Aliona Savchenko

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Aliona Savchenko
Savchenko & Szolkowy at the 2007 German National Championships
Personal Info
Country: Flag of Germany Germany
Date of birth: January 19, 1984 (1984-01-19) (age 24)
Residence: Chemnitz, Germany
Height: 153 cm (5 ft 0 in)
Partner: Robin Szolkowy
Former Partner: Dmitri Boenko, Stanislav Morozov
Coach: Ingo Steuer
Choreographer: Ingo Steuer
Skating Club: Chemnitzer EC
ISU Personal Best Scores
Short + Free Total: 202.86 2008 Worlds
Short Program: 72.14 2007-2008 Grand Prix Final
Free Skate: 134.01 2007 Europeans

Aliona Savchenko (Ukrainian: Олена Савченко/Olena Savtchenko) (born 19 January 1984 in Kiev, Ukraine) is a German-Ukrainian pair skater. With partner Robin Szolkowy, she is the 2008 World pair champion, 2007 World pair bronze medalist, 2007 & 2008 European Pair Champion , and current Grand Prix Pair Champion.

Contents

[edit] Career

Aliona Savchenko began skating at the age of 3. Her father practiced with her on a lake. He wanted to take her to a figure skating school in Kiev when she was four, but was told that she was too young. She was admitted a year later.

Savchenko and her first partner, Dmitri Boyenko, were coached by Alexander Artychenko, and represented Ukraine under the auspices of the club Dynamo Kiev. The pair separated after the 1998 World Junior Figure Skating Championships at which they placed thirteenth.

Her next partner, Stanislav Morozov, was also from club Dynamo Kiev. Their coach was Galina Kukhar. The team won the 2000 World Junior Figure Skating Championships, twice won the Ukrainian National pair title, and placed 15th at the 2002 Winter Olympics.

Savchenko's partnership with Morozov dissolved in 2002. In May 2003, Szolkowy's coach, former World champion Ingo Steuer, brought Savchenko to Chemnitz, Germany for what would be a successful try-out. Three months later, Savchenko relocated to Germany and the new team began training in earnest.

In 2004, during their first season together, Savchenko and Szolkowy won the German National pair title. The two made their international debut as a team at the start of the 2004/2005 season. They again won the German National pair title, placed fourth at Europeans and sixth at the 2005 World Championships.

During the 2005/2006 season, Savchenko and Szolkowy won their third German National title, as well as Grand Prix Skate Canada, where they won both the short program and free skate. They placed second at Europeans, third at the Grand Prix Final, and sixth at Worlds. Savchenko was granted German citizenship on 29 December 2005, allowing the pair to compete in the 2006 Winter Olympic Games, where they finished sixth.

In March, 2007, Savchenko and Szolkowy earned their first World Championship medal, a bronze, earning a new personal best for their short program, 67.65 points. While winning their first European pair title earlier that year, the team set new personal bests for total points (199.39) and for their free skate program (134.01),[1] set to the music from the soundtrack of the film "The Mission." They also won their fourth German National pair title. At the end of the 2006/2007 season, Savchenko and Szolkowy ranked third on the International Skating Union's World Standings.[2]

At the Grand Prix Final in December 2007, Savchenko and Szolkowy scored 72.14 in the short program, setting a new world record, and a season's best 127.09 points in the free skate, 199.23 overall, to win the Pair title. At the end of 2007, they were ranked first in the World Pair standings.[3]

In January 2008, Savchenko and Szolkowy went to the 2008 Europeans with the aim to reclaim their title, which they did. They finished first in both short (70.36) and long program (132.03), scoring a new personal best in their total segment score (202.39). This one improved in the 2008 Worlds in which they were given 202.86 points and became the eventual winners.

[edit] Programs

2005/2006 Short Program Music: Souvenir De Chine by Jean-Michel Jarre

2005/2006 Free Skate Music: 1492: Conquest Of Paradise (soundtrack) by Vangelis

2005/2006 Exhibition Music: Hey Ya by Outkast

2006/2007 Short Program Music: Once Upon a Time in Mexico by Brian Setzer

2006/2007 Free Skate Music: The Mission (soundtrack) by Ennio Morricone

2006/2007 Exhibition Music:I'm Feeling Good by Michael Bubble and Somewhere (soundtrack) from West Side Story

2007/2008 Short Program Music: Asoka (Bollywood movie soundtrack) by Anu Milak

2007/2008 Free Skate Music: L'Oiseau (from Cirque du Soleil) by Rene Dupere

2007/2008 Exhibition Music: I'm Feeling Good by Michael Bubble, Leningrad by Chris de Burgh


[edit] Competitive highlights

(with Szolkowy)

Event/Season 2003-2004 2004-2005 2005-2006 2006-2007 2007-2008
Winter Olympics 6th
World Championships 6th 6th 3rd 1st
European Championships 4th 2nd 1st 1st
German Championships 1st 1st 1st 1st 1st
Grand Prix Final 3rd 2nd 1st
Skate Canada 1st 1st
Cup of China 3rd
Cup of Russia 3rd 1st 2nd
NHK Trophy 2nd 1st
Nebelhorn Trophy 3rd 1st 1st
Ondrej Nepela Memorial 1st 1st

(with Morozov)

Event/Season 1998-1999 1999-2000 2000-2001 2001-2002
Winter Olympics 15th
World Championships 9th
European Championships 7th 6th
Junior World Championships 13th 12th 1st
Ukrainian Championships 2nd 1st 1st
Skate Canada 6th
Sparkassen Cup 5th
Cup of Russia 4th
Nebelhorn Trophy 1st
JGP Croatia 1st
Goodwill Games 5th
Junior Grand Prix Final 1st

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[edit] References

  1. ^ Biography
  2. ^ World Standings
  3. ^ World Standings

[edit] External links

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Persondata
NAME Savchenko, Aliona
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Savchenko, Aljona
SHORT DESCRIPTION Ukrainian-German figure skater
DATE OF BIRTH 19 January 1984
PLACE OF BIRTH Kiev, Ukraine
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH