Alexei Yagudin

Alexei Yagudin
Alexei Yagudin during an exhibition gala in 2002.
Personal information
Full name	Alexei Konstantinovich Yagudin
Country represented	Russia
Born	18 March 1980 (1980-03-18)
Residence	St. Petersburg, Russia
Height	175 cm (5.74 ft)
Former coach	Tatiana Tarasova Alexei Mishin
Former choreographer	Tatiana Tarasova Nikolai Morozov
Retired	2003
Medal record Competitor for Russia Men's Figure Skating Winter Olympic Games Gold 2002 Salt Lake City Men's Singles World Championships Gold 2002 Nagano Men's Singles Silver 2001 Vancouver Men's Singles Gold 2000 Nice Men's Singles Gold 1999 Helsinki Men's Singles Gold 1998 Minneapolis Men's Singles Bronze 1997 Lausanne Men's Singles European Championships Gold 2002 Lausanne Men's Singles Silver 2001 Bratislava Men's Singles Silver 2000 Vienna Men's Singles Gold 1999 Prague Men's Singles Gold 1998 Milan Men's Singles Grand Prix Final Gold 2001-02 Kitchener Men's Singles Silver 2000-01 Tokyo Men's Singles Gold 1998-99 St. Petersburg Men's Singles World Junior Championships Gold 1996 Brisbane Men's Singles

Olympic medal record
Competitor for Russia
Men's Figure Skating
Gold	2002 Salt Lake City	Men's Singles

Alexei Konstantinovich Yagudin (Russian:  Алексей Константинович Ягудин​ ; 18 March 1980) is a former Russian figure skater. His major achievements in his six years of eligible sports career include being the 2002 Olympic Champion, a four-time World Champion (1998, 1999, 2000, 2002), a three-time European Champion (1998, 1999, 2002), a two-time Grand Prix Final Champion (1998-1999, 2001-2002), a World Junior Champion (1996) and a two-time World Professional Champion (1998, 2002).

Career overview

Early career

Alexei Yagudin was introduced to skating at age four and encouraged by his mother, Zoya.

He learned all double jumps before age ten, the five triple jumps before age twelve, and the triple Axel jump before age thirteen. He was first coached by Alexander Mayorov and then introduced to the famous Russian coach Alexei Mishin when Mayorov moved to Sweden in 1992. Yagudin was trained in Mishin's group from 1992 to 1998. In 1994, He began competing internationally. In 1996, he won the World Junior Championships. The well-known rivalry between Yagudin and fellow Russian skater Evgeni Plushenko started when they were both trained in Mishin's group and became more fierce after Yagudin left Mishin's group.

Senior career

In 1997, Yagudin competed in the World Championships for the first time and won a bronze medal.

In 1998, Yagudin won his first major title at the European Championships leading a Russian sweep of the medals, with Evgeni Plushenko in second and Alexander Abt in third. Later that year, he competed at the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics fighting a severe case of pneumonia, and finished in 5th place. A month later, he won the World Championships. He became the first Russian from the post-Soviet Russia to win the World title, and being 18 years and 15 days old at the time of winning, he made the second youngest World Champion: 6 days older than Donald McPherson in 1963. About two months after the World Championships, Yagudin left Mishin and turned to the legendary Russian coach Tatiana Tarasova. Tarasova continued to coach him until his retirement in 2003.

During the 1998-1999 season Yagudin continued his success. He won eleven out of the total of thirteen competitions he participated, including defeating Kurt Browning in the World Professional Championships, winning the Grand Prix Final, and winning his second consecutive European title over both Plushenko and the former Olympic champion Alexei Urmanov. At the World Championships he successfully defended his World title defeating Plushenko, which also made his second consecutive World title.

Yagudin struggled at the beginning of the 1999-2000 season. He was first forced to withdraw from the Grand Prix Final due to a knee injury, and then lost to Plushenko at the Russian Nationals and the European Championships. However, he came back to win the World Championships, his third consecutive World title.

Yagudin's 2000-2001 season was marred by injuries and inconsistency. He concentrated on improving his artistic presentation and choreography, and the consistency of his jumps suffered. He lost to Plushenko at the Grand Prix Final, Russian Nationals, and the European Championships. A foot injury sustained shortly before the World Championships led to a disastrous performance in the qualifying round. He was placed only 5th in his group before the short program. However, he came back with a strong performance of the short program The Revolutionary Etude, winning a standing ovation and compliments of 'It was all about heart and guts'. He went on to win the silver medal.

