Archive of newspaper articles

[Walt FSHunter]

1984
MOSCOW NEWS PRIZE

Until We Meet Again!

(the article published in russian 'Sovetskiy Sport' on December 11, 1984)​

In the Luzhniki Palace of Sports, the international figure skating tournament for the "Moscow News" newspaper prize concluded with the traditional ball—exhibition performances.
Numerous sports fans warmly greeted the appearance on the ice of world championship medalist and five-time USSR champion in women’s singles, Elena Vodorezova, who has completed her competitive career and moved into coaching. The hard work and courage of this figure skater served as an example for her teammates on the USSR national team. In the past winter season, Kira Ivanova became an Olympic medalist in Sarajevo, while Anna Kondrashova won a silver medal at the World Championships.
By the way, on the final day of the tournament, the top three among women were K. Ivanova, N. Lebedeva, and A. Kondrashova. The winners of the tournament, as is well known, also included L. Selezneva and O. Makarov, M. Klimova and S. Ponomarenko, and A. Fadeev.
​

 

[Walt FSHunter]

1984
MOSCOW NEWS PRIZE

SHARP TURN BEHIND

(the article published in russian 'Sovetskiy Sport' on December 11, 1984)​

Soviet figure skaters Alexander Fadeev and Kira Ivanova—strongest in the all-around

At the press conference following the women's competition, winner Kira Ivanova said:
"The tournament for the 'Moscow News' newspaper prize is one of my favorites. It takes place within native walls, on the Luzhniki ice. And it demands from us, the Soviet participants, a sense of great responsibility because it is a benchmark for the entire season..."
Kira Ivanova, like her main rivals—Anna Kondrashova and Natalya Lebedeva—led this battle without timidity or doubt. It seems a very important psychological breakthrough has occurred in the consciousness of our women’s singles leaders: the high prestige earned in the past Olympic season helps the athletes rethink their capabilities in a new way. For example, Sverdlovsk's Natalya Lebedeva demonstrated excellent jumping technique in three rotations, involving three different types. They had power and aesthetics.
"Do you believe that the limit of complexity has been reached?" she was asked.
"The most difficult turn is behind us," she said. "Now, for many skaters, triple jumps have ceased to be a stumbling block. And today we must think about mastering the 3.5-turn axel. This storm will soon begin."
Yes, one sharp turn is behind us. But the search is becoming more active. It seemed much had been achieved by Kira Ivanova in an artistic sense. But, as her coach, world champion Vladimir Kovalev, stated: in the 1985 season, Ivanova set a goal to make her free program even more multifaceted and spectacular, emphasizing lyricism, softness of movement, and musicality. In her composition to a romantic Chopin's music, a new direction is palpable—it’s no coincidence that the judges' scores were 5.7 and 5.8. Notably, Ivanova has now won the Moscow tournament for the fourth time.
Silver medalist of the World Championship Anna Kondrashova is undergoing a complex process of restructuring—her skating is becoming more dynamic. The program, consisting of five parts, is saturated with complex jumps, spins, and step sequences.
"Today, when female skaters appearing on the world stage have mastered five triple jumps, we are simply obliged to storm the 'ultra-c' elements"—this is the opinion of Kondrashova herself. And although she didn't manage to perform everything in Moscow (she took third place), the enthusiasm and determination of the skater cannot fail to impress.
European Champion Alexander Fadeev is, perhaps more than ever, consistently increasing the pace of his preparations for the season's peak. Let us recall his recent victory in Tokyo over Olympic silver medalist B. Orser (Canada). And let's recall his short program in Moscow, which earned 6.0 marks. The skater was true to himself in this competition as well, performing an excellent combination—a 2.5-turn axel and a triple toeloop. The finale of the program, where the skater ramps up the tempo to the limit, is unique. And he maintains it! Nine scores of 5.9 and five scores of 5.8 brought Fadeev the victory.
Muscovite Vladimir Kotin looked confident in his free program, taking second place and showing a series of excellent triple jumps (he, by the way, received several 5.9 scores for artistry). The courage, or rather the "bravery," of 15-year-old Viktor Petrenko from Odessa was striking: the debutant of the tournament performed an axel in 3.5 rotations and deservedly became the bronze medalist with scores of 5.6–5.7. This is the first time a champion among juniors has climbed the podium of a senior tournament.
Among the surprises in the singles skating, one must note the performance of Leningrad's I. Krundysheva (she entered the top six for the first time) and Muscovite G. Vardanyan, who took fifth place in a dispute with experienced masters: V. Egorov, A. Kaznakov, and F. Kirsten (GDR).​

A. SHELUKHIN.​

TECHNICAL RESULTS​

International Figure Skating Tournament for the "Moscow News" newspaper prize. Moscow, Palace of Sports, December 8–9.

