Maikki Uotila

Maikki Uotila-Kraatz (born 25 February 1977) is a Finnish former ice dancer. With Toni Mattila, she is the 1997 Finnish national champion and competed in the final segment at the 1996 European Championships.

Maikki Uotila
Other names	Kraatz
Born	(1977-02-25) 25 February 1977 (age 47) Espoo, Finland
Height	1.68 m (5 ft 6 in)
Figure skating career
Country	Finland
Partner	Toni Mattila, Michel Bigras
Coach	Arja Wuorivirta, Martin Skotnicky
Skating club	HSK Helsinki
Retired	c. 1998

Personal life

Uotila was born on 25 February 1977 in Espoo, Finland.^[1] She received a Bachelor of Arts in dance from Sarah Lawrence College in New York.^[2] In 2004, she settled in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.^[3] She married Victor Kraatz on June 19, 2004. They have two sons – Oliver (born September 14, 2006) and Henry (born July 10, 2010).^[4][5]

Career

Competitive

Uotila competed as a single skater until 1994, winning the junior silver medal at the 1992 Nordic Championships. In 1994, she switched to ice dancing, teaming up Toni Mattila. They competed in the free dance at the 1996 European Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria, finishing 23rd. They also appeared at the 1996 World Championships in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, but were eliminated after the compulsory dances.

After two silver medals, Uotila/Mattila won the Finnish national title in the 1996–1997 season. They placed 26th at the 1997 European Championships in Paris, France. They were coached by Arja Wuorivirta and Martin Skotnicky.^[1] They ended their partnership in 1997 after three seasons together.

Uotila competed with Michel Bigras in the 1997–1998 season.

Post-competitive

Uotila coaches ice dancing at the BC Centre of Excellence.^[6] She has also worked as a dance instructor at the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts in Burnaby.^[2][7]

Programs

(with Mattila)

Season	Original dance	Free dance
1996–1997 [1]		West Side Story by Leonard Bernstein performed by the Boston Pops Orchestra choreo. by Shanti Ruchpaul

Competitive highlights

Ice dancing with Bigras

National[8]
Event	1997–98
Finnish Championships	1st

Ice dancing with Mattila

International[1]
Event	1994–95	1995–96	1996–97
World Championships		31st
European Championships		23rd	26th
Autumn Trophy			11th
Baltic Cup	1st
Basler Cup	12th
Czech Skate		14th
Finlandia Trophy		12th	6th
PFSA Trophy			12th
National[1]
Finnish Championships	2nd	2nd	1st

Ladies' singles

International[9]
Event	1991–92	1992–93	1993–94
PFSA Trophy			15th
Nordic Championships	2nd J	6th J	6th J
J = Junior level

References

1. "Maikki UOTILA / Toni MATTILA". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 27 April 2017. Retrieved 27 April 2017.
2. "Dance Instructors". City of Burnaby. Archived from the original on 27 April 2017.
3. Molson, Jon (March 23, 2009). "Former Olympian figure skater teaches Whitehorse clinic". Whitehorse Star. Archived from the original on 27 April 2017.
4. "Victor and Maikki Kraatz welcome second son". skatetoday.com. 14 July 2010.
5. Smith, Beverley (19 June 2015). "Kraatz honoured for his impact in Canadian Sport". Skate Canada.
6. "Centre of Excellence Coaches". British Columbia / Yukon Section, SkateCanada. Archived from the original on 14 May 2007.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
7. "An Adult Figure Skating and A Synchronized Skating Seminar & Team Monitoring" (PDF). Skate Canada Saskatchewan. Archived (PDF) from the original on 27 April 2017.
8. "Maikki UOTILA / Michel BIGRAS". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 27 April 2017. Retrieved 27 April 2017.
9. "Maikki UOTILA". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 27 April 2017. Retrieved 27 April 2017.

External links

• The Figure Skating Corner: Uotila & Mattila