Irina Rodnina

Irina Konstantinovna Rodnina ( _ru. Ирина Константиновна Роднина, born September 12, 1949, Moscow, Russian SFSR) is one of the most successful figure skaters ever and the only pair skater to win 10 successive World Championships (1969–78) and three successive Olympic gold medals. She competed with two different partners, Alexei Ulanov and Alexander Zaitsev.

Career

In pre-school years Irina Rodnina suffered from pneumonia eleven times, and in 1954 her parents brought her to her first skating rink, in the Pryamikov Children Park in Moscow. [ [http://www.peoples.ru/sport/fskating/rodnina/ peoples.ru: Ирина Роднина / Irina Rodnina ] ] Since the sixth form of the secondary school, age 13, [ [http://www.archi.ru/events/news/news_current_press.html?nid=3112&fl=1&sl=1 Ирина Роднина: «Я не дачница, я москвичка» ] ] she trained at Children and Youth Sports School of CSKA on Leningradsky Prospekt. [ [http://www.kommersant.ru/doc.aspx?DocsID=533871 Ъ - Cкользящий путь ] ]

Throughout her career she competed internationally for the USSR. At the national level she represented the Armed Forces sports society.cite book|title=All about Olympic Games.|author=Boris Khavin|publisher=Fizkultura i sport|edition = 2nd ed.|pages=p. 575|year=1979|location=Moscow|language=Russian]

Rodnina graduated from the Central Institute of Physical Culture. She won 10 World Championships and three consecutive Olympic gold medals in pairs competition between 1971 and 1980 with her partners Alexei Ulanov and Alexander Zaitsev (whom she later married). She also won 11 European pairs championships, making her the most successful pair skater in history.

She was awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labour (in 1972) and the Order of Lenin (in 1976).

At the 1973 world championships Rodnina and Zaitsev lost their music while skating. Known for intense concentration, they finished the routine in silence, earning a standing ovation and a gold medal upon completion. [http://www.britannica.com/ebi/article-9343792]

Since 2005 Rodnina is a member of the Public Chamber of Russia. [http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/1102/p01s01-woeu.html]

Rodnina coached numerous elite Soviet skaters and taught at the University of Moscow, and later coached in the United States and led the Czech team of Radka Kovarikova and Rene Novotny to a world title.

Halls of Fame & Awards

She always got a place in every competition she attended.

In 1988 she was inducted into the International Women's Sports Hall of Fame.

In 1989 she was inducted into the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame.

She also received the International Skating Union's highest honor, the Jacques Favart Award.

Miscellaneous

Rodnina is Jewish. [http://209.85.165.104/search?q=cache:zvJPBchFW3MJ:www.jewishgen.org/Belarus/rje_r.htm+Irina+Rodnina+jewish&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=14&gl=us]

Bibliography

References

External links

* [http://www.olympic.org/uk/athletes/heroes/bio_uk.asp?PAR_I_ID=71432 Irina Rodnina on Olympic.org]
* [http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9064035 Irina Rodnina in Encyclopedia Britannica]
* [http://www.pairsonice.net/profileview.php?pid=96 Pairs on Ice: Rodnina and Ulanov]
* [http://www.pairsonice.net/profileview.php?pid=115 Pairs on Ice: Rodnina and Zaitsev]

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