Singles. Women: 1. K. Ivanova — 2.0; 2. N. Lebedeva — 4.0; 3. A. Kondrashova — 7.2; 4. A. Antonova — 10.6; 5. M. Serova — 11.6; 6. I. Krundysheva (all — USSR) — 14.2.
Men: 1. A. Fadeev — 2.0; 2. V. Kotin — 4.6; 3. V. Petrenko — 6.6; 4. V. Egorov — 9.8; 5. G. Vardanyan — 10.4; 6. F. Kirsten (GDR) — 11.0.
Ice Dance: 1. M. Klimova and S. Ponomarenko — 2.6; 2. N. Bestemianova and A. Bukin — 3.4; 3. O. Volozhinskaya and A. Svinin — 6.0; 4. N. Annenko and G. Sretensky — 8.0; 5. E. Batanova and A. Soloviev — 10.0; 6. M. Usova and A. Zhulin (all — USSR) — 12.0.
​

 

[Walt FSHunter]

1984
MOSCOW NEWS PRIZE

OPINIONS CROSSROADS

«CHOREOGRAPHIC SUITE»

(the article published in russian 'Sovetskiy Sport' on December 11, 1984)​

International figure skating tournament through the eyes of ballet and choreography specialists

Almost always, figure skaters are escorted onto the ice by two people: a coach and a choreographer. This has become traditional, this has become the norm. The point of view of ballet specialists concerning competitions is always distinguished by a special look. We asked them to express their opinion on the preparation of figure skaters for the season.
Yuri POTEMKIN (Leningrad), choreographer of the group of Honored Coach of the USSR Igor Moskvin:
— For many years I have been working with Igor Borisovich Moskvin, and I am never tired of being amazed by the novelty and courage of his ideas and designs. Few people know how many versions of the music were checked and rejected before the choice of music by Rossini, which is now performed by Larisa Selezneva and Oleg Makarov, was made. In the last three seasons, this duo has achieved a lot in the art of plastics. And I am still convinced that the reserves of the duet are enormous. A program for the young pair Elena Kvitchenko and Rashid Kadyrkaev to the music of Bizet-Shchedrin was also composed originally. And again, I emphasize: this is only the beginning. Pairs skating is soon to reach a new choreographic level, turning to classical music that has not yet been heard on the rinks...
Alla KAPRANOVA, head of the group of single skating of coach Vladimir Kovalev:
— "A gesture is an arrow released from the soul of a person." These are the words of J. Noverre, a classic of choreography, and they serve as my motto. Unlike my colleagues who love classes in the hall, I spend a lot of time on the ice, as I myself was a figure skater and performed in ice ballet. I consider my goal achieved, when dance, choreography permeates the technical fabric and cements all elements into a single whole. We help the coach reveal the individuality of the athlete, and the progress of Kira Ivanova encourages me this season...
Elena MATVEEVA, soloist of the Bolshoi Theater Ballet, Honored Coach of the RSFSR:
— This is the ninth season I have worked with figure skaters. With a feeling of creative satisfaction, I recall the dances staged for Irina Moiseeva and Andrei Minenkov, Natalia Bestemianova and Andrei Bukin, Marina Klimova and Sergei Ponomarenko, Anna Kondrashova. There were many new nuances for me in figure skating, and I became convinced that modern tasks of choreography are significantly more complex, wider, and deeper than they were once. He acts both in the role of a psychologist penetrating the spiritual world of the performer, and in the role of an educator comprehending the unique method of the coach, the head of the creative laboratory.
Our work is somewhat reminiscent of the painstaking work of a painter, applying color after color to the canvas. Now a new composition for Kondrashova is being born to classical music; in it, the athlete must show the versatility of her plasticity, and I see how the choreographic intent gradually penetrates it. She has the talent for labor, and this is the main condition for success...
Tatiana STEPANOVA, soloist of the Bolshoi Theater Ballet:
— The dancers' tournament left the brightest impression. I saw in the best compositions a high intellectual level, a desire to lead the public, educating them on the most artistic and strict-to-taste examples. Recently, I attended the work with the ice dancers, students of Olympic champion Lyudmila Pakhomova, and was glad to see that our views on the problems of dance in figure skating completely coincide.
​

 

[Walt FSHunter]

1984

EXPRESS INFORMATION

(the article published in russian 'Sovetskiy Sport' on December 12, 1984)​

• The best athletes of the Karl-Marx-Stadt district (GDR) for 1984 were recognized as Olympic champions: Katarina Witt in figure skating and Jens Weißflog in ski jumping, as well as the figure skating pair Sabine Baeß and Tassilo Thierbach.​
• The best athletes "team" for 1984 in Great Britain was recognized as the ice dance pair of Olympic, World, and European figure skating champions Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean.​

​

 

[Walt FSHunter]

1984
WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS

FIGURE SKATING
(the article published in russian 'Sovetskiy Sport' on December 13, 1984)​

NEW YORK. Soviet athletes have successfully started at the World Junior Figure Skating Championships, which is taking place in the American city of Colorado Springs.
Vladimir Petrenko from Odessa — the younger brother of the winner of last year’s world championship Viktor Petrenko — leads in the singles competition after the "school" [compulsory figures], ahead of Daniel Weiss (FRG) and Canadian Greg Burns.
In the pairs competition, after the performance of the short program, the first three lines in the tournament table are occupied by Soviet duos: Ekaterina Gordeeva and Sergei Grinkov, Irina Mironenko and Dmitry Shkidchenko, Elena Gud and Evgeny Koltun.
Elena Krykanova and Evgeny Platov lead in the ice dance tournament, having performed the compulsory dances better than everyone else. Following them is another of our duos, Svetlana Lyapina and Georgy Sur, while Svetlana Serkeli and Andrei Zharkov occupy the fifth position.
​

 

[Diana Delafield]

1984
WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS

FIGURE SKATING
(the article published in russian 'Sovetskiy Sport' on December 13, 1984)​

