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Encyclopedia > Yelena Berezhnaya
The neutrality of this article is disputed.
Please see the discussion on the talk page.
Olympic medal record
Figure skating
Silver 1998 Nagano Pairs
Gold 2002 Salt Lake City Pairs
Berezhnaya and partner Anton Sikharulidze compete in 2001.
Berezhnaya and partner Anton Sikharulidze compete in 2001.

Yelena Berezhnaya (Russian: Елена Бережная) (born October 11, 1977 in Nevinnomirsk, Russia) is a Russian figure skater. She and skating partner Anton Sikharulidze were awarded an Olympic gold medal in pairs skating at the 2002 Winter Olympics, which the pair shared with another pair from Canada after a notable judging controversy. Image File history File links Unbalanced_scales. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Olympic medalists in figure skating. ... The XVIII Olympic Winter Games were held in 1998 in Nagano, Japan. ... Figure skating medalists at the 1998 Winter Olympics // Women == Pairs < Ice Dancing External Links Care to Ice Dance? - Scandals at the 1998 Olympics Categories: 1998 Winter Olympics | Figure skating ... The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XIX Olympic Winter Games, were held in 2002 in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. ... 2002 Winter Olympic Games Figure skating // Pairs Medals awarded February 11, 2002; second award ceremony February 17. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Berezhnaya_sikharulidze. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Berezhnaya_sikharulidze. ... Anton Tarielyevich Sikharulidze was born October 25, 1976. ... October 11 is the 284th day of the year (285th in leap years). ... For the album by Ash, see 1977 (album). ... Figure skating is an ice skating sporting event where individuals, mixed couples, or groups perform spins, jumps, and other moves on the ice, often to music. ... Anton Tarielyevich Sikharulidze was born October 25, 1976. ... For months before the Olympic Games, runners relay the Olympic Flame from Olympia to the opening ceremony. ... The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XIX Olympic Winter Games, were held in 2002 in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. ... At the 2002 Olympic Winter Games, Figure Skating was the source of much controversy and one of the immediate causes for the revamp of scoring in figure skating. ...


Career

Yelena Berezhnaya first began skating at the age of six. She immediately displayed extraordinary talent, but her hometown of Nevinnomirsk offered little opportunity for advanced level skating. In 1990, Yelena's mother, Tatiana, sent her to Moscow so that she may have an opportunity to capitalize on her talent. Although a Russian, coaches paired her first with Lativian Oleg Shliakov. Soon after, the two moved and began training in Riga to avoid being overshadowed by the ultra-competitive Moscow school. For other uses, see Moscow (disambiguation). ...


The two made a splash at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway, where they finished eighth. Skating fans worldwide believed the pair to have great promise for the future. However, Shliakov was known as an aggressive skater who bullied and controlled his female counterparts, and Yelena in particular fell victim due to her diminutive size and docile nature. Yelena would later tell CBS that her ill-tempered partner frequently abused her, both physically and emotionally, and that she was too terrified to speak up about it, even to her own mother. She also later admitted that she desperately wanted to quit skating altogether, but persevered because of her mother's aspirations for her only daughter. The XVII Olympic Winter Games were held in 1994 in Lillehammer, Norway. ... County Oppland District Gudbrandsdal Municipality NO-0501 Administrative centre Lillehammer Mayor (2005) Synnøve Brenden Klemetrud (Ap) Official language form BokmÃ¥l Area  - Total  - Land  - Percentage Ranked 211 477 km² 450 km² 0. ...


The Latvian federation sent the pair to train with legendary coach Tamara Moskvina in St. Petersburg at the end of 1995. The change did little to tame Shliakov's temper, and the uninhibited abuse continued. It was at this time that Yelena met Anton Sikharulidze, who was then skating with Maria Petrova, and the two quickly developed a close friendship. Shliakov did not react well to this, and quickly took Yelena back to Riga to train. Tamara (Bratus) Moskvina (b. ... Saint Petersburg (Russian: Санкт-Петербу́рг, English transliteration: Sankt-Peterburg), colloquially known as Питер (transliterated Piter), formerly known as Leningrad (Ленингра́д, 1924–1991) and Petrograd (Петрогра́д, 1914–1924), is a city located in Northwestern Russia on the delta of the river Neva at the east end of the Gulf of Finland... Anton Tarielyevich Sikharulidze was born October 25, 1976. ... Maria Petrova cyrillic Мария Петрова was born in Plovdiv, Bulgaria in 1975 and is regarded as one of the finest rhythmic gymnasts of all time. ...


