- Maria Butyrskaya
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Maria Butyrskaya Personal information Full name Maria Viktorovna Butyrskaya Country represented 
RussiaBorn 28 June 1972
MoscowHeight 1.60 m (5 ft 3 in) Former coach Elena Tchaikovskaya
Vladimir KotinMedal recordCompetitor for RussiaLadies' Figure skating World Championships Bronze 2000 Nice Ladies' singles Gold 1999 Helsinki Ladies' singles Bronze 1998 Minneapolis Ladies' singles European Championships Gold 2002 Lausanne Ladies' singles Silver 2001 Bratislava Ladies' singles Silver 2000 Vienna Ladies' singles Gold 1999 Prague Ladies' singles Gold 1998 Milan Ladies' singles Bronze 1996 Sofia Ladies' singles Grand Prix Final Bronze 1999–00 Lyon Ladies' singles Silver 1998–99 St. Peters.. Ladies' singles Bronze 1997–98 Munich Ladies' singles Maria Viktorovna Butyrskaya (Russian: Мария Викторовна Бутырская') (born 28 June 1972 in Moscow) is a Russian figure skater. She is the 1999 World champion, becoming the oldest woman to win that title and the first Russian woman to become a World champion. She is a three-time European champion and in 2002, at age 29, became the oldest woman to win that title. She is a six-time Russian national champion. She placed fourth at the 1998 Winter Olympics and sixth at the 2002 Winter Olympics.
Contents
Career
Butyrskaya originally competed for the Soviet Union. After its dissolution, she began representing Russia.
As a teen, she was replaced by the Soviet Figure Skating Federation, and then lost coach after coach while struggling to finance her skating following the breakup of the Soviet Union. Her World Championship result in 1993 failed to qualify Russia for a spot in the 1994 Olympics. She came in 4th at the 1998 Olympics. Her persistence paid off when she defeated defending world champion Michelle Kwan at the 1999 World Championships. She received all first place ordinals in both the short and the long programs at the 1999 worlds, dominating the competition in an upset victory. She was never able to win a second world title, or an olympic medal, although she did win the short program at the 2000 Worlds, and captured her second bronze medal. She ended her amateur career at the 2002 World Championships, withdrawing from the competition after skating poorly in the qualifying round.
Butyrskaya was known for the beauty of her triple loop and true, outside-edge triple lutz. She was also known for a combination spin that involved clasping her arms and hands behind her back while transitioning to back camel, sit and scratch spins. She often participated in choreographing her programs and in designing her costumes. She often skated better in practice sessions than in competitive events, however, as she frequently succumbed to nervous tension when competing. In particular, Butyrskaya's car was blown up by the Russian mafia in December 1999, and speculation followed that the ensuing emotional distress caused her to lose the 1999 Russian Championships.
Besides the technical elements of figure skating, Butyrskaya won adulation for her artistry and ubridled femininity, which, especially toward the end of her professional career, was often in stark contrast to competitors half her age. She herself described her skating style as "a Woman on the ice". In 2000, the New York Times described her short program (Sarah Brightman's Scene d'Amour) as "flowing, lyrical skating...a performance of rare elegance and beauty."
Personal life
In 1998, Butyrskaya posed for the Russian edition of Playboy magazine. In summer 2006, she married a hockey player, Vadim Khomitski.[1] As of 2010, he plays in Russia for Khimik's successor team Atlant Moscow Oblast. He is 10 years younger than her. [1] On 16 April 2007, Butyrskaya and Khomitski welcomed their first child, a son named Vladislav (Vlad for short.) At his birth, he weighed-in at 7.7 pounds and was 20 inches long. On 3 June 2009, their second child, a daughter, was born.[2] After ending her career, Butyrskaya began coaching, working primarily with young skaters.[1] She is based at the Olympic Reserve Skating School in Moscow.[2]
Results
Event 1990-91 1991-92 1992-93 1993-94 1994-95 1995-96 1996-97 1997-98 1998-99 1999-00 2000-01 2001-02 Winter Olympics 4th 6th World Championships 29th 4th 5th 3rd 1st 3rd 4th WD European Championships 5th 4th 7th 3rd 4th 1st 1st 2nd 2nd 1st Russian Championships 1st 2nd 1st 1st 1st 1st 1st 2nd 3rd 2nd Soviet Championships 3rd Grand Prix Final 7th 4th 3rd 2nd 3rd 4th 4th Skate America 10th 1st Skate Canada International 1st 2nd Sparkassen Cup 7th 6th 8th 2nd 1st 1st 1st Trophée Lalique 5th 2nd 1st 1st 1st 1st NHK Trophy 5th 5th 1st 2nd 1st Finlandia Trophy 4th 1st Karl Schäfer Memorial 3rd Nebelhorn Trophy 3rd 3rd Piruetten 8th References
- ^ a b "Interview with Maria Butyrskaia: European Championships in Helsinki, January 2009". FigureSkating-Online. May 4, 2009. http://www.figureskating-online.com/maria-butyrskaia.html. Retrieved June 24, 2011.
- ^ "Мария Бутырская родила дочку [Maria Butyrskaya gave birth to daughter]" (in Russian). dni.ru. 4 June 2009. http://www.dni.ru/showbiz/2009/6/4/167760.html. Retrieved 22 October 2010.
External links
European champions in figure skating – Ladies' singles 1930: Fritzi Burger · 1931–1936: Sonja Henie · 1937–1939: Cecilia Colledge · 1947–1948: Barbara Ann Scott · 1949: Eva Pawlik · 1950: Alena Vrzáňová · 1951: Jeannette Altwegg · 1952: Jeannette Altwegg · 1953: Valda Osborn · 1954: Gundi Busch · 1955: Hanna Eigel · 1956: Ingrid Wendl · 1957: Hanna Eigel · 1958: Ingrid Wendl · 1959: Hanna Walter · 1960–1964: Sjoukje Dijkstra · 1965–1966: Regine Heitzer · 1967: Gabriele Seyfert · 1968: Hana Mašková · 1969–1970: Gabriele Seyfert · 1971–1972: Beatrix Schuba · 1973–1975: Christine Errath · 1976: Dianne de Leeuw · 1977–1980: Anett Pötzsch · 1981: Denise Biellmann · 1982: Claudia Kristofics-Binder · 1983–1988: Katarina Witt · 1989: Claudia Leistner · 1990: Evelyn Großmann · 1991–1995: Surya Bonaly · 1996–1997: Irina Slutskaya · 1998–1999: Maria Butyrskaya · 2000–2001: Irina Slutskaya · 2002: Maria Butyrskaya · 2003: Irina Slutskaya · 2004: Júlia Sebestyén · 2005–2006: Irina Slutskaya · 2007–2008: Carolina Kostner · 2009: Laura Lepistö · 2010: Carolina Kostner · 2011: Sarah Meier
Russian champions in figure skating – Ladies' singles 1905: ? Volkova • 1911—1915: Ksenia Caesar • 1993: Maria Butyrskaya • 1994: Olga Markova • 1995—1999: Maria Butyrskaya • 2000—2002: Irina Slutskaya • 2003—2004: Elena Sokolova • 2005: Irina Slutskaya • 2006: Elena Sokolova • 2007—2008: Ksenia Doronina • 2009: Adelina Sotnikova • 2010: Ksenia Makarova • 2011: Adelina Sotnikova
Categories:- 1972 births
- Russian female single skaters
- Figure skaters at the 1998 Winter Olympics
- Figure skaters at the 2002 Winter Olympics
- Living people
- Olympic figure skaters of Russia
- Sportspeople from Moscow
- Soviet female single skaters
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