Natalia Mishkutionok

Belarusian pair skater
1.59 m (5 ft 2+1⁄2 in)Figure skating careerCountry RussiaRetired1994
Medal record

Natalia Yevgenievna Mishkutionok (Russian: Наталья Евгеньевна Мишкутёнок, born 14 July 1970) is a Belarusian former pair skater. With Artur Dmitriev, she is the 1992 Olympic champion, the 1994 Olympic silver medalist, a two-time World champion (1991, 1992), and a two-time European champion (1991, 1992).

Personal life

Natalia Mishkutionok[1] was born on 14 July 1970[2] to a Polish mother and a Belarusian father in the Byelorussian SSR.[3] In 1995, she settled in Colorado Springs, Colorado and moved to Texas in 2001.[4] She was formerly married to American hockey player Craig Shepherd, with whom she skated professionally on occasion during the late 1990s. She divorced Shepherd and married Alan Hainline. Their daughter, Natasha Alena Mishkutionok-Hainline, was born on 16 January 2006.[4]

Career

Mishkutionok began skating in 1976.[2] She teamed up with Artur Dmitriev around 1986.[5] They were coached by Tamara Moskvina in Saint Petersburg and their choreographers were Alexander Matveev with Moskvina.[5][6] Together, Mishkutionok/Dmitriev won the 1991 and 1992 World and European Championships, and Olympic gold in 1992. They performed to Franz Liszt's Liebesträume (Dream of Love), which became one of the most noted programs of their career and earned them four perfect 6.0 marks at the 1992 World Championships in Oakland, California. They turned professional shortly after that championship.

Mishkutionok/Dmitriev chose to reinstate as amateurs after the ban against such actions was lifted. They attempted to defend their Olympic title in the 1994 Winter Olympics, where they delivered two strong programs. Their free skate to Rachmaninov's 2nd Piano Concerto earned a standing ovation and is considered one of their finest performances. The judges awarded the gold medal to Mishkutionok and Dmitriev's friends and countrymen Ekaterina Gordeeva / Sergei Grinkov ("G & G"). Mishkutionok decided to retire from competition in 1994.[7]

One hallmark of Mishkutionok/Dmitriev's style was her flexibility and their creative spins, especially one in which Mishkutionok would do a split and point her head down, with an arm around Dmitriev's calf so that they were both vertical and aligned; this signature move, called "Natasha's spin" was incorporated into most of their programs. Another signature move was a backwards inside death spiral in which Mishkutionok bent backwards, holding her foot behind and above her head while Dmitriev also held her raised skate blade and her free hand. Mishkutionok/Dmitriev competed before, during, and after the breakup of the Soviet Union, thus, they competed for the Soviet Union, the Unified Team, and Russia, all within a four-year period.

Mishkutionok is currently coaching pairs and singles skaters in Grapevine, Texas and Farmers Branch, Texas. One of her students is the U.S. men's 2009 novice silver medalist Stevan Evans.

Programs

Season Short program Free skating Exhibition
1993–1994
[8]
"The Symphony of Emotions":
  • Piano Concerto #2
    by Sergei Rachmaninov
  • Nostalgia
1992–1993
[8]
  • Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini
    by Sergei Rachmaninov
  • Flute Dance
1990–1992
[8]
  • Don Quixote
    by Ludwig Minkus
  • War Drums
  • Peasant Dance
1988–1990
[8]
  • The Swan
  • Let's Dance Together
    (Jewish folk music)
  • Piano Piece ("The Death Spiral")
  • Peasant Dance
  • War drums
1987–1988 unknown

Competitive highlights

(with Artur Dmitriev)

International[2]
Event 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1993–94
Winter Olympics 1st 2nd
World Champ. 3rd 1st 1st
European Champ. 4th 3rd 3rd 1st 1st 3rd
GPI de Paris 1st 1st
Nations Cup 1st
NHK Trophy 3rd
Skate America 1st 1st
Goodwill Games 2nd 1st
Moscow News 4th 1st
Piruetten 1st
Universiade 1st
National[9]
Russian Champ. 2nd
Soviet Champ. 2nd 2nd 2nd 2nd

Professional

Event 1992–93
World Pro. Championships 3rd
World Challenge of Champions 3rd
US Open Pro. 1st

References

  1. ^ "2014 - 2015 Coach/Instructor Compliance" (PDF). U.S. Figure Skating. 5 December 2014. p. 199. Archived (PDF) from the original on 7 December 2014.
  2. ^ a b c "MISHKUTIENOK Natalia / DMITRIEV Artur". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 18 June 2014.
  3. ^ Hersh, Phil (12 February 1992). "Russians Still Figure As Pairs Champions". Chicago Tribune.
  4. ^ a b Rutherford, Lynn; Leamy, Liz (21 January 2008). "Past, present and parents at U.S. Champs". IceNetwork. Retrieved 23 June 2011.
  5. ^ a b Janofsky, Michael (12 February 1992). "ALBERTVILLE; No Longer Soviet Skaters, But They Are Still the Best". The New York Times.
  6. ^ "Natalia Mishkutenok & Artur Dmitriev". Pairs on Ice. Archived from the original on 7 October 2007.
  7. ^ Longman, Jere (8 February 1998). "It's Medal Time, So Here's Dmitriev Hungry As Ever". The New York Times.
  8. ^ a b c d "Mishkutyenok & Dmitriev: The Music". Archived from the original on 23 August 1999.
  9. ^ Мишкутёнок Наталья Евгеньевна [Natalia Yevgenievna Mishkutionok] (in Russian). fskate.ru.

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