NEW YORK. Soviet athletes have successfully started at the World Junior Figure Skating Championships, which is taking place in the American city of Colorado Springs.
Vladimir Petrenko from Odessa — the younger brother of the winner of last year’s world championship Viktor Petrenko — leads in the singles competition after the "school" [compulsory figures], ahead of Daniel Weiss (FRG) and Canadian Greg Burns.
In the pairs competition, after the performance of the short program, the first three lines in the tournament table are occupied by Soviet duos: Ekaterina Gordeeva and Sergei Grinkov, Irina Mironenko and Dmitry Shkidchenko, Elena Gud and Evgeny Koltun.
Elena Krykanova and Evgeny Platov lead in the ice dance tournament, having performed the compulsory dances better than everyone else. Following them is another of our duos, Svetlana Lyapina and Georgy Sur, while Svetlana Serkeli and Andrei Zharkov occupy the fifth position.
View attachment 11056​

Always interesting in the Junior Worlds to see which names went on to even greater heights as seniors, and which reached their pinnacle of capability at the junior level and then were never heard of again.

 

[Walt FSHunter]

1984
MOSCOW NEWS PRIZE
CONVERSATION AT THE EDGE OF THE ICE

«FIGURE SKATING? THIS IS SERIOUS!»

(the article published in russian 'Sovetskiy Sport' on December 13, 1984)​

The phrase featured in the headline belongs to the head of the Italian delegation at the Moscow international figure skating tournament, Luciano Dzigoi. And he uttered it in response to our question: why the Italians here, at the Palace of Sports, are so serious and restrained.
— What is a holiday for the spectators is work for us, — answered Dzigoi. — Figure skating? This is serious! We came to Moscow to gain experience, we are studying the performances of the strongest Soviet figure skaters, and we have things to write down in our notebooks, things to learn. Unfortunately, figure skating, a beautiful sport, is not yet as popular in Italy as football, basketball, tennis, or fencing. What can you do, Italy is after all a southern country; we have few natural rinks even in the north, and artificial ones are very few. I can give such an example: Milan is considered the center of figure skating in Italy, but even in this large city, figure skaters have only one rink at their disposal. It operates with a very heavy load.
In February of next year, the Winter World Universiade will be held in Italy. The opening of four new rinks is timed for this great sporting holiday. We hope that their ice will attract the attention of many young men and women and they will enroll in figure skating clubs. Undoubtedly, holding such a representative sports forum in our country should serve the growth of the popularity of this sport.
I must admit, we dream that someday figure skating will enjoy the same authority in Italy as it does in the Soviet Union. In the meantime, we are learning from you. To the tournament in Moscow, we brought our most promising dance pair — Brunhilde Bianchi and Walter Rizzo. The kids are young, we count on them very much in the future. We are sure that the meeting with Soviet masters — and first of all with Natalia Bestemianova and Andrei Bukin, Marina Klimova and Sergei Ponomarenko — will become a serious school for them...
At this moment, Walter Rizzo, who had not yet caught his breath after his performance, approached us.
— What a tournament! — he said. — A real firework of dance! This is the second time we have come to Moscow — and the competitions give us the richest food for thought. Who did I like the most? Klimova and Ponomarenko. In their dance, strength and lightness, dynamics and plasticity are perfectly combined. Honestly, we would like to be even just a little bit like them.
— Well, you and Brunhilde are still far from that, — said Dzigoi. — You need to work and work.​

Yu. BARANOVA.​

 

[Walt FSHunter]

1984
WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS

Figure Skating

(the article published in russian 'Sovetskiy Sport' on December 14, 1984)​

NEW YORK. A triple victory at the World Junior Figure Skating Championships in the American city of Colorado Springs was achieved by athletes from the Soviet Union.
Gold medals among pairs were won by Muscovites Ekaterina Gordeeva and Sergei Grinkov, second place went to Irina Mironenko and Dmitry Shkidchenko from Dnipropetrovsk, third — to Muscovites Elena Gud and Evgeny Koltun.
Young Soviet figure skaters are also performing successfully in other disciplines. After the compulsory dances and the first part of the short program, two Soviet couples are ahead — Elena Krykanova and Evgeny Platov, Svetlana Lyapina and Georgy Sur, while Svetlana Serkeli and Andrei Zharkov are in fifth position. Vladimir Petrenko continues to lead among the men's singles after the short program, while Tatyana Andreeva and Natalya Gorbenko occupy fourth and sixth places respectively after the performance of "school" [compulsory figures].​

(TASS).​

 

[Walt FSHunter]

1984
WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS

The Golden Prelude

(the article published in Ukrainian 'Sportyvna Hazeta' on December 15, 1984)​

Soviet figure skaters are performing excellently at the World Junior Championships in the American city of Colorado Springs. Competing for the first set of awards in the pairs event brought them a triple success.
GOLD medals among pairs were won by Muscovites Ekaterina Gordeeva and Sergei Grinkov. The SILVER went to Irina Mironenko and Dmitry Shkidchenko from Dnipropetrovsk, and the BRONZE — to Muscovites Elena Gud and Evgeny Koltun. Thus, the entire podium is Soviet.
Young figure skaters are performing successfully in other disciplines as well. After the school figures and the short program 13-year-old Vladimir Petrenko from Odesa is leading among the men. In the ice dance event, after the original part of the program, the Odesa couple Elena Krykanova and Evgeny Platov are also leading. By the way, these students of Natalia Dubova are aiming for their third consecutive victory. Following them are Svetlana Lyapina and Georgy Sur. Svetlana Serkeli and Andrei Zharkov occupy the fifth position.
In the women's singles, Jana Sjodin (USA) handled the compulsory figures better than anyone else. Tatyana Andreeva from Leningrad is in fourth place, and Natalia Gorbenko from Kyiv is in sixth. After the short program, our athletes improved their standings. Andreeva, who was the best in the short program, moved up to third place overall. Gorbenko holds the fourth spot. The leadership is still held by the American.​

