| Olympic medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Competitor for Germany | ||
| Pairs' Figure skating | ||
| Bronze | 2010 Vancouver | Pairs |
Robin Szolkowy (born 17 July 1979) is a German pair skater. With partner Aliona Savchenko, he is a three-time (2008, 2009, 2011) World Champion, the 2010 Olympic bronze medalist, a four-time (2007–2009, 2011) European Champion, a three-time (2007, 2010, 2011) Grand Prix Final Champion, and a seven-time (2004–2009, 2011) German National Champion.
Savchenko & Szolkowy scored the first 10.0 ever given by a judge under the ISU Judging System.[6]
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Szolkowy was born in Greifswald, Rostock district, East Germany. His mother, a nurse, met his father, a Tanzanian medical doctor, when the latter was a student in Greifswald. Although he had seen photos of his father, the two did not meet until March 2008, in Vienna, Austria.[7]
Szolkowy began skating in Erfurt in 1983 after his mother saw an advertisement for a new skating rink.[8] Originally a singles skater, he switched to pairs when he was 16. Szolkowy's first partner was Johanna Otto, followed in 1997 by Claudia Rauschenbach, daughter of 1980 Olympic gold medalist Anett Pötzsch. Rauschenbach and Szolkowy won the German Junior National pair title three times and the 2001 senior German National pair title but never placed higher than ninth at Junior Worlds. Their coach was Monika Scheibe.
After Rauschenbach retired, Szolkowy was unable to find a new skating partner for a year and a half. During this forced hiatus, he participated in synchronized skating in an effort to maintain some of his skills.
Former World champion Ingo Steuer suggested partnering with Aliona Savchenko, the 2000 World Junior champion (with Stanislav Morozov). In May 2003, they had a successful tryout in Chemnitz. Three months later, she relocated to Germany and the new team began training in earnest with Steuer as their coach. When they first teamed up, they had to adjust to the fact that they had been taught different basics.[9]
In 2004, during their first season together, Savchenko and Szolkowy won the German National title. The two made their international debut as a team at the start of the 2004-2005 season. They again won the German National title, placed fourth at the 2005 European Championships with 158.73 points and sixth at the 2005 World Championships earning 169.02 points.
During the 2005-2006 season, the pair earned their first ISU Grand Prix gold medal, at Skate Canada, where they won both the short program and free skate to score a total of 175.60 points. They won the bronze medal at the Grand Prix Final, scoring 180.10 points.
Savchenko and Szolkowy won their third German National title.
They placed second at 2006 Europeans receiving a total of 188.08 points, 7.79 behind Tatiana Totmianina & Maxim Marinin. Savchenko was given German citizenship on 29 December 2005, making it possible for the pair to compete at the 2006 Winter Olympic Games. Just prior to the Olympics, the National Olympic Committee of Germany decided to exclude their coach, Ingo Steuer, from the Olympic team due to his collusion with the Stasi.[10] After a court battle, he was granted accreditation.[10] Savchenko and Szolkowy finished sixth with 180.15 points. They also placed sixth at 2006 Worlds some weeks later, where they earned 170.08 points overall.
The German Ministry of Interior Affairs continued to put pressure on the German Skating Federation over the Steuer affair.[10] As a result, the pair's coach was denied accreditation for the upcoming competitions but the team won in court.[10] However, the pair's refusal to leave their coach cost Szolkowy his place in the German army, which sponsored his skating.[10] Private sponsors and fans supported the pair.[10]
Savchenko and Szolkowy placed third at the 2006 Cup of China and won the 2006 Cup of Russia, qualifying them to the 2006-2007 Grand Prix Final, held in Saint Petersburg. They finished second with a total of 180.67 points, 22.52 behind Shen Xue & Zhao Hongbo, who won gold. In January 2007, they won their fourth German National pair title.
Savchenko and Szolkowy won the European Championships for the first time, becoming the first German pair skaters to win this title in 12 years; their coach, Ingo Steuer, had won with Mandy Wötzel in 1995.[11] They won the short program with 65.38 points, although Savchenko fell on the throw triple flip. In the free skate, they set a new personal best of 134.01 points while skating to the soundtrack of the film The Mission. Their combined total of 199.39 points was also a new best, and they finished 19.78 points ahead of silver medalists Maria Petrova and Alexei Tikhonov.
At the 2007 World Championships, Savchenko and Szolkowy earned their first World Championship medal, a bronze. They short program score of 67.65 points was a new best, and they were second in that segment of the competition. They finished third in the free skate with a score of 119.74 points. Their total score was 187.39, 16.11 points behind gold medalists Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo.