The volatile situation erupted in January 1996. Yelena was seriously injured when Shliakov's blade sliced into her skull while the pair was practicing a side-by-side camel spin. Following the accident, which required two surgical operations to remove bone fragments from her brain, she lost the ability to speak. During her hospitalization, Sikharulidze heard of the news, and quickly traveled to Riga to be with Yelena. After several days, Anton took Yelena back to St. Petersburg where she could begin her rehabilitation surrounded by her friends, and live her life free of Oleg Shliakov once and for all. The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. ...


Yelena made a rapid recovery, first regaining her ability to speak, then to skate. Within a year, with the aid of Tamara Moskvina, Yelena began to skate competitively again--this time with Anton Sikharulidze, who had ended his partnership with Petrova. They immediately made an impact on the world scene with their speed, artistry, and elegance. Yet, they experienced a disheartening meltdown at the 1997 World Figure Skating Championships. They were in third after the short program, but fell to ninth after the most disastrous free skate performance of their career. Tamara (Bratus) Moskvina (b. ... Anton Tarielyevich Sikharulidze was born October 25, 1976. ...


The pair went into the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan as the favorites for the gold, after having won that year's European Championship. The pair once again felt the twinge of frustration after two flawed performances with uncharacteristic mistakes. Yet, their error did not place them in poor favor with the judges, and they won a controversial silver medal ahead of the reigning World Champions Mandy Wötzel and Ingo Steuer of Germany. The XVIII Olympic Winter Games were held in 1998 in Nagano, Japan. ... Categories: Host cities of the Winter Olympic Games | Cities in Nagano Prefecture | Japan geography stubs ... Mandy Wötzel (born July 21, 1973 in Karl-Marx-Stadt today Chemnitz, Saxony, GDR/East Germany/Germany) is a German figure skater. ... Ingo Steuer (born November 1 1966in Karl-Marx-Stadt today Chemnitz, Saxony, GDR/East Germany/Germany) is a German figure skater. ...


Over the next four years, Yelena and Anton established themselves as one of the top teams in the world. Though often their performances were marred by unusual mistakes, they continued to be favorites to both the crowd and the judges. Yet, there were considerable negatives as well as positives in these years. In the 1999-2000 season, Yelena tested positive for doping. It was the first publicly known doping case in figure skating. Although there was speculation that the result was caused by a simple cold medication, Yelena and Anton were disqualified from the 2000 European Figure Skating Championships and were not allowed to compete for three months. Coincidentally, Anton's former partner, Maria Petrova won that year's World Championships with her new partner Alexei Tikhonov. Doping is generally the practice of adding impurities to something. ... The European Figure Skating Championships is an annual event in which figure skaters compete for the title of European Champion. ... Maria Petrova cyrillic Мария Петрова was born in Plovdiv, Bulgaria in 1975 and is regarded as one of the finest rhythmic gymnasts of all time. ...


In the 2001-2002 season, Canadians Jamie Salé and David Pelletier established themselves as the main rivals to Yelena and Anton. Throughout the season, both pairs had traded first and second place at most of the major competitions, and they figured to be the main contenders for the Olympic gold medal. At the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, both pairs skated flawless short programs, with Yelena and Anton in 1st and the Canadians 2nd. The drama continued to build when in the warm up for the free skate, Anton and Jamie Salé crashed into each other at full speed, spending both skaters sprawling across the ice. Neither suffered any injury, and competed as scheduled. Yelena and Anton skated a beautful, but flawed, performance. Salé and Pelletier followed, and performed one of the most memorable programs in Olympic history. They received a standing ovation, and it seemed to be a foregone conclusion that they would win the gold medal, especially considering Yelena and Anton's mistakes. Jamie Salé (born April 21, 1977, in Calgary, Alberta) is a Canadian figure skater currently partnered with David Pelletier. ... David Pelletier (born November 22, 1974 in Sayabec, Québec) is a Canadian pairs figure skater, who is partnered with Jamie Salé. // Early career Pelletier achieved early success as a pairs skater with Julie Laporte. ... The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XIX Olympic Winter Games, were held in 2002 in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. ... The Salt Lake Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is Salt Lake Citys top tourist draw. ...


However, in a shocking move, only four judges awarded the Canadians a first place vote, whereas five had voted for Yelena and Anton. Yelena and Anton won the gold, and the Canadians, silver. Yet skating commentators and judges defended the outcome by pointing out that Yelena and Anton's free skate was more technically difficult in comparison to Salé and Pelletier's, which was most likely the reason for the Russian team's high technical merit marks despite the minor flaws. In addition, fans and coaches claim that judges prefer seeing new programs as opposed to programs used during the previous season(s), and therefore, are willing to reward newer programs with more artistry points for creativity and originality. This may have been the reason Yelena and Anton placed ahead of the Canadians in the artistry scores as well, thus taking the lead to win the gold medal. The Russians skated to a new long program, "Meditation from Thais," whereas the Canadians chose to perform their free skate from two seasons earlier, "Love Story" (soundtrack).