Yagudin started the 2001-2002 Olympic season with a disappointing showing at the Goodwill Games in September, finishing 3rd. He made changes to his training regimen as a result of this, and then enjoyed the best season in his career. He defeated Plushenko at the Grand Prix Final and regained his European title. At the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Yagudin won the men's event, receiving first-place votes from every judge throughout the competition. He also received four 6.0 scores for his long program; this the most for an Olympic performance since Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean had earned perfect marks for their free dance in 1984 and more than any other men's skater in the Olympics. Shortly after the Winter Olympics Yagudin won his fourth World title and received six perfect 6.0s in the short program and another two perfect 6.0s in the free skate, becoming the first skater to receive six perfect marks for the short program, including the first ever perfect mark for required elements. Because the International Skating Union introduced a new scoring system following the 2003 season, these scoring records cannot be equaled or broken.

After the Olympic season, Yagudin was diagnosed with a congenital hip disorder, and was advised by doctors to stay off the ice for several months. However, Yagudin chose not to follow this advice and nevertheless competed at the 2002 Skate America. There he won the short program, but had to withdraw due to the injury prior to the free skate portion of the event. Yagudin later announced his retirement from the eligible skating world. His final performance as an eligible skater came during a farewell gala at Skate Canada, performing a new program Memorial and his short program from the previous season, Racing.

In 2003, he was awarded with the Order of Merit for the Fatherland of the Russian Federation.

Despite his many accomplishments, Yagudin never won the Russian National Championships.

Professional career

Yagudin then turned professional in 2003, touring with Stars on Ice and Ice Symphony in Russia.

In 2004, Yagudin toured with Stars on Ice for the second year in a row. He also worked with the French figure skater Brian Joubert as a consultant coach. In November he won two professional competitions with two new programs, The Feeling Begins (music by Peter Gabriel) and Moon Over Bourbon Street (music by Sting). The next year, he continued with the Stars on Ice tour and his Passion program was choreographed with a difficult acrobatic routine that took place seven meters up in the air. Since returning to his hometown of Saint Petersburg in 2005, Yagudin has skated in various Russian ice shows and took part in the Russian TV show Stars on Ice, later renamed Ice Age.

In 2006, after a full Olympic cycle since Salt Lake City, Yagudin performed his famous Winter program on tour and a new program Sway (music by Pussycat Dolls). In fall he took part in the Russian TV show Stars on Ice having a former gymnast, Oksana Pushkina, as his partner.

In 2007, Yagudin first toured in the U.S. with the Stars on Ice, and then toured in Russia. He skated a comic number Blues for Klook and a flamenco number Legenda. In July 2007, Yagudin underwent surgery to have a titanium hip joint implanted. In August, Yagudin announced that he intended to return to eligible sports after more than four years of competing as a professional skater. His former coach Tatiana Tarasova and former choreographer Nikolai Morozov agreed to coach him should he return. However, Yagudin suffered another injury while on tour in November 2007. Afterward he stated that returning to competitive skating would be too difficult under the circumstances. He later realized that a return to eligible skating would not be feasible, and continued his professional career, taking part in the Russian TV show again, which was renamed Ice Age. This time he was paired with a pop singer Victoria Dayneko with whom he also recorded a song Needle.

In 2008, Yagudin finished the Ice Age tour and then made his debut on the stage in a theater play where he played a Russian President. His career as an actor continued with getting one of the main roles in a Russian TV series about figure skating My Hot Ice. In fall he participated in the second season of Ice Age partnered with actress Valeria Lanskaya.

In 2009, Yagudin performed regularly on the Ice Age tour. He also adventured into a popular TV show Good evening, Moscow! as a host. In fall he participated the third season of Ice Age, still paired with Valeria Lanskaya.

In 2010, Yagudin completed his third Ice Age tour. In June he skated in the Supermatch: Medalist on Ice show in Korea, performing Sway and Winter. On September 4, he participated in the Artistry on Ice show in Beijing. During the show, the wedding ceremony of the famous Chinese pair skaters Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo, the 2010 Olympic champions was held. As one of the invited guests he gave his blessing to the couple and performed Winter and Sway afterward. It was his first visit to China.

In 2011, Yagudin told an interviewer that due to the hip replacement surgery he had undergone, he is no longer able to do all his triple jumps. He continues to perform his popular Winter program in shows around the world.

Personal life

Alexei Yagudin was born in Leningrad, now St. Petersburg, in Russia. He grew up as an only child in a single-mother family, as his parents divorced when he was young.