1984
MOSCOW NEWS PRIZE

On the Ice — A Bouquet of Surprises

(the article published in Ukrainian 'Sportyvna Hazeta' on December 15, 1984)​

The international figure skating tournament for the "Moscow News" prize became the first stage of selection for our masters to the national team, as well as an introduction to promising foreign athletes. At the request of "SH," the results of the competition are commented on by the Honored Coach of the RSFSR Natalia Dubova and Honored Coach of the USSR Viktor Kudryavtsev.
N. DUBOVA:
— I am a choreographer by profession and, naturally, I closely follow how figure skaters strive to find their own style of performance. In pair skating, in the absence of Olympic champions Elena Valova and Oleg Vasiliev, the success of Leningrad skaters Larisa Selezneva and Oleg Makarov was beyond doubt. But it was the manner in which the victory was achieved that was truly captivating. The students of Igor Moskvin appeared at Luzhniki in a new quality. These two individually strong masters had previously demonstrated powerful, technically virtuosic skating. However, they lacked inner harmony and lyricism. In their new compositions, especially in the free program to the music of Rossini, the artistic talent of the partners was revealed, and a taste for the classical dance style emerged. The pair consists of two equal soloists who have perfectly mastered a full set of 'ultra-с', and most importantly — they are very confident in each other and in themselves. I think that at the January USSR Championship, Larisa and Oleg will give a real fight to Valova and Vasiliev.
As for other pairs — contenders for a spot on the first national team — despite their high technical level, they somewhat lack expressiveness and ease of execution. This, in particular, applies to the promising skaters from Dnipropetrovsk, Inna Bekker and Sergei Likhansky.
It is, of course, very pleasing to me that my students Marina Klimova and Sergei Ponomarenko won the ice dance tournament. For the first time, they managed to outscore the silver medalists of the Sarajevo Games, Natalia Bestemianova and Andrei Bukin. A new situation had already developed after the compulsory and original dances, when the judges' votes were divided almost equally. Until recently, we could only dream of this... And the free program 'With Love to the Champions,' in which we tried to embody the most striking episodes in the development of ice dance, appealed to the referees more than the 'Carmen Suite' by Bizet-Shchedrin performed by Bestemianova and Bukin.
The multi-time world champion Englishman Bernard Ford, who now coaches the Canadian national team, confessed to me that he did not believe in a victory for Klimova and Ponomarenko this time, considering them champions of the future. But the events on the ice refuted his ideas about today's balance of power...
V. KUDRYAVTSEV:
— In the singles competition, there were also surprises. It seemed that among the female skaters, all the faces were familiar. But the skating is different: more varied and more reliable. I mean, first of all, Kira Ivanova and Anna Kondrashova. Ivanova won deservedly, confirming her high class in all types of the all-around. Her style has become more artistic and visually more attractive. Kondrashova performed with mistakes. But the work with her new coach, Stanislav Zhuk, is felt. Anna previously lacked athleticism. Now this shortcoming has been eliminated. Her jump repertoire has also been expanded. I know the athlete is already practicing an axel of 3.5 rotations—a purely 'masculine' element.
Kondrashova was third. She was overtaken by Natalia Lebedeva from Sverdlovsk, a plastic skater with good choreographic preparation. However, one gets the impression that Natalia does not believe in her own capabilities. She is sometimes stiff and unjustifiably cautious.
A new figure has appeared among the contenders for a spot on the national team. This is 15-year-old Victor Petrenko from Odesa. The debut of the two-time world junior champion at the senior tournament was a great success. He took third place here, beating the experienced Vitaly Egorov and the well-known GDR athlete Falko Kirsten.
What makes Petrenko so appealing? Easy, emotional skating, he feels the music perfectly, has a ballet school background. All these qualities at such an age are a great rarity. Viktor does not lack technique either. But what lets him down is a lack of strength and endurance. However, already today the Odesan is a worthy partner to our leaders Alexander Fadeev and Vladimir Kotin.
The hurricane pace at which Fadeev performs his ultra-complex program sometimes seems unreal. At such speed, technical flaws are inevitable. But in the short composition, Alexander managed to get a score of 6.0! The highest certification of mastery. Much more stably than last year, Kotin performed figures of 'higher aerobatics' [advanced maneuvers], whose dance I especially like.​

Recorded by G. Kuzmin.​

 

[Walt FSHunter]

1984
WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS

FACT-ASSESSMENT

ENVIABLE STABILITY!

(the article published in russian 'Sovetskiy Sport' on December 16, 1984)​

Six medals, including two gold, on the account of Soviet figure skaters at the World Junior Championships.

