Figure Skating Coach Viktor Kudriavtsev Passes Away at 88

[gsk8]

The International Skating Union (ISU) and the global skating community are deeply saddened by the passing of legendary Figure Skating coach Viktor Nikolaevitch Kudriavtsev, who died on June 22, 2026, at the age of 88.

A highly respected coach, mentor and educator, Mr. Kudriavtsev devoted more than six decades of his life to the development of Figure Skating, helping shape generations of athletes and leaving an enduring legacy on the sport.

From Wiki: His first notable student was Sergey Volkov who excelled at compulsory figures and was the first Soviet skater to win the men's World title. His other students include the 1998 Olympic champion Ilia Kulik, Elena Sokolova, Ilia Klimkin, Viktoria Volchkova, Alexander Shubin, Andrejs Vlaščenko, and Evan Lysacek. Although primarily a singles coach, Kudriavtsev also worked with a few pairs, including Lyudmila Smirnova / Andrei Suraikin.

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[labgoat]

He seemed like such a pleasant coach. I remember him with an easy smile in the kiss and cry with his later students. He seemed to enjoy working with his skaters and taught them very good technique while allowing them room to perform. RIP

 

[Ic3Rabbit]

Viktor was a great man and coach. He will be missed by his students and all who knew him. RIP.

 

[ladyjane]

May he RIP. He seemed to be a fatherly kind of coach, and I mean that in the best sense of the word.

 

[BlissfulSynergy]

I didn't know a lot about Kudryavtsev, but I am familiar with his name. I also recall seeing him with skaters in the kiss 'n cry over the years. My condolences to his family, friends, colleagues, and his many students through the years.

I came across this instructive article on jump technique written by Kudryavtsev:

Viktor Kudryavtsev: Jump arithmetic: mistake correction. Conditioning exercises for learning single jumps.

This article is by a well-known Russian coach Viktor Kudryavtsev and is aimed at coaches teaching beginner skaters jump technique. While only tangentially interesting for Yuzu fans, it still highlights quite a few jump details and subtleties, so proved to be quite educational to me. The article i...

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