In 1999, Yagudin moved to the United States in order to train with Tatiana Tarasova. Later that year he was dismissed from the Champions on Ice tour, presumably due to a drinking problem. He was a resident of the United States for almost seven years.

In 2003, Yagudin underwent hip surgery after touring with Stars on Ice. He assisted Tarasova to coach over summer and early fall. In September, he was arrested for drunk driving.

In 2005, Yagudin published his autobiography, Alexei Yagudin: Overcome, in Japan.

At the end of 2007, his autobiography was published in Russia with the title НаPRолом. Extra chapters and photos were added to cover the skater's recent life.

On June 2, 2008, Yagudin's car was stolen with one of his World Championships gold medals in it. Both the medal and the car remain unlocated.

On November 20, his fiancée, Olympic champion Tatiana Totmianina gave birth to his first child, a daughter named Elizaveta ("Liza"). They also have a Yorkshire Terrier named Varia.

Yagudin has stated that he and Totmianina do not wish their daughter to become involved in competitive skating, and that they hope she will concentrate on studying and music as she grows older.

In 2011, Yagudin joined a Russian campaign to promote healthy lifestyles. He took part in free physical trainings held in Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Rostov-on-Don, Ekaterinburg, Samara, Kazan and Novosibirsk. He stated, "I would like to achieve through this campaign at least the understanding of people that 30 or 40 minutes of their day can improve their health now and in the future."

Honours and awards

This article incorporates information from the equivalent article on the Russian Wikipedia.

• Order of Merit for the Fatherland, 4th class (5 May 2003) - for outstanding contribution to the development of physical culture and sports, high achievements in sports at the XIX Olympic Games 2002 in Salt Lake City
• National Sports Award "Glory," "Best Athlete of 2002"

Programs

Season	Short Program	Free Skating	Exhibition
2002-2003	Racing by Safri Duo	The Man in the Iron Mask by Nick Glennie-Smith	Born to Be Wild by Steppenwolf Memorial by Michael Nyman
2001-2002	Winter by Bond	The Man in the Iron Mask by Nick Glennie-Smith	Overcome from Ancient Lands by Ronan Hardiman The Man in the Iron Mask by Nick Glennie-Smith
2000-2001	The Revolutionary Etude by Frédéric Chopin	Gladiator by Hans Zimmer	Gladiator by Hans Zimmer Stand by Me by Ben E. King My Baby You by Marc Anthony We Are the Champions by Queen
1999-2000	Nutrocker by Emerson, Lake & Palmer	Broken Arrow by Hans Zimmer Tosca by Giacomo Puccini	Come Fly with Me by Barry Manilow September Morn by Neil Diamond
1998-1999	Circus from The Revisionist's Tale by Alfred Schnittke	Lawrence of Arabia by Maurice Jarre	Here Comes the Big Parade by Harry Connick, Jr. The Prince of Rose
1997-1998	Ziganotchka Russian Gypsy Music	Troika, or Snowstorm by Georgy Sviridov	Play it Again Sachmo by Louis Armstrong Mack the Knife from The Threepenny Opera by Kurt Weill
1996-1997	Ruslan and Lyudmila by Mikhail Glinka	Carmen by Georges Bizet	One Banana African Music
1995-1996	Nutcracker by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky	Gaîté Parisienne by Jacques Offenbach
1994-1995	Toccata and Fugue in D minor by Johann Sebastian Bach	Hussar Medley
1993-1994		Concierto de Aranjuez by Joaquín Rodrigo Performed by Paco de Lucía

Competitive highlights

Major events

Event	1993-94	1994-95	1995-96	1996-97	1997-98	1998-99	1999-00	2000-01	2001-02	2002-03
Olympic Winter Games					5th				1st
World Championships				3rd	1st	1st	1st	2nd	1st
European Championships			6th	5th	1st	1st	2nd	2nd	1st
World Junior Championships		4th	1st
Russian Championships	5th	5th	4th	3rd	2nd	2nd	2nd	2nd
Grand Prix Final					4th	1st		2nd	1st
Skate America				3rd		1st	1st	2nd		WD
Skate Canada International							1st	1st	1st
Sparkassen Cup				3rd		1st
Trophée Lalique					1st	1st	1st	1st	1st
Cup of Russia				2nd	1st
Goodwill Games	8th								3rd