From the American city of Colorado Springs comes joyful news: at the World Junior Figure Skating Championships, the Soviet team achieved a magnificent result, winning five medals out of six in pair skating and ice dancing. The titles of World Champions were awarded in pair skating to Ekaterina Gordeeva and Sergei Grinkov, and in ice dance to Elena Krykanova and Evgeny Platov. The silver medal was won by the 13-year-old singles skater Vladimir Petrenko.
In Odessa, in the group of coach Boris Rublev, the young dance duo Krykanova and Platov began their sporting path. For the last four seasons, this duo has been prepared by the Honored Coach of the RSFSR, Natalya Dubova. High technical equipment, synchronicity in performing complex elements, danceability—this is what determines the current style of the Odessans. All the daring of Moldovan folk melodies is embodied in the new free dance of Krykanova and Platov. And it is no coincidence that at the last Junior Championship of the USSR in Tallinn, this program was awarded honorary marks of 5.6—5.8.
A year ago, Krykanova and Platov confidently won the World Junior Championships, and now in Colorado Springs, they have repeated their success. Enviable stability!
The Soviet team was represented by two more dance duos. Muscovites Svetlana Lyapina and Georgy Sur (coach Tatiana Tarasova), delighting with their original style, energy, and temperament, won silver medals. Svetlana Serkeli and Andrei Zharkov took fifth place.
A difficult dispute with American singles skaters was withstood by 13-year-old Vladimir Petrenko, the younger brother of Viktor Petrenko, the bronze medalist of the "Moscow News" tournament. The young figure skater from Odessa, a pupil of coach Galina Zmievskaya, took second place in the overall standings. The winner was American Erik Larson. Our second skater—Mikhail Shmerkin from Kharkiv—was in fifth place.
Information agency observers note that the Soviet national team dominated the tournament in Colorado Springs. Particularly impressive were the programs of pairs. Lyricism, grace, and boldness in complex elements constituted the indisputable advantage of the new world champions Ekaterina Gordeeva and Sergei Grinkov, students of Moscow coaches Stanislav Leonovich and Marina Zueva. The silver pair — Irina Mironenko and Dmitry Shkidchenko from Dnipropetrovsk — is also promising.
Before the final day of the tournament, our singles skater Tatiana Andreeva from Leningrad is in third place, while Kyivan Natalya Gorbenko is in fourth.​

A. ANTONOV.​

 

[Walt FSHunter]

1984
Stroitelnaya Gazeta Prize

Figure Skating

(the article published in russian 'Sovetskiy Sport' on December 16, 1984)​

BELGOROD. About one hundred young figure skaters are competing in the traditional international tournament for the prize of "Stroitelnaya Gazeta" [Construction Newspaper]. Performing at the "Kosmos" Sports Palace are representatives from Bulgaria, Hungary, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Poland, Finland, Czechoslovakia, and the USSR.
The chronicle of this tournament is quite diverse and interesting. Eight or nine years ago, at similar competitions, Kira Ivanova tested her strength; she was then coached by the Honored Coach of the USSR Viktor Kudryavtsev. Now, the example of Ivanova, who became a bronze medalist at the Winter Olympics in Sarajevo, inspires athletes of the new generation.
V. Kudryavtsev brought three skaters from the USSR youth team to the start at once. And all three — Natalya Skrabnevskaya, Ekaterina Ryzhikova, and Yulia Bukina — took leading positions in singles skating. Specialists note that in the free skate, Skrabnevskaya is particularly strong, performing three triple jumps.
The tournament for the "Stroitelnaya Gazeta" prize is officiated by more than 20 international-category referees.​

V. FILIPPOV.​

 

[Walt FSHunter]

1984
WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS

Together on the podium

(the article published in Ukrainian 'Sportyvna Hazeta' on December 18, 1984)​

The brilliant performance on the ice of the American city of Colorado Springs by Soviet figure skaters. At the World Junior Championships, which concluded last Saturday, they confidently triumphed in three disciplines out of four, winning three gold, three silver, and two bronze medals.
WE HAVE ALREADY reported on the success of our pairs and ice dance couples. The competition among the single skaters was significantly more intense. Among the girls, the Leningrad skater Tetiana Andreeva made a breakthrough from fourth to first place after the short and free programs, surpassing her main rivals—American Jana Sjodin and Susanne Becher from West Germany. The 13-year-old student of coach Tetiana Mishyna won over the judges with her ease of jumps, beautiful lines, and spins.
Only sixth after the compulsory figures was the Kyiv skater Natalia Horbenko. However, her short and free programs were skated practically without errors, and in the end, she became the bronze medalist. Natalia is coached by Lidiia Masliukova.
Among the junior men, the winner was the American Erik Larson. The silver award went to 13-year-old Odesa native Volodymyr Petrenko, the younger brother of Viktor Petrenko, a two-time winner of similar tournaments. As is known, Viktor debuted among seniors this season; he immediately stepped onto the podium of the prestigious international tournament for the prize of the newspaper "Moscow News." The brothers are coached by Halyna Zmievska. Another of our participants, 14-year-old Kharkiv native Mykhailo Shmerkin, showed a fifth-place result.
Our young compatriots have never before been so broadly represented in the USSR national team. Among its students were representatives from Odesa, Dnipropetrovsk, Kyiv, and Kharkiv schools of figure skating. Regarding the achievements of Petrenko and Horbenko, you already know. Let us recall that in ice dancing, Olena Krykanova and Yevhen Platov, who began with Borys Rubliov, and are now training with Nataliia Dubova, won. In pair skating, silver medalists (following the Muscovites Ekaterina Gordeeva — Sergei Grinkov) were Dnipropetrovsk’s Irina Myronenko and Dmytro Shnydchenko.​

