Kulik in the 2008 Christmas On Ice show. |
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Country represented | Russia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | May 23, 1977 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Former coach | Tatiana Tarasova Viktor Kudriavtsev |
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| Former choreographer | Tatiana Tarasova | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Skating club | Dynamo, Moscow | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Retired | 1998 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| Olympic medal record | ||
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| Men's Figure skating | ||
| Competitor for Russia | ||
| Gold | 1998 Nagano | Men's singles |
Ilia Alexandrovich Kulik (; (born May 23, 1977 in Moscow, Russian SFSR) is a Russian figure skater. He is the 1998 Olympic Champion, the 1995 European Champion, the 1997–1998 Grand Prix Final champion, and the 1995 World Junior champion.
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Kulik began skating at the age of five. In November 1994, he won the 1995 World Junior title and then, a few months later, the 1995 European title, at the age of 17. He was ninth at his first senior World Championships. The next season, he won silver at the 1996 World Championships. During the 1997-98 season, Kulik won gold at the 1997 NHK Trophy and silver at the 1997 Skate Canada International to qualify for the Champion Series Final (now known as the Grand Prix Final) where he won the gold medal. He also won the Russian national title but missed the 1998 European Championships as a result of back problems.[1] At the 1998 Olympics, Kulik placed first in both the short and long programs and won the Olympic title at the age of 20.
Kulik withdrew from the 1998 World Championships due to his recurring back injury.[2] He retired from competitive skating and has focused on performing in shows.[3] Kulik has skated with the Stars on Ice tour, shows in Russia, the 2009 Ice All Stars, the 2010 Festa On Ice. In 1999, he skated a duet with his wife, Ekaterina Gordeeva.
Kulik also ventured briefly into acting, playing the role of Sergei, a Russian dancer, in the 2000 ballet-themed movie Center Stage.
Kulik has one sibling, sister Svetlana, who also lives in California. His parents live in Russia.
He married Ekaterina Gordeeva in San Francisco on June 10, 2002.[4] They have one daughter, Elizaveta Ilinichna Kulik (born June 15, 2001). Gordeeva has one daughter, Daria Sergeevna Grinkova (born September 11, 1992), from her first marriage to her late husband and skating partner, Sergei Grinkov. The family lived in California for several years before moving to Avon, Connecticut in 2003. They returned to the Los Angeles area in the summer of 2007 and currently reside in Newport Beach.
| Season | Short program | Long program | Exhibition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002–2003 | The Nutcracker Suite Ballet Suite Op 71A by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto in A Minor Edvard Grieg and Jeno Jando |
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| 2001–2002 | Rendezvous
Waltz of the Flowers from The Nutcracker by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky |
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| 2000 | Devil's Trill Sonata by Giuseppe Tartini performed by Vanessa Mae |
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| 1998–1999 | Seisouso
Pagliacci |
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| 1997–1998 | Revolutions by Jean Michel Jarre |
Rhapsody in Blue by George Gershwin |
Mortal Combat
Liebestraum by Franz Liszt |
| 1996–1997 | Faust | Romeo and Juliet by Pyotr Tchaikovsky |
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| 1995–1996 | The Addams Family | Aladdin | |
| 1994–1995 | Rigoletto by Giuseppe Verdi |
An American in Paris by George Gershwin |
(with Ekaterina Gordeeva)
| Season | Program |
|---|---|
| 1999–2000 | Casi Un Bolero by Rosana Si tu no estas aqui by Ricky Martin |
| Event | 1992–93 | 1993–94 | 1994–95 | 1995–96 | 1996–97 | 1997–98 |
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| Winter Olympic Games | 1st | |||||
| World Championships | 9th | 2nd | 5th | |||
| European Championships | 1st | 3rd | 4th | |||
| World Junior Championships | 3rd | 11th | 1st | |||
| Russian Championships | 2nd | 2nd | 1st | 1st | ||
| Champions Series Final | 4th | 4th | 1st | |||
| Skate America | 6th | |||||
| Skate Canada | 2nd | 2nd | ||||
| Trophée Lalique | 1st | |||||
| NHK Trophy | 2nd | 1st | ||||
| Finlandia Trophy | 2nd | |||||
| Nebelhorn Trophy | 1st | |||||
| Karl Schäfer Memorial | 3rd |
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