Aliona Savchenko

Infobox Figure skater
title= Aliona Savchenko


caption=Savchenko & Szolkowy at the 2007 German National Championships
fullname= Aliona Savchenko
altname=
country= GER
formercountry= UKR
dateofbirth= birth date and age|1984|1|19
birthplace= Kiev, Ukrainian SSR, USSR
hometown=
residence= Chemnitz, Germany
height= convert|153|cm|ftin|abbr=on
partner= Robin Szolkowy
formerpartner= Dmitri Boenko (UKR),
Stanislav Morozov (UKR)
coach= Ingo Steuer
formercoach=
choreographer= Ingo Steuer
formerchoreographer=
skating club= Chemnitzer EC
retired=
combined total= 202.86
combined date= 2008 Worlds
SP score= 72.14
SP date= 2007-2008 Grand Prix Final
FS score= 134.01
FS date= 2007 Europeans

Aliona Savchenko ( _uk. Олена Савченко) (born 19 January 1984 in Kiev, Ukraine SSR, Soviet Union) is a German-Ukrainian pair skater. With partner Robin Szolkowy, she is the 2008 World pair champion, 2007 World pair bronze medalist, 2007 & 2008 European Pair Champion, and current Grand Prix Pair Champion.

Career

Aliona Savchenko began skating at the age of 3. Her father practiced with her on a lake. He wanted to take her to a figure skating school in Kiev when she was four, but was told that she was too young. She was admitted a year later.

Savchenko and her first partner, Dmitri Boyenko, were coached by Alexander Artychenko, and represented Ukraine under the auspices of the club Dynamo Kiev. The pair separated after the 1998 World Junior Figure Skating Championships at which they placed thirteenth.

Her next partner, Stanislav Morozov, was also from club Dynamo Kiev. Their coach was Galina Kukhar. The team won the 2000 World Junior Figure Skating Championships, twice won the Ukrainian National pair title, and placed 15th at the 2002 Winter Olympics.

Savchenko's partnership with Morozov dissolved in 2002. In May 2003, Szolkowy's coach, former World champion Ingo Steuer, brought Savchenko to Chemnitz, Germany for what would be a successful try-out. Three months later, Savchenko relocated to Germany and the new team began training in earnest.

In 2004, during their first season together, Savchenko and Szolkowy won the German National pair title. The two made their international debut as a team at the start of the 2004/2005 season. They again won the German National pair title, placed fourth at Europeans and sixth at the 2005 World Championships.

During the 2005/2006 season, Savchenko and Szolkowy won their third German National title, as well as Grand Prix Skate Canada, where they won both the short program and free skate. They placed second at Europeans, third at the Grand Prix Final, and sixth at Worlds. Savchenko was granted German citizenship on 29 December 2005, allowing the pair to compete in the 2006 Winter Olympic Games, where they finished sixth.

In March, 2007, Savchenko and Szolkowy earned their first World Championship medal, a bronze, earning a new personal best for their short program, 67.65 points. While winning their first European pair title earlier that year, the team set new personal bests for total points (199.39) and for their free skate program (134.01), [ [http://www.isufs.org/bios/isufs00007498.htm Biography ] ] set to the music from the soundtrack of the film "The Mission." They also won their fourth German National pair title. At the end of the 2006/2007 season, Savchenko and Szolkowy ranked third on the International Skating Union's World Standings. [ [http://www.isufs.org/ws/wspairs.htm World Standings ] ]

At the Grand Prix Final in December 2007, Savchenko and Szolkowy scored 72.14 in the short program, setting a new world record, and a season's best 127.09 points in the free skate, 199.23 overall, to win the Pair title. At the end of 2007, they were ranked first in the World Pair standings. [ [http://www.isufs.org/ws/wspairs.htm World Standings ] ]

In January 2008, Savchenko and Szolkowy went to the 2008 Europeans with the aim to reclaim their title, which they did. They finished first in both short (70.36) and long program (132.03), scoring a new personal best in their total segment score (202.39). This one improved in the 2008 Worlds in which they were given 202.86 points and became the eventual winners.

Programs

2005/2006 Short Program Music: "Souvenir De Chine" by Jean-Michel Jarre

2005/2006 Free Skate Music:" (soundtrack) by Vangelis

2005/2006 Exhibition Music: "Hey Ya" by Outkast

2006/2007 Short Program Music:"Once Upon a Time in Mexico" by Brian Setzer

2006/2007 Free Skate Music:
"The Mission" (soundtrack) by Ennio Morricone

2006/2007 Exhibition Music:"I'm Feeling Good" by Michael Bubble and "Somewhere" (soundtrack) from West Side Story

2007/2008 Short Program Music:"Asoka" (Bollywood movie soundtrack) by Anu Milak

2007/2008 Free Skate Music:"L'Oiseau" (from Cirque du Soleil) by Rene Dupere

2007/2008 Exhibition Music:"I'm Feeling Good" by Michael Bubble, "Leningrad" by Chris de Burgh

Competitive highlights

(with Szolkowy)

(with Morozov)

References

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External links

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Persondata
NAME=Savchenko, Aliona
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=Savchenko, Aljona
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Ukrainian-German figure skater
DATE OF BIRTH=19 January 1984
PLACE OF BIRTH=Kiev, Ukraine
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=