 

[Walt FSHunter]

1984
WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS

"GOLDEN SKATE" OF THE LENINGRADER

(the article published in russian 'Sovetskiy Sport' on December 18, 1984)​

NEW YORK. The debut of 13-year-old Leningrad schoolgirl Tatiana Andreeva, who won the title of world champion in figure skating among juniors in Colorado Springs, turned out to be "golden."
The student of coach Tatiana Mishina, after the compulsory and short programs, occupied only third place. But she managed to perform her free composition better than everyone else, overtaking American Jana Sjodin and Susanne Becher from West Germany.
One more Soviet figure skater, Natalia Horbenko, rose to the third step of the podium. "Silver" went to Becher.
The USSR national team won a total of 8 medals.​

​

---

WE REPORT DETAILS

"SINCE TEN YEARS OLD SHE DREAMED OF VICTORY"

(the article published in russian 'Sovetskiy Sport' on December 18, 1984)​

Tanya Andreeva is the first world champion in single skating in the history of our figure skating. Let it be the junior level, but this in no way diminishes her success on the ice of the American rink "Broadmoor." We note that it was on this ice in 1975 that the first of the Soviet figure skaters, Muscovite Sergei Volkov, won the world championship title among men.
Tatiana was born on June 13, 1970. At six years old, she was brought to the rink of the Leningrad Yubileyny Sports Palace by her parents Inna Vasilievna and Vladimir Ivanovich Andreev (by the way, they are big sports fans; in particular, the mother is fond of tennis, and the father of boxing and volleyball).
— After three years of training with Maya Petrovna Belenkaya, — says Tatiana, — I was accepted into a special group for single skating. And since then, I have been training with Tatiana Nikolaevna Mishina all the time. Our group is very strong; all the girls have been performing triple jumps since they were ten. I also did a triple salchow at ten years old...
At the youth national championship in Tallinn, Tanya Andreeva took second place, but until the last minute, she conducted a persistent struggle for victory with Kyivite Natalia Horbenko. In the composition to the music of Minkus's ballet "Don Quixote," she showed a difficult combination with a triple jump.
Here is how coach Tatiana Mishina comments on the success of her student:
— The main strength of Andreeva is maximum mobilization in competitions. She knows how to learn constantly; joint training with Marina Serova, a candidate for the country's senior team, was especially useful for her. Tanya is one of those girls for whom every detail is important — how the boots are laced, how the bow is pinned, and what the coach said before the start. Since ten years old, she dreamed of victory. And purposefulness — this is a champion's quality...​

A. ANTONOV.​

 

[Walt FSHunter]

1984
Stroitelnaya Gazeta Prize

Figure skating

(the article published in russian 'Sovetskiy Sport' on December 20, 1984)​

BELGOROD. The traditional international figure skating tournament among juniors for the prize of "Stroitelnaya Gazeta" [Construction Newspaper] has concluded.
The winners in pair skating were Sverdlovsk residents T. Pashnina and M. Fedorenko, students of coach A. Rennik. Among the young men, first place was won by V. Solodilov, among the girls — N. Skrabnevskaya, and among the ice dance couples, the highest scores were received by O. Shalina and O. Ovsyannikov. The young figure skaters who took places on the podium were awarded prizes made by the craftsmen of the Dyatkovo Crystal Factory.
The competitions, in which figure skaters from seven countries participated, were well organized and held at a high sporting level.​

V. FILIPPOV.​

 

[Walt FSHunter]

1984
GDR National Championships

FIGURE SKATING

(the article published in Ukrainian 'Sportyvna Hazeta' on December 27, 1984)​

BERLIN. The first competition appearance after the Games in Sarajevo by the Olympic champion in the singles category, Katarina Witt, brought her a confident victory. At the GDR figure skating championships, the 19-year-old athlete from Karl-Marx-Stadt was the strongest in all three disciplines and for the fifth time won the gold medal. Witt successfully performed three types of triple jumps.
Experts noted the increased mastery of another student of coach Jutta Müller — 15-year-old Constanze Gensel, who took second place. Third was Simone Koch.
An intense struggle for the championship title in the men's singles category unfolded between Falko Kirsten and Nils Köpp. Here, Kirsten proved to be stronger, gaining the title of the best in the republic for the third time. "Bronze" went to Ralf Lewandowski.
In pair skating, the trio of prize-winners looks as follows: Birgit Lorenz — Knut Schubert, Manuela Landgraf — Ingo Steuer, Peggy Seidel — Ralf Seifert.
The winners and prize-winners of the championship are included in the GDR national team to participate in the European and World championships.
​

FIGURE SKATING

(the article published in russian 'Sovetskiy Sport' on December 27, 1984)​

BERLIN. The GDR championship has ended. The best among the women was Olympic champion Witt, in second place was 15-year-old Gensel. Kirsten won the competitions in single skating among men. In pair skating, the best was the duo Lorenz — Schubert.
​

 

[Walt FSHunter]

1984
Laureates of the Sporting Year

Elena Valova — Oleg Vasiliev

(the article published in russian 'Sovetskiy Sport' on December 28, 1984)​

Honored Masters of Sports, champions of the White Olympics-84 in pair figure skating.

