Maxim Shabalin

Maxim Andreyevich Shabalin (Russian: Максим Андреевич Шабалин;^[1] born 25 January 1982) is a Russian former competitive ice dancer. He and partner Oksana Domnina are the 2010 Olympic bronze medalists, the 2009 World Champions, the 2008 & 2010 European Champions, the 2007 Grand Prix Final champions, and three-time (2005, 2007, 2010) Russian national champions.

Maxim Shabalin
Domnina and Shabalin at the 2009 Worlds
Full name	Maxim Andreyevich Shabalin
Born	(1982-01-25) 25 January 1982 (age 43) Kuybyshev, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Height	1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Figure skating career
Country	Russia
Partner	Oksana Domnina
Skating club	Odintsovo Ice Skating School
Began skating	1987
Retired	2010
Medal record Figure skating: Ice dancing Representing  Russia (with Domnina) Winter Olympics 2010 Vancouver Ice dancing World Championships 2009 Los Angeles Ice dancing European Championships 2010 Tallinn Ice dancing 2008 Zagreb Ice dancing 2007 Warsaw Ice dancing Grand Prix Final 2008–09 Goyang Ice dancing 2007–08 Turin Ice dancing 2006–07 St. Petersburg Ice dancing Russian Championships 2005 Saint Petersburg Ice Dancing 2007 Mytishchi Ice Dancing 2010 Saint Petersburg Ice Dancing 2004 Saint Petersburg Ice Dancing 2006 Kazan Ice Dancing 2003 Kazan Ice Dancing World Junior Championships 2003 Ostrava Ice dancing Junior Grand Prix Final 2002–03 The Hague Ice dancing Representing  Russia (with Khalyavina) World Junior Championships 2002 Hamar Ice dancing 2001 Sofia Ice dancing Junior Grand Prix Final 2001–02 Bled Ice dancing 2000–01 Ayr Ice dancing

Career

Early career

Shabalin began skating aged four in Samara – although pushed into the sport by his parents, he grew to enjoy it by the age of 11.^[2] He began competing in ice dancing aged 11 or 12.^[2] At the age of 15, he moved to Bulgaria to skate with Margarita Toteva for that country but the partnership ended due to her injury.^[2][3] He then competed with Elena Khalyavina for Russia.^[2]

Partnership with Domnina

Shabalin was paired with Oksana Domnina in May 2002 by coach Alexei Gorshkov.^[4] In their first season together, they won every junior level competition they entered, including the 2002–03 Junior Grand Prix Final and the 2003 World Junior Championships.^[5]

Shabalin sustained a meniscus injury in spring 2007 and had surgery on his right knee in May.^[4][6] They initially worked on a free dance to Schindler's List but when they wanted to add a faster section they thought it looked too much like a hodgepodge; after consultation with Tatiana Tarasova, they began working on a new free dance to Masquerade Waltz at the start of August.^[6] In September 2007, Shabalin also had surgery due to appendicitis.^[4] He then had problems with his left knee and had another operation in December.^[4] He returned to win the 2008 Europeans but limped off the ice.^[4][6] The pain persisted despite therapy, preventing them from training fully and resulting in their withdrawal from the 2008 World Championships.^[4] Shabalin spent five weeks in treatment in Munich, Germany, while Domnina trained on her own in Odintsovo, near Moscow.^[4]

In June 2008, Domnina/Shabalin announced they were leaving their longtime coach Alexei Gorshkov and moving from Russia to the United States to train with husband-and-wife coaches Natalia Linichuk and Gennadi Karponosov at the IceWorks Skating Complex in Aston, Pennsylvania.^[7] The move was considered surprising as their rivals Tanith Belbin / Benjamin Agosto had also moved to the same coaches a couple months prior, but Domnina said the competition at the rink was stimulating.^[4]

Domnina/Shabalin won the silver medal at the 2008-09 Grand Prix Final, and then took gold at 2009 Worlds. Afterwards, Shabalin returned to Germany for another four months of therapy on his left knee.^[8] They missed the 2009–10 Grand Prix series as a result of his knee problems.^[8] They resumed training in November 2009. Shabalin decided to use a brace in practice and competition to limit the movement and protect his knee.^[8]

Domnina/Shabalin perform their controversial original dance at the 2010 Olympics.

Their original dance based on Australian Aboriginal folk dances sparked controversy in early 2010. Australian Aboriginal leaders were offended by the dance. Domnina/Shabalin said they meant no disrespect and would do the dance at the Olympics. When it was first skated at the 2010 Russian Championships, they wore face makeup but removed it for the 2010 European Championships.^[9] Domnina/Shabalin won the bronze medal at the 2010 Olympics and withdrew from the World Championships as a result of continued problems with his knee. He was diagnosed with osteoarthritis.^[10] Shabalin received the Overcoming Award at the 2010 Crystal Ice Awards held in October 2010 in Moscow.^[11][12] He was also appointed head coach of the Russian national ice dancing team.^[13]

Television

He appeared in the eighth season of ice show contest Ice Age.

