Oleg Vladimirovich Ovsyannikov (Russian: Олег Владимирович Овсянников;[1] born 23 January 1970) is a Russian former competitive ice dancer. With partner Anjelika Krylova, he is the 1998 Olympic silver medalist and two-time (1998, 1999) World champion.

Quick Facts Full name, Other names ...
Oleg Ovsyannikov
Anjelika Krylova, Victor Kanevsky (middle) and Oleg Ovsyannikov, at Nagano Olympic Games in 1998
Full nameOleg Vladimirovich Ovysannikov
Other namesOvsiannikov
Born (1970-01-23) 23 January 1970 (age 54)
Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Height1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Figure skating career
CountryRussia
Retired1999
Medal record
Figure skating
Ice dancing
Representing  Russia
Olympic Games
Silver medal – second place 1998 NaganoIce dancing
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 1999 HelsinkiIce dancing
Gold medal – first place 1998 MinneapolisIce dancing
Silver medal – second place 1997 LausanneIce dancing
Silver medal – second place 1996 EdmontonIce dancing
European Championships
Gold medal – first place1999 PragueIce dancing
Silver medal – second place1998 MilanIce dancing
Silver medal – second place1997 ParisIce dancing
Silver medal – second place1996 SofiaIce dancing
Bronze medal – third place1995 DortmundIce dancing
Grand Prix Final
Gold medal – first place1998-1999 St. PetersburgIce dancing
Silver medal – second place1996-1997 HamiltonIce dancing
Silver medal – second place1995-1996 ParisIce dancing
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Career

As a four-year-old, Ovsyannikov fell ill with pneumonia. After he recovered, doctors recommended to his parents that he enroll in some kind of sport, preferably in a fresh air environment. Initially a singles skater, he switched to ice dance at the age of 10.

With Maria Orlova, he won the bronze medal at the 1988 World Junior Championships. With Elizaveta Stekolnikova he won the gold medal at the 1989 Golden Spin of Zagreb. He later formed a partnership with Elena Kustarova and won bronze medals at the 1992 Grand Prix International de Paris and the 1993 Nations Cup, as well as two medals at the Russian Nationals.

In mid-1994 he teamed up with Anjelika Krylova. They were coached by Natalia Linichuk and Gennadi Karponosov in Newark, Delaware. Krylova injured her back in training shortly before they were set to leave for 1994 Skate America. Aggravated by intense training, the injury would plague her throughout their career.[2]

In their first season together, Krylova and Ovsyannikov won the Russian national title and took bronze at the European Championship. They were fifth at the World Championships.

During the 1995–96 season, Krylova and Ovsyannikov won silver at Skate America and gold at Nations Cup to qualify for the Champions Series Final (later renamed the Grand Prix Final) where they took silver. They also won silver at the Russian, European and World Championships. They were second at these events to Oksana Grishuk and Evgeni Platov.

During the 1996–97 season, Krylova and Ovsyannikov won three gold medals on the Champions Series at Skate America, Nations Cup and Cup of Russia. They qualified for the Champions Series Final in Canada where they were placed second to Canadians Shae-Lynn Bourne and Victor Kraatz. Krylova and Ovsyannikov won the silver medal at the European and World Championships, second at both events to Grishuk and Platov.

During the 1997–98 season, Krylova and Ovsyannikov won gold medals at Nations Cup and Cup of Russia but did not compete at the Champions Series Final. They won silver at the European Championships and followed it up with silver at the 1998 Olympics in Nagano, Japan. They were second at both events to Grishuk and Platov who retired after the Olympics. At the 1998 World Championships, they won their first World title ahead of Marina Anissina and Gwendal Peizerat.[citation needed] They used music from the opera Carmen for their free skate. Figure skating writer and historian Ellyn Kestnbaum called it "a dramatic interpretation" and said that it included many hunched-over and distorted angled positions, as well as "over-the-top" facial expressions, especially from Ovsianmikov. Kestnbaum stated that the program "seemed to depict a struggle or sexual encounter in which she retained the upper hand".[3] Kestnbaum also reported that one reporter called the program "an updated, playful version of Carmen".[3]

During the 1998–99 season, Krylova and Ovsyannikov won gold at Sparkassen Cup (formerly Nations Cup) and Cup of Russia to qualify for the Grand Prix Final. They won the title ahead of Anissina and Peizerat. They won their first European title and then capped off their career with their second World title.

Krylova and Ovsyannikov were planning to compete the following season and had prepared programs and costumes, however, doctors advised her to retire due to a risk of paralysis stemming from her back problem.[4][2] She suggested that he team up with another skater but he declined.[2] After a year, she felt more confident and they began performing in the less demanding world of professional skating.[2] They won the 2001 World Professional title.

Personal life

Ovsyannikov formerly coached in Newark, Delaware with his wife Angelika Kirchmayr, an ice dancer from Russia who won the 1989 World Junior Championships.[5] Their daughter Michelle Ovsyannikov was born in 2006 in Austria.[6] In 2007, Ovsyannikov was appointed the chief coach of the Russian national synchronized skating team and moved back to Moscow.[7][6] He coaches at the KPRF Sport Club in Moscow.[8][9]

Programs

Eligible career with Krylova:

More information Season, Original dance ...
Season Original dance Free dance Exhibition
1998–1999
[10]
  • Tabalat and Bastem
    by Bellu Dance With Amany
1997–1998
[10]
  • Jive: Five Months, Two Weeks, Two Days
    by Louis Prima & the Witnesses
1996–1997
[10]
1995–1996
[10]
  • Unknown Russian folk music
  • Tosca
    by Giacomo Puccini
1994–1995
[10]
  • Tosca
    by Giacomo Puccini
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Show/professional career with Krylova:

More information Season, Programs ...
Season Programs
2002–2004
[10]
  • Cleopatra & Caesar

  • Ave Maria
2001–2002
[10]

2000–2001
[10]
  • Ave Maria


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Competitive highlights

With Krylova

More information International, Event ...
International
Event 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99
Winter Olympics2nd
World Championships5th2nd2nd1st1st
European Championships3rd2nd2nd2nd1st
Champions Series/Grand Prix Final2nd2nd1st
GP Cup of Russia1st1st1st
GP Nations Cup/Sparkassen Cup1st1st1st1st
GP Skate America2nd1st
Goodwill Games1st
Centennial On Ice2nd
National
Russian Championships1st2nd1st1st
GP = Part of Champions Series from 1995; renamed Grand Prix in 1998
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With Kustarova

More information International, Event ...
International
Event 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94
International de Paris3rd
Nations Cup3rd
Piruetten3rd
National
Russian Championships2nd3rd
Soviet Championships4th
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With Stekolnikova

More information Event, 1989–1990 ...
Event 1989–1990
Golden Spin of Zagreb1st
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With Orlova

More information Event, 1987–1988 ...
Event 1987–1988
World Junior Championships3rd
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References

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