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Lithuanian ice dancer From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Povilas Vanagas (Lithuanian pronunciation: [ˈpôːvʲɪɫɐs ˈvaːnɐɡɐs]; born 23 July 1970) is a Lithuanian ice dancer. With his wife Margarita Drobiazko, he is the 2000 World bronze medalist, a three-time Grand Prix Final bronze medalist, a two-time European bronze medalist (2000, 2006), the 1999 Skate Canada champion, and competed in five Winter Olympics, finishing as high as 5th.
| Povilas Vanagas | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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![](#/media/File:Margarita_Drobiazko_and_Povilas_Vanagas_at_the_"Scheherazade's_Love_Story"_show_in_2024.png) Drobiazko and Vanagas in 2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 23 July 1970 Šiauliai, Lithuania | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Figure skating career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country |  Lithuania | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Partner | Margarita Drobiazko | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Skating club | Sports School Baltu Ainiai | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Began skating | 1974 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Retired | 2002, 2006 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Vanagas began skating at age three.[1] His mother, Lilija Vanagiene, was Lithuania's national skating coach.[1][2] Vanagas won six national titles in men's singles.[1] At age 18, he was drafted into the Soviet Union army and sent to Moscow, Russian SFSR.[1] Given a choice between becoming a soldier or skating full-time, Vanagas chose to become an ice dancer.[1]
Tatiana Tarasova paired Vanagas with Russian ice dancer Margarita Drobiazko in Moscow.[1] After the breakup of the Soviet Union, they decided to represent Lithuania. Vanagas said, "It was difficult at the beginning because there was a lot of friction between Russia and Lithuania. Since Rita is Russian, it caused many problems."[1] They moved to Kaunas, Lithuania and began training with Elena Maslennikova.[1] In 1995, they began working also in England with Betty Callaway, Jayne Torvill, and Christopher Dean.[1]
In 1999, Drobiazko and Vanagas began spending time with Elena Tchaikovskaia in Moscow, while continuing to work with Maslennikova in Kaunas.[1] They were also coached by Lilija Vanagiene and Anatoliy Petukhov.[3][4] Drobiazko and Vanagas retired from competition following the 2001–2002 Olympic season, but returned to competition in 2005 to compete at their fifth Olympics.[5] In preparation for the 2005–2006 season, they worked with Maslennikova, Rostislav Sinicyn, Igor Shpilband, Marina Zueva, Gintaras Svistunavicius, and David Liu, in the United States, Germany, Russia, and Lithuania.[5] Drobiazko and Vanagas became the first and only figure skaters to compete at five Olympics. They retired again in 2006 following the World Championships.
Their choreographers included Elena Maslennikova,[1][6] Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean,[1] Elena Tchaikovskaia,[1] Tatiana Pomerantseva,[4] Elena Kholina,[4] Yuri Puzakov,[4] Vasily Kleimenov,[3] and Gintaras Svistunavicius.[5][6]
In the summer of 2022, during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Vanagas played a role in a ballet Swan Lake on ice with Drobiazko in Sochi that was organized by the Kremlin. On August 10, Lithuania's president Gitanas Nausėda signed a decree stripping off the Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas from both skaters.[7]
He appeared in the first seven seasons of ice show contest Ice Age.
Vanagas is fluent in Lithuanian, Russian, Polish, and English.[1] While competing, he was a caregiver for an elderly woman.[1] Vanagas has been married to Drobiazko since June 2000.[6][8]
In the summer of 2022, during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Vanagas and Drobiazko played a role in a ballet Swan Lake on ice in Sochi that was organized by former Olympic champion Tatiana Navka. On August 10, 2022, Lithuania's president Gitanas Nausėda signed a decree stripping off the Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas from both skaters.[7]
On September 15, 2023, Lithuania's president Gitanas Nausėda signed a decree stripping Povilas Vanagas' wife and professional partner, Margarita Drobiazko, of her Lithuanian citizenship due to her "public support for the Russian federation" during its invasion of Ukraine.[9][10][11][12]
(with Margarita Drobiazko)
| Season | Original dance | Free dance | Exhibition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–present [13] |
| ||
| 2005–2006 [6][13] |
Latin:
|
The Phantom of the Opera by Andrew Lloyd Webber
|
Pirates of the Caribbean by Klaus Badelt
|
| 2002–2005 [13] |
| ||
| 2001–2002 [3][13] |
Spanish:
|
|
|
| 2000–2001 [13][14] |
Quickstep and Charleston:
|
Tango medley:
|
"The Thread of Ariadna"
|
| 1999–2000 [1][13] |
Latin:
|
|
|
| 1998–1999 [13] |
Waltz:
|
|
|
| 1997–1998 [13] |
Jive:
|
Songs from the Victorious City by Anne Dudley, Jaz Coleman
|
|
| 1996–1997 [13] |
Tango:
|
Jazz medley:
|
|
| 1995–1996 [13] |
Paso Doble:
|
|
|
| 1994–1995 [13] |
Quickstep:
|
|
|
| 1993–1994 [13] |
Rhumba:
|
|
|
| 1992–1993 [13] |
|
|
|
| 1991–1992 [13] |
|
|
(ice dance with Margarita Drobiazko)
| Results[3][6] | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| International | |||||||||||||
| Event | 1991–92 | 1992–93 | 1993–94 | 1994–95 | 1995–96 | 1996–97 | 1997–98 | 1998–99 | 1999–00 | 2000–01 | 2001–02 | 2004–05 | 2005–06 |
| Winter Olympics | 16th | 12th | 8th | 5th | 7th | ||||||||
| World Championships | 17th | 13th | 9th | 12th | 8th | 10th | 8th | 6th | 3rd | 5th | 4th | 4th | |
| European Championships | 15th | 11th | 11th | 11th | 6th | 8th | 6th | 5th | 3rd | 4th | 4th | 3rd | |
| Grand Prix Final | 4th | 3rd | 3rd | 3rd | |||||||||
| GP Nations/Sparkassen | 2nd | 5th | 5th | 2nd | |||||||||
| GP NHK Trophy | 6th | 5th | 4th | 2nd | 3rd | 2nd | 2nd | ||||||
| GP Skate America | 2nd | 3rd | |||||||||||
| GP Skate Canada | 2nd | 8th | 4th | 4th | 2nd | 1st | |||||||
| GP Troph. France/Lalique | 4th | 3rd | 3rd | 3rd | |||||||||
| Karl Schäfer Memorial | 1st | ||||||||||||
| Nebelhorn Trophy | 2nd | 3rd | 2nd | ||||||||||
| Skate Israel | 1st | 1st | |||||||||||
| Piruetten | 5th | ||||||||||||
| Winter Universiade | 2nd | ||||||||||||
| National | |||||||||||||
| Lithuanian Champ. | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st |
| Events marked GP became part of the Champions Series in 1995, renamed Grand Prix in 1998. | |||||||||||||
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