The winners of the Winter Olympics in Sarajevo, European champions in pair skating Elena Valova and Oleg Vasiliev brilliantly proved the strength of the modern sports style, combining high skating technique and virtuoso plasticity. The Leningrad figure skaters, students of the Honored Coach of the USSR Tamara Moskvina, had something to say in their compositions, as they had been performing in a creative union with their mentor for a number of years and persistently searched for new means of expressiveness and musicality.
It is no coincidence that their debut at the 1983 European Championship immediately brought the duo silver medals, and their very first start at the World Championship in Helsinki ended in a brilliant victory. This "leap from obscurity" gave such wonderful results because behind the Leningrad figure skaters were already four turbulent seasons filled with hard work, sporting passion, and the search for a unique signature in jumps and the interpretation of the musical theme.
​

 

[Walt FSHunter]

1984
STROKES TO A FAMILIAR PORTRAIT

IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE FAMOUS

(the article published in russian 'Sovetskiy Sport' on December 29, 1984)​

Having won the bronze medal at the Winter Olympics in Sarajevo, 21-year-old Czechoslovak figure skater Jozef Sabovčík achieved the greatest success of his sports career.
Before this, he had become the champion of the ČSSR [Czechoslovak Socialist Republic] five times; he had a silver medal from the '83 European Championship in Dortmund (FRG); moreover, at the World Championships in Ottawa (Canada) and European Championships in Budapest, he finished fourth. Thus, Sabovčík, along with Karel Divín, who was second at the 1960 Winter Olympic Games in Squaw Valley (USA), and the '72 Olympic champion in Sapporo, Ondrej Nepela, can be counted among the most distinguished representatives of Czechoslovak men's figure skating.
Jozef was born in December 1963. His first teacher on the ice was... his grandmother; currently, the athlete is coached in Bratislava by Agneša Búřilová, who formerly competed for the national team.
Sabovčík's recent achievements must be evaluated with a "discount," considering that not everything is in order with the figure skater's health. In particular, he had quite a few problems with his knee. For this reason, at the beginning of the current season, he was unable to participate in either the international tournament "Prague Skate" or the prestigious competitions in The Hague. But still, he managed to slowly heal his knee, and he was able to fly out for his first start of the season in Tokyo (November 22–25), where he was fourth.
Jozef has already begun preparations for the February '85 European Championship in the Swedish city of Gothenburg and the March World Championship in Tokyo.​

J. KIRCHNER.
(ČTK [Czechoslovak News Agency] corr. — for TASS).​

 

[Walt FSHunter]

1985

Grandfather Frost's Journey

(the article published in russian 'Sovetskiy Sport' on January 1, 1985)​

Well, as for the ice—on the ice, shimmering with a dim luster, blueish, though not as spacious as at the pole—Grandfather Frost felt himself standing firmly on his feet. True, in that moment, his hands were held no less firmly by young and already well-known figure skaters Marina Klimova and Sergei Ponomarenko.
Quite recently, they won their first-ever victory in the tournament for the prizes of the newspaper 'Moscow News', but they seemingly have no intention of resting on their laurels.
And if, as we all hope, this elegant pair conquers new and new heights, then with all our respect for New Year's superstitions, these laurels will be brought to them not by Grandfather Frost, but by their own hard work, multiplied by talent and a fighting character.
This is exactly what we wish today, on the first day of the New Year, to all true athletes.​

 

[Diana Delafield]

1985

Grandfather Frost's Journey

(the article published in russian 'Sovetskiy Sport' on January 1, 1985)​

Well, as for the ice—on the ice, shimmering with a dim luster, blueish, though not as spacious as at the pole—Grandfather Frost felt himself standing firmly on his feet. True, in that moment, his hands were held no less firmly by young and already well-known figure skaters Marina Klimova and Sergei Ponomarenko.
Quite recently, they won their first-ever victory in the tournament for the prizes of the newspaper 'Moscow News', but they seemingly have no intention of resting on their laurels.
And if, as we all hope, this elegant pair conquers new and new heights, then with all our respect for New Year's superstitions, these laurels will be brought to them not by Grandfather Frost, but by their own hard work, multiplied by talent and a fighting character.
This is exactly what we wish today, on the first day of the New Year, to all true athletes.​

View attachment 11084

Somebody was feeling poetic !

 

[Walt FSHunter]

