Oleg Vasiliev (figure skater)

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Oleg Vasiliev (figure skater) bigraphy, stories - Russian pair skater and coach

Oleg Vasiliev (figure skater) : biography

22 November 1959 –

Oleg Kimovich Vasiliev ( born 22 November 1959) is a Russian pair skater who competed internationally for the Soviet Union. With partner Elena Valova, he is the 1984 Olympic champion, 1988 Olympic silver medalist, and three-time World Champion (1983, 1985, 1988). Their coach throughout their career was Tamara Moskvina. After the pair ended their career, Vasiliev became a coach, leading the pair of Tatiana Totmianina / Maxim Marinin to the 2006 Olympic title.

Career

Valova / Vasiliev in [[Karl-Marx-Stadt, 1983]] Vasiliev’s parents decided to introduce him to skating when he was five because he had had pneumonia several times as a child and his doctor recommended an outdoor activity. As a single skater, Vasiliev won a Junior National title.

Coach Tamara Moskvina invited Vasiliev to switch to pair skating several times before he agreed, at age 18. Initially, he was physically ill-suited for the discipline and had much work to develop his muscles. He and his first partner, Larisa Selezneva, argued incessantly and split after three months. Moskvina then paired him with Elena Valova, with whom he continued to train in Leningrad (Saint Petersburg).

Valova / Vasiliev’s breakthrough came in the 1982–83 season. They won bronze at the Prize of Moscow News, gold at the 1982 Skate America, and then silver at the 1983 European Championships. The pair concluded their season by winning their first World title. They missed the 1983 national championships due to Vasiliev’s broken jaw.

In 1984, Valova / Vasiliev won their first European title and then took gold at the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo. The deaths of several Soviet government officials, including one during the Olympics, cast a pall over the Soviet team and the athletes were told not to show too much joy. The pair took silver at their final event of the season, the 1984 World Championships.

In 1985, the pair won gold at both the European and World Championships but 1986 saw the emergence of the young Moscow pair Ekaterina Gordeeva / Sergei Grinkov. Although Valova / Vasiliev prevailed at 1986 Europeans, they finished second to the Muscovites at both the 1986 and 1987 Worlds.

In their final amateur season, Valova / Vasiliev took silver at the 1988 Winter Olympics behind Gordeeva / Grinkov but then prevailed over the reigning Olympic champions at the 1988 World Championships. After winning their third World title, Valova / Vasiliev retired from ISU competition. After performing for a year in Igor Bobrin’s ice theatre, they signed a U.S. contract – the first Soviets to do so without losing their citizenship. The pair performed together in various shows and events until the end of 1997.

Vasiliev was awarded the Order of Friendship of Peoples.

Vasiliev (far left) in 2004 with [[Tatiana Totmianina / Maxim Marinin. ]] Vasiliev initially had no interest in coaching but changed his mind. He coached one season for the Latvian federation and then about two years for the French federation near Paris. Since 1998, Vasiliev has coached in Chicago and Saint Petersburg. His former students include Tatiana Totmianina / Maxim Marinin (2006 Olympic and two-time World champions), Maria Mukhortova / Maxim Trankov (2008 European silver medalists), Viktoria Volchkova, and Fumie Suguri.

Results

1979–1988

Results
International
Event 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88
Winter Olympics 1st 2nd
World Championships 1st 2nd 1st 2nd 2nd 1st
European Championships 2nd 1st 1st 1st 2nd
Skate America 3rd 1st
NHK Trophy 1st
Nebelhorn Trophy 1st
Prize of Moscow News 6th 3rd 3rd 1st
St. Gervais 2nd
National
Soviet Championships 3rd 2nd 1st