Nikolai Panin
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| Olympic medalist | |||
 Nikolai Panin |
|||
| Medal record | |||
Competitor for  Russia |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
| Men's Figure skating | |||
| Gold | 1908 London | Special figures | |
Nikolay Aleksandrovich Panin-Kolomenkin, (Russian: Николай Александрович Панин-Коломенкин, born 8 January 1872 [27 December 1871 O.S.], died 19 January 1956 in Leningrad) was a Russian figure skater and coach. He won the gold medal in special figures in the 1908 Summer Olympics. Panin was Russia's first Olympic champion.[1][2]
Despite having a weak constitution, Panin was very active and took part in rowing, cycling, athletics and gymnastics. While studying mathematics at Saint Petersburg University in 1897, he took part in a figure skating competition, albeit unsuccessfully. To improve, he developed a technique of wrapping towels around his feet to weigh them down and improve his balance, thus preventing falls. It was at this time that he took the nickname "Panin" on to evade the mockery of his fellow students, at a time when many athletes were adopting nicknames. He competed under the name "Nikolay Panin", though most Russian sources will now hyphenate his surname to "Panin-Kolomenkin".
Some sources state that Panin won the men's figure skating competition in the 1908 Olympics. However, Panin won the special figures event, and Ulrich Salchow won the general figure skating title. 1908 was the only year in which special figures was an Olympic event. Panin also competed in the 1903 World Figure Skating Championships, placing second behind Salchow.
Panin was a prominent figure skating coach both before and after his win at the Olympics. He even helped train his rivals during his own competitive career. He wrote several biographical and reference books, the first of which appeared in 1910. He was also a judge at international competitions.
At the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm he was 8th in 50 metre pistol competition.
Panin was also one of the first to be ranked in a sport classification system, a precursor to the Unified Sports Classification System of the USSR. Several of his students also won ratings. [3]
In 1993 Russia issued a 50 ruble gold coin commemorating Russia's first gold medal. Panin appears alongside the Olympic rings and flame, a laurel branch, and a winged ice skate.[4]
[edit] Competitive highlights
| Event | Year | Placement |
|---|---|---|
| Worlds | 1903 | 2nd |
| Europeans | 1904 | 3rd |
| Europeans | 1908 | 2nd |
| 1908 Olympics | 1908 | 1st |
| Russian Championships | 1901 | 1st |
| Russian Championships | 1902 | 1st |
| Russian Championships | 1903 | 1st |
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ The skating philosophy of Alexei Nikolaevich Mishin, accessed June 30, 2006
- ^ Athens 2004 Background, accessed June 30, 2006
- ^ The Rungs of Prowess: An Introduction to the Unified Sports Classification System of the USSR, By Nina Shkolnikova, accessed June 30, 2006.
- ^ The Series: The Olympic Century of Russia, First Gold Medal, Accessed June 30, 2006.
[edit] External links
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Panin, Nikolai |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Panin-Kolomensky, Nikolai;Panin Kolomenkin, Nicolai;Panin-Kolominkin, Nikolai;Panin-Kolomenkin, Nikolai;Kolomenkin, Nikolai |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | Russian figure skater |
| DATE OF BIRTH | January 8, 1872 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | |
| DATE OF DEATH | January 19, 1956 |
| PLACE OF DEATH | Leningrad |