Personal life

Shabalin was born on 25 January 1982 in Samara, Russia.^[14] He studied civil administration.^[6] He married Russian actress Irina Grineva in November 2010.^[10][15] Their daughter, Vasilisa, was born on 6 July 2013 in Marbella, Spain.^[16]

Programs

With Domnina

Domnina/Shabalin perform their Spartacus free dance at the 2009 Worlds.

Season	Original dance	Free dance	Exhibition
2009–2010 [14][17]	Aboriginal dance arrangement by Alexander Goldstein	The Double Life of Véronique by Zbigniew Preisner Requiem for a Dream by Clint Mansell The Double Life of Véronique by Zbigniew Preisner	The Matrix by Don Davis
2008–2009 [18][17][19]	Lyric Waltz by Dmitri Shostakovich Waltz No. 2 by Dmitri Shostakovich performed by André Rieu choreo. by Natalia Linichuk	Spartacus by Aram Khachaturian choreo. by Vanda Lubkovskaya	Gonna Fly Now by Bill Conti
2007–2008 [20][17]	Cossack dance: Guys, Unsaddle Your Horses (Розпрягайте, хлопці, коні)	Masquerade Waltz by Aram Khachaturian	Tango Oblivion by Ástor Piazzolla
2006–2007 [21][17]	Primavera Portena by Ástor Piazzolla Invierno Porteño by Ástor Piazzolla	Polovtsian Dances (from Prince Igor) by Aleksandr Borodin	Adagio by Secret Garden Another Brick in the Wall by Pink Floyd Proper Education by Eric Prydz
2005–2006 [22][17]	Paxi Ni Ngongo by Bonga Chillando Goma by Fulanito	Waltz of the Spirits: Ein Wiener Waltzer (A Viennese Waltz) by Karl Jenkins Hermit Of The Sea Rock by Karl Jenkins Ein Wiener Waltzer by Karl Jenkins	The Show Must Go On by Queen
2004–2005 [23][17]	I wait for you It Don't Mean a Thing by Duke Ellington	Katana Groove by Tomoyasu Hotei Il dolce suono (from Lucia di Lammermoor) The Diva Dance (from The Fifth Element) performed by Emma Shapplin Kill The Target by Tomoyasu Hotei	Rap & Classica
2003–2004 [24][17]	Harlem Nocturne The Dirty Boogie by The Brian Setzer Orchestra	Four Seasons Tango by Antonio Vivaldi, Astor Piazolla	Brasileiro: Fanfarra Malagenha by Sérgio Mendes
2002–2003 [25][17]	Polka/Waltz by Dmitri Shostakovich	Brasileiro: Fanfarra Malagenha by Sérgio Mendes	Mungal

With Khalyavina

Season	Original dance	Free dance
2001–2002 [26]	Paso doble Flamenco Paso doble	Romeo and Juliet by Nino Rota
2000–2001 [27]	My Guy Dancing Fool	Anytime, Anywhere performed by Sarah Brightman

Competitive highlights

GP: Grand Prix; JGP: Junior Series/Junior Grand Prix

With Domnina for Russia

Domnina/Shabalin sit with coaches, Gennadi Karponosov and Natalia Linichuk, following their original dance at the 2008-09 Grand Prix Final.

Domnina/Shabalin at the 2008 European Championships.

International[28]
Event	02–03	03–04	04–05	05–06	06–07	07–08	08–09	09–10
Olympics				9th				3rd
Worlds	15th	10th	8th	7th	5th		1st
Europeans	12th	7th	6th	6th	2nd	1st	WD	1st
GP Final				5th	3rd	1st	2nd
GP Cup of China			4th		1st	2nd	1st
GP Cup of Russia		6th	4th	3rd	2nd	1st	2nd
GP Skate America				3rd
GP Skate Canada		6th
Finlandia Trophy		2nd
Schäfer Memorial					1st
Skate Israel				2nd
International: Junior[28]
Junior Worlds	1st
JGP Final	1st
JGP France	1st
JGP Serbia	1st
National[29]
Russian Champ.	3rd	2nd	1st	2nd	1st			1st
Russian Jr. Champ.	1st
WD: Withdrew

With Khalyavina for Russia

International[5][26][27]
Event	1999–2000	2000–01	2001–02
World Junior Champ.	10th	3rd	2nd
JGP Final		2nd	1st
JGP Czech Republic		1st
JGP Italy			1st
JGP Norway	3rd	1st
JGP Poland			1st
JGP Slovenia	1st
National[29]
Russian Junior Champ.	3rd	2nd	1st

With Toteva for Bulgaria

International[27]
Event	1997–98
World Junior Championships	14th
JGP Bulgaria	6th
JGP Slovakia	6th
National
Bulgarian Championships	2nd