win the gold at the World Championships in 1977 and 1979, and he was also the winner of the European Championships in 1975.

While Kovalev entered the 1980 season as a top contender for the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics title, he was clearly poorly trained, overweight and uninspired.Fact|date=June 2007 As a result, his jumps had become too inconsistent. For example, weeks prior to the Olympics, Kovalev had placed 3rd at the 1980 European Championships with poor short and free programs, far behind his chief rivals, Robin Cousins and Jan Hoffmann. Once in Lake Placid, skating officials and news reporters took note of the fact that Kovalev, perhaps unmotivated and skeptical of his chances, missed most of the practice sessions. When he did show up, he was even unable to complete basic jumps. After observing his practices, an American reporter asked Kovalev at the pre-competition press conference, "Aside from the fact that you are the best-looking male skater in the competition, do you think you have what it takes to win here?"Fact|date=June 2007, Kovalev burst out of the conference, never to be seen in public again as a competitor. The soviet officials soon withdrew him from the competition and sent him home before the men's competition even commenced.Fact|date=June 2007 Kovalev retired from competitive skating, and began his career as a skating coach.

Kovalev, along with his chief student, Kira Ivanova, were both considered high risks for defecting to the West.Fact|date=June 2007 Kovalev also coached Maria Butyrskaya, when her first coach, Sergei Volkov, died of cancer.

Competitive highlights

External links

* [http://www.databaseolympics.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=KOVALVLA01 DatabaseOlympics.com]

Navigation

Persondata
NAME=Kovalev, Vladimir
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=Kovalyov, Vladimir
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Figure skater
DATE OF BIRTH=
PLACE OF BIRTH=
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужен реферат?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Vladimir Kovalev — Pour les articles homonymes, voir Kovalev. Vladimir Kovalev Biographie Nationalité …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Kovalev —  Cette page d’homonymie répertorie des personnes (réelles ou fictives) partageant un même patronyme. Kovalev, aussi Kovaliov (en russe : Ковалёв) ou Kovaleva, Kovaliova (féminin, Ковалёва) est un patronyme russe : Alekseï Kovaliov …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Vladimir V. Kara-Murza — (Russian: Владимир Владимирович Кара Мурза) (born 7 September 1981, Moscow) is a Russian journalist and politician. Studied in Great Britain at the John Lyon School in Harrow, London, graduated with an M.A. in History (First Class) from Cambridge …   Wikipedia

  • Vladímir Monomaj (submarino) — Vladímir Monomaj Banderas Historial Astillero …   Wikipedia Español

  • Vladimir Putin — This name uses Eastern Slavic naming customs; the patronymic is Vladimirovich and the family name is Putin. Vladimir Putin Владимир Путин …   Wikipedia

  • Sergei Kovalev — Sergei Adamovich Kovalev (also spelt as Sergey Kovalyov; ru. Сергей Адамович Ковалёв; b. March 2 1930) is a Russian human rights activist and politician and a former Soviet dissident and political prisoner. Early career and arrest Kovalev was… …   Wikipedia

  • Nikolay Kovalev (FSB) — Nikolai Dmitrievich Kovalev ( ru. Николай Дмитриевич Ковалёв) (born August 6 1949) is a Russian politician (United Russia) and member of the State Duma, where he chairs the Duma s Veterans Committee. Kovalev was the Director of the FSB from July… …   Wikipedia

  • RFS Vladimir Monomakh — The RFS Vladimir Monomakh (Russian: АПЛ Владимир Мономах ) is a Russian submarine of the fourth generation Borei class (Project 955) currently under construction. It is named after Vladimir Monomakh (1053 1125), the Grand Duke of Kievan Rus . The …   Wikipedia

  • Prize of Moscow News — The Prize of Moscow News (Russian: Приз газеты «Московские новости»), also known as the Moscow Skate, Nouvelles de Moscou, and the Moscow News Trophy, was an international, senior level figure skating competition held in the former Soviet Union… …   Wikipedia

  • Kovalyov — Kovalyov, often spelled as Kovalev ( ru. Ковалёв), or Kovalyova, Kovaleva (feminine; Ковалёва), is a common Russian surname and may refer to the following people:* Alexander Kovalev (canoeist) (born 1975), Russian flatwater canoeist * Alexander… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”