1985
USSR CHAMPIONSHIPS

VIRTUOSOS ARE AIMED AT NEW FRONTIERS

(the article published in russian 'Sovetskiy Sport' on January 8, 1985)​

THE STRONGEST FIGURE SKATERS ENTER THE STRUGGLE FOR MEDALS OF THE USSR CHAMPIONSHIPS IN DNIPROPETROVSK

January is one of the peak months of the winter season for figure skating masters. And the current January is special in many respects. Soviet figure skaters are conducting intensive preparation not only for the upcoming European and World Championships, but also for the future Winter Olympics of 1988 in the Canadian city of Calgary.
As is known, in 1984 at the Sarajevo Olympics, the USSR team won 5 medals, including a gold one — in pair skating. Our juniors also performed successfully: following the World Championships in Colorado Springs, they had three gold medals in their collection (in pairs, in women's singles, and in ice dancing).
Today, it is important to clarify the modern trends in the development of world figure skating. The first of these is a broad change of generations in national teams. Such famous masters of figure skating as the English pair J. Torvill and C. Dean, Americans S. Hamilton, E. Zayak, R. Sumners, brother and sister Carruthers (USA), Canadians B. Underhill – P. Martini as well as R. Cerne, N. Schramm (FRG) have left competitive sports and turned professional. In their place come new waves of talented masters. Their new leaders, without doubt, will have even more complex programs. If at the Lake Placid Olympics the leaders in single skating performed several triple jumps, then in Sarajevo we saw both quadruple jumps and 3.5-turn jumps in combinations for men, and the triple lutz and flip for women. If earlier in pair skating it was sufficient for the strongest pairs to perform a parallel jump in 2.5 rotations, then now it is necessary to include in the program one or two triple jumps, complex twists, and lifts.
However, to achieve success in Calgary, it is necessary to surpass previous levels of mastery. All-around at the highest level — this is the key to success in modern single skating. Current leaders of our national team should perfectly do compulsory exercises, have in their arsenal the most complex combinations of jumps and virtuoso spins in the short program, include four-rotation jumps and combinations with triple axels.
The judges and spectators expect from the skaters new programs that would meet high artistic criteria. Music, choreography must be organically combined with technical skill. It is precisely on the basis of elements of the highest complexity that the best figure skaters create a kind of micro-performance with an original concept, reflecting the individuality of the athletes.
In ice dance, there is a clear trend toward narrative-driven compositions using cohesive musical works. Coaches are focusing heavily on personalizing performance styles and offering original interpretations of musical themes.
Olympic, World, and European silver medalists Natalia Bestemyanova and Andrei Bukin, under the guidance of coach Tatiana Tarasova, created a new free dance set to Georges Bizet’s "Carmen" (specifically the Rodion Shchedrin transcription for ballet). This dance highlights the duo's emotional, dynamic style and showcases their high level of choreographic movement.
Olympic and European bronze medalists Marina Klimova and Sergei Ponomarenko (coached by Natalya Dubova) prepared a compelling free program as well. Their dance, unified by Latin American rhythms, is elegant and distinguished by a unique directorial vision and impressive skating technique.
The 1985 season also features vibrant new dances from Olympians Olga Volozhinskaya and Alexander Svinin (coach Elena Tchaikovskaya), medalists of international competition in England Natalia Annenko and Genrikh Sretenski (coach Lyudmila Pakhomova), and the young pair Maya Usova and Alexander Zhulin (coach Natalya Dubova).
In pair skating, the top duos continue to push technical boundaries, incorporating side-by-side double Axel and triple jumps, double and triple twist lifts, and triple throw jumps into their programs.
Olympic pair skating champions Elena Valova and Oleg Vasiliev (coached by Tamara Moskvina) have prepared a new free program set to Fiyar Yarullin's music for the ballet "Shurale" (choreographed by Alexander Matveev). This program is a bold attempt to create a unique athletic-choreographic miniature. Its segments are tightly woven into a cohesive narrative while strictly maintaining a balance between technical elements and aesthetic quality.
Sarajevo Olympic medalists Larisa Selezneva and Oleg Makarov (coached by Igor Moskvin) are also successfully preparing for the upcoming season. Their short program features an original concept with engaging rhythm changes, impulsive execution, and unique plasticity. Their free program, set to music from the ballet "The Marriage of Figaro," is packed with side-by-side 2.5 and 3-rotation jumps, triple twists, and highly complex combinations of lifts and spins.
Contenders for the USSR national team in this discipline include students of Irina Rodnina: Veronika Pershina and Marat Akbarov, and Irina Bekker and Sergei Likhansky. They are joined by coach Tamara Moskvina’s students, Elena Bechke and Valery Kornienko, winners of the international "Coupe des Alpes" competition.
In men's singles, European champion Alexander Fadeev is showcasing a new short program set to Russian melodies, featuring a unique triple Axel combination. In his free skate, performed to modern pop tunes, he reveals his vast technical range, fully demonstrating his performance artistry and expressive plasticity.
Experienced skater Vladimir Kotin, who made a strong impression with his free program at the last World Championships, along with Junior World Champion Viktor Petrenko, are determined to fight for top spots at the European and World Championships. Their plans for the new season include mastering 3.5 and 4-rotation jumps.
In women’s singles, Soviet skaters Kira Ivanova (coach Vladimir Kovalev) and Anna Kondrashova (now training under Stanislav Zhuk) made history in 1984 by winning their first podium spots at the most prestigious international events—the Olympics and the World Championships. Now, their task is to solidify those positions and mount a serious challenge for leadership against world-renowned skaters like Olympic champion Katarina Witt (GDR), Tiffany Chin (USA), and Midori Ito (Japan).
Sverdlovsk native and USSR champion Natalia Lebedeva (coach Igor Ksenofontov) has also closed in on the lead group. By taking second place at the international "Moscow News" tournament, she proved she possesses undeniable strengths in the all-around competition.
Today, the USSR Figure Skating Championships open in Dnipropetrovsk, featuring all candidates for the national team. This tournament will allow us to fully assess not only the caliber of our leaders but also the strength of our reserves, as the best juniors—including winners and participants from the recent World Junior Championships in Colorado Springs—have been cleared to compete in every discipline. As a result, these competitions promise to be incredibly exciting across the board.​

V. Piseev,
Honored Coach of the USSR.​