All events

Amateur Status: Senior Division

Amateur Status: Senior Division
Events	Location	Placement
2002–2003
Campbell's International Figure Skating Classic	Daytona, USA	1
Sears Canadian Open	Red Deer, Canada	1
Hallmark Skater's Championship World Professional Championship	Columbus, USA	1
Top Jump	France	1
Skate America	Spokane, USA	WD
Crest Whitestrips International Figure Skating Challenge	Auburn Hills, USA	5
2001–2002
Winter Olympics	Salt Lake City, USA	1
World Championships	Nagano, Japan	1
European Championships	Lausanne, Switzerland	1
Grand Prix Final	Kitchener, Canada	1
Skate Canada	Saskatoon, Canada	1
Trophée Lalique	Paris, France	1
Masters of Figure Skating	San Diego, USA	1
Goodwill Games	Brisbane, Australia	3
2000–2001
World Championships	Vancouver, Canada	2
European Championships	Bratislava, Slovakia	2
Grand Prix Final	Tokyo, Japan	2
Skate Canada	Mississauga, Canada	1
Trophée Lalique	Paris, France	1
Skate America	Colorado Springs, USA	2
Masters of Figure Skating	Boise, USA	2
Canadian Open	Hamilton, Canada	1
Russian Nationals	Moscow, Russia	2
Japan Open	Tokyo, Japan	1
Hershey's Kisses Figure Skating Challenge	Detroit, USA	1
1999–2000
World Championships	Nice, France	1
European Championships	Vienna, Austria	2
Skate Canada	St. John, Canada	1
Trophée Lalique	Paris, France	1
Skate America	Colorado Springs, USA	1
Masters of Figure Skating	Green Bay, USA	2
Japan Open	Tokyo, Japan	1
Russian Nationals	Moscow, Russia	2
Grand Slam Super Teams of Skating	Kitchener, Canada	2
Keri Lotion Classic	Orlando, USA	1
1998–1999
World Championships	Helsinki, Finland	1
European Championships	Prague, Czech Republic	1
Grand Prix Final	St. Petersburg, Russia	1
Sparkassen Cup	Gelsenkirchen, Germany	1
Trophée Lalique	Paris, France	1
Skate America	Detroit, USA	1
Nations Cup	Gelsenkirchen, Germany	1
Japan Open	Tokyo, Japan	2
Russian Nationals	Moscow, Russia	2
World Professional Championships	Washington D.C., USA	1
World Team Challenge	Milwaukee, USA	1
Challenge of Champions	Sunrise, USA	1
Hershey's Kisses Figure Skating Challenge	Binghamton, USA	1
1997–1998
Winter Olympics	Nagano, Japan	5
World Championships	Minneapolis, USA	1
European Championships	Milan, Italy	1
Champion Series Final The later Grand Prix Final	Munich, Germany	4
Russian Nationals	Moscow, Russia	2
Trophée Lalique	Paris, France	1
Cup of Russia	St. Petersburg, Russia	1
Skate Israel	Metulla, Israel	1
Finlandia Trophy	Helsinki, Finland	1
1996–1997
World Championships	Lausanne, Switzerland	3
European Championships	Paris, France	5
Champion Series Final The later Grand Prix Final	Hamilton, Canada	5
Russian Nationals	Moscow, Russia	3
Skate America	Springfield, USA	3
Cup of Russia	St.Petersburg, Russia	2
Nations Cup	Gelsenkirchen, Germany	5

Amateur Status: Junior Division

Amateur Status: Junior Division
Events	Location	Placement
1995–1996
World Junior Championships	Brisbane, Australia	1
European Championships	Sofia, Bulgaria	6
Centennial on Ice	St. Petersburg, Russia	2
Russian Nationals	Samara, Russia	4
Blue Swords	Chenmitz, Germany	1
1994–1995
World Junior Championships	Budapest, Hungary	4
Russian Nationals	Moscow, Russia	5
Nations Cup	Gelsenkirchen, Germany	8
Goodwill Games	St. Petersburg, Russia	8
1993–1994
Russian Nationals	St. Petersburg, Russia	5

Professional Status

Professional Status
Events	Location	Placement
2006–2007
Ice Wars	Hoffman Estates, USA	1
Japan Open	Tokyo, Japan	5
2005–2006
Ice Wars	Peoria, USA	2
World Team Challenge	London, Ontario, Canada	2
Japan Open	Saitama, Japan	6
2004–2005
Ice Wars	Charlton, USA	1
World Team Challenge	Winnipeg, Canada	1
2003–2004
World Team Challenge	Vancouver, Canada	3

External links

• Alexei Yagudin at the International Skating Union
• Olympics.org Athlete Profile - Yagudin