Sofiia Holichenko

Ukrainian pair skater
Sofiia Holichenko
Holichenko with Darenskyi at the 2022 Winter Olympics
Full nameSofiia Yuriyivna Holichenko
Native nameСофія Юріївна Голіченко (Ukrainian)
Other namesSofia/Sofiya Golichenko
Born (2004-11-23) 23 November 2004 (age 19)
Kyiv, Ukraine
HometownKyiv
Height1.55 m (5 ft 1 in)
Figure skating career
Country Ukraine
PartnerArtem Darenskyi
CoachLilia Batutina
Skating clubMDUSH of Winter Sport, Dnipro
Began skating2007

Sofiia Yuriyivna Holichenko (Ukrainian: Софія Юріївна Голіченко; born 23 November 2004) is a Ukrainian pair skater. With her skating partner, Artem Darenskyi, she competed in the final segment at the 2022 European Championships and is a two-time Ukrainian national champion (2022, 2023) and the 2023 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb brone medalist.

Career

Early career

As a singles skater, Holichenko most notably won the bronze medal at the 2018 Ukrainian junior championships.[1] She competed a single season in pairs with Ivan Pavlov, winning a bronze medal at the senior Ukrainian championships.[2]

2020–2021 season

In June, it was announced that she had formed a new partnership with Artem Darenskyi.[3]

After obtaining the required minimum technical elements scores, Holichenko/Darenskyi were nominated to represent Ukraine at the 2021 World Championships in Stockholm. They withdrew a few days before the start of the competition, having tested positive for coronavirus.[4]

2021–2022 season

Holichenko/Darenskyi began the season at the 2021 CS Nebelhorn Trophy, attempting to qualify a berth for Ukraine at the 2022 Winter Olympics. They placed eleventh at the event, outside the qualifications.[5] However, Ukraine qualified to the Olympic team event due to Anastasiia Shabotova qualifying to the women's competition at Nebelhorn, allowing for a Ukrainian pair to be sent for that.[6] Holichenko/Darenskyi went on to finish fifth at the Budapest Trophy.[5]

After winning their first Ukrainian national title, Holichenko/Darenskyi placed fifteenth at the 2022 European Championships in Tallinn.[5] Days later, they were named to the Ukrainian Olympic team.[7] They finished ninth among nine pairs entered in the short program of the Olympic team event.[8] This was their only performance at the Games, as Team Ukraine did not advance to the second stage of the competition and finished tenth.[9]

The team returned home to Dnipro after the Olympics and immediately found themselves in the midst of Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine.[10] They enlisted Canadian music editor Hugo Chouinard to change their short program music in advance of the 2022 World Championships in Montpellier, hoping to inspire the country with Ukrainian music.[11] They undertook a six-day journey to France, via Romania, Italy and Poland, with Darenskyi saying that their goal was "to show that Ukrainian athletes are fighting for their country." On arrival, they received a standing ovation and placed thirteenth in the short program with very limited training. In light of this, they opted not to compete in the free skate. They had left home knowing they would not be able to return, instead planning to live and train in the Polish city of Toruń for the foreseeable future.[10]

2022–2023 season

Holichenko/Darenskyi's lone competitive appearance for the season came at the 2022 CS Nebelhorn Trophy, where they finished in twelfth place. They withdrew from their assignments on the Grand Prix.[5]

2023–2024 season

Starting the season at the 2023 CS Nebelhorn Trophy, Holichenko/Darenskyi came eighth.[5] At the 2023 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb, Holichenko/Darenskyi placed third in the short program and third in the free skate, placing third overall and earning their first ISU Challenger Series medal.[5]

In the second half of the season, Holichenko/Darenskyi came eleventh at the 2024 European Championships and seventeenth at the 2024 World Championships.[5]

Programs

With Darenskyi
Season Short program Free skating
2023–2024
[12]
2022–2023
[13]
  • Zhiva (Alive)
    by Hardkiss
    choreo. by Ivan Lytvynenko
2021–2022
[14][15]
  • Zhiva (Alive)
    by Hardkiss
    choreo. by Ivan Lytvynenko
  • Pina
  • Glasshouse
  • Lilies of the Valley
    (from Pina)
    by Thomas Hanreich, Jun Miyake
    choreo. by Ivan Lytvynenko
2020–2021
[16]

Competitive highlights

CS: Challenger Series

With Darenskyi

International[5]
Event 20–21 21–22 22–23 23–24
Worlds WD WD 17th
Europeans 15th 11th
GP Finland WD
GP Skate America WD
CS Golden Spin 3rd
CS Nebelhorn 11th 12th 8th
Budapest Trophy 5th
Denis Ten Memorial 6th
National[5]
Ukrainian Champ. 2nd 1st
Team events
Olympics 10th T
9th P
TBD = Assigned; WD = Withdrew

With Pavlov

International: Junior[2]
Event 2018–19
Ice Star 6th
Volvo Open Cup 3rd
National[2]
Ukrainian Champ. 3rd

Ladies' singles

International: Junior[1]
Event 17–18 18–19 19–20
Ice Star 6th
National[1]
Ukrainian Junior 3rd
Ukrainian Novice 6th 9th

References

  1. ^ a b c "Sofiia GOLICHENKO". RinkResults.
  2. ^ a b c "Competition Results: Sofiia HOLICHENKO / Ivan PAVLOV". International Skating Union.
  3. ^ Danyliuk, Ivan (June 17, 2020). "Sofiia Holichenko and Artem Darenskyi to compete in pairs together". Skating.com.ua.
  4. ^ "Українська спортивна пара не братиме участі у ЧС-2021 через коронавірус" [Ukrainian pair out of 2021 Worlds due to coronavirus] (in Ukrainian). Ukrainian Figure Skating Federation. 20 March 2021. Archived from the original on 20 March 2021.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Competition Results: Sofiia HOLICHENKO / Artem DARENSKYI". International Skating Union.
  6. ^ Flade, Tatjana (September 25, 2021). "Liu pockets Nebelhorn gold; seals third spot for U.S. women". Golden Skate.
  7. ^ "Затверджено склад збірної України на Ігри-2022, в числі олімпійців – шестеро фігуристів" [The composition of the national team of Ukraine for the 2022 Games has been approved, among the Olympians - six skaters] (in Ukrainian). Ukrainian Figure Skating Federation. 22 January 2022.
  8. ^ Slater, Paula (February 4, 2022). "Team USA leads Olympic Figure Skating Team Event". Golden Skate.
  9. ^ Slater, Paula (February 7, 2022). "ROC wins Olympic figure skating team event". Golden Skate.
  10. ^ a b "Ukraine skaters' six-day trip to worlds, 'fighting for our country'". France 24. March 23, 2022.
  11. ^ Russell, Susan D. (March 17, 2022). "Skating community rallies for Ukraine". International Figure Skating.
  12. ^ "Sofiia HOLICHENKO / Artem DARENSKYI: 2023/2024". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 28 September 2023.
  13. ^ "Sofiia HOLICHENKO / Artem DARENSKYI: 2022/2023". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 8 May 2023.
  14. ^ "Sofiia HOLICHENKO / Artem DARENSKYI: 2021/2022 (1st SP)". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 24 September 2021.
  15. ^ "Sofiia HOLICHENKO / Artem DARENSKYI: 2021/2022 (2nd SP)". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 24 March 2022.
  16. ^ "Sofiia HOLICHENKO / Artem DARENSKYI: 2020/2021". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 16 March 2021.

External links

  • v
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2022 Ukraine Winter Olympics team
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Chef de mission: Valerii Sushkevych
Medalist is shown in bold and flagbearer in italics.