Nevertheless, the result sparked perhaps the most famous controversy in Olympic history. The president of the International Skating Union Ottavio Cinquanta, under extreme pressure from the International Olympic Committee, immediately launched an investigation into the judging scandal. It was soon exposed that French judge Marie Reine le Gougne admitted that she was intimidated into voting for the Russian pair in exchange for an advantage for the French pair in the ice dancing competition which followed a few days later. (Le Gougne later recanted her confession.) The scandal resulted in a second gold medal being awarded to the Canadian pair, and the IOC and ISU decided to declare both pairs as Olympic co-champions. The scandal also led to a complete overhaul of the ISU judging system. The International Skating Union (ISU) is the international governing body for competitive ice skating disciplines, including figure skating, synchronized skating, speed skating, and short track speed skating. ... Bold textralf is gay IOC redirects here. ... Ice dancing is a form of figure skating which draws from the world of ballroom dancing. ... Alternative meanings at IOC (disambiguation) The International Olympic Committee is an organization based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin in 1894 to reinstate the Ancient Olympic Games held in Greece, and organize this sports event every four years. ... ISU can have many meanings. ...


Yelena and Anton eventually turned pro after the Olympics, continuing to capture the hearts of audiences all over the world. They had initally planned to compete in the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, although this did not materialize. Neve and Gliz, the 2006 Olympics mascots, on display in Turin The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, were held in Turin, Italy from February 10, 2006, through February 26, 2006. ... Location Region Piedmont Province Torino Area   – Total   – Water 130 km² (50 mi²) ##.# km² (#.# mi²) #.##% Population   – Total (2002)   – Density 857,433 6,596/km² Time zone CET: UTC+1 Latitude Longitude   45°04N 7°40E (##.#######, -##.#######)1. ...


Results

With Oleg Shliakov
Event Year Placement
European Figure Skating Championships 1993 8th
World Figure Skating Championships 1993 14th
European Figure Skating Championships 1994 8th
Winter Olympics 1994 8th
World Figure Skating Championships 1994 7th
European Figure Skating Championships 1995 5th
World Figure Skating Championships 1995 7th
With Anton Sikharulidze
Event Year Placement
European Figure Skating Championships 1997 3rd
World Figure Skating Championships 1997 9th
European Figure Skating Championships 1998 1st
Winter Olympics 1998 2nd
World Figure Skating Championships 1998 1st
European Figure Skating Championships 1998 WD
World Figure Skating Championships 1999 1st
European Figure Skating Championships 2000 DQ[1]
European Figure Skating Championships 2001 1st
World Figure Skating Championships 2001 2nd
Winter Olympics 2002 1st[2]
  1. ^ due to positive doping test
  2. ^ co-champions with Jamie Salé and David Pelletier

The European Figure Skating Championships is an annual event in which figure skaters compete for the title of European Champion. ... The World Figure Skating Championships is an annual event sanctioned by the International Skating Union in which elite figure skaters compete for the title of World Champion. ... Figure skating medalists at the 1994 Winter Olympics // Women Men Pairs Ice Dancing Categories: | ... Anton Tarielyevich Sikharulidze was born October 25, 1976. ... Figure skating medalists at the 1998 Winter Olympics // Women == Pairs < Ice Dancing External Links Care to Ice Dance? - Scandals at the 1998 Olympics Categories: 1998 Winter Olympics | Figure skating ... 2002 Winter Olympic Games Figure skating // Pairs Medals awarded February 11, 2002; second award ceremony February 17. ... Jamie Salé (born April 21, 1977, in Calgary, Alberta) is a Canadian figure skater currently partnered with David Pelletier. ... David Pelletier (born November 22, 1974 in Sayabec, Québec) is a Canadian pairs figure skater, who is partnered with Jamie Salé. // Early career Pelletier achieved early success as a pairs skater with Julie Laporte. ...

External links

  • International Skating Union profile
  • A Pair of Hearts

  Results from FactBites:
 
Yelena Berezhnaya - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (156 words)
Elena Berezhnaya (born October 11, 1977 in Nevinnomirsk, Russia) is a Russian figure skater.
Berezhnaya has competed in three Winter Olympics: in 1994, representing Latvia with Oleg Shliahov and, in 1998 and 2002, representing Russia with Anton Sikharulidze.
She won the silver medal in 1998 and the gold medal in 2002, in the pairs competition, skating with Anton Sikharulidze.
  More results at FactBites »


 

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