At the beginning of the 2007-2008 season, Savchenko and Szolkowy competed in the 2007 Skate Canada, in the 2007 Cup of Russia and in the 2007 NHK Trophy, winning gold in all of those but the Cup of Russia in which they placed second to Zhang Dan & Zhang Hao. At the 2007-2008 Grand Prix Final in December 2007, Savchenko and Szolkowy scored 72.14 in the short program, setting a new world record,[12] and a season's best of 127.09 points in the free skate to win the pair title with 199.23 overall.
In January 2008, Savchenko and Szolkowy went to the 2008 European Championships with the aim to reclaim their title, which they did. They finished first in both short scoring 70.36 points and in the long program setting a new season's best 132.03, scoring 202.39 points overall, a new personal best in their total segment score. They won their second European title by a 32.98 point margin lead over silver medalists Maria Mukhortova & Maxim Trankov.
The team moved on to the 2008 World Championships, held in Gothenburg, Sweden. They placed second in the short program with 72.00 points, 2.36 points behind Zhang Dan & Zhang Hao of China. Although they had some mistakes in the free skate, they won that segment with a score of 130.86 points, 6.74 ahead of Jessica Dubé & Bryce Davison, who placed second in the long program. Overall, they achieved a new personal best of 202.86 points to win their first World Championship title finishing 5.04 points ahead of Zhang Dan & Zhang Hao, who won the silver medal.
Savchenko and Szolkowy began the 2008–2009 season competing in the 2008 Skate America and in the 2008 Trophée Eric Bompard, winning both of their Grand Prix events. They finished third in the 2008–2009 Grand Prix Final. They earned a season's best of 70.14 in the short program but placed third in the long program with a score of 114.95. Overall, they earned 185.09 points to finish 6.40 points behind gold medalists Pang Qing & Tong Jian.
In late January 2009, they competed at the 2009 European Championships as the defenders of the title. Savchenko and Szolkowy placed second in the short program with a score of 66.64 points, 2.98 behind Maria Mukhortova & Maxim Trankov.[13] They skated a very strong free skate, receiving a season's best score of 132.43 and earning them first place in that segment of the competition. They won the competition overall with a score of 199.07 points, 16.30 points, ahead of silver medalists Yuko Kawaguchi & Alexander Smirnov. This earned Savchenko and Szolkowy their third consecutive European title.[14]
Savchenko and Szolkowy went to the 2009 World Championships as the defending champions. Despite Savchenko fighting a flu,[15] they tallied a personal best 72.30 points in the short program to take the lead by a margin of 3.36 points over Yuko Kawaguchi and Alexander Smirnov. They also won the free skate, earning 131.18 points in that segment of the competition. A throw triple salchow on the last beat of their music in the long program ensured victory. They finished with a combined total of 203.48 points, another personal best, and won by almost 17 points over silver medalists Zhang Dan & Zhang Hao, who scored 186.52 points overall.[16] They were the first German pair since Marika Kilius & Hans-Jürgen Bäumler (1963 and 1964) to successfully defend a World Championship title.
Savchenko and Szolkowy began the 2009–2010 season with the 2009 Nebelhorn Trophy. Finishing first in the short program with a score of 72.80 points (13.24 ahead of the next best team), as well as in the free skate with 113.19 points, the pair earned the gold medal with a total score of 185.99 points.
For the 2009–2010 Grand Prix season, they were assigned to 2009 Trophée Eric Bompard and the 2009 Skate Canada. At the 2009 Trophée Eric Bompard, they placed first in the short program with a new personal best score of 72.98 points, leading by 6.1 points over Maria Mukhortova & Maxim Trankov, but committed several crucial mistakes in the free skate to finish fourth in that segment of the competition with 101.44. Overall they won the bronze medal with 174.42 points, 18.51 behind gold medalists Maria Mukhortova & Maxim Trankov. On the plane back to Germany, Steuer suggested scrapping their long program to You'll Never Walk Alone,[17] which had been recorded for them by André Rieu's orchestra in Maastricht.[18] Although they had worked on the program since May, Savchenko said it "just didn't suit us", so they decided to prepare a new one to the soundtrack of Out of Africa.[17]
At the 2009 Skate Canada they won the short program, improving their personal best to 74.16 points, and leading the rest of the field by 8.36 points. They also won the free skate with a score of 132.55 points, placing first overall with 206.71 points, 21 ahead of Maria Mukhortova & Maxim Trankov. They set a new world record for pairs' combined total under the ISU Judging System.[19] This was also the first time a judge gave a 10.0 under the Code of Points.[6]
Their placements in their two 2009–2010 Grand Prix events qualified them for the 2009–2010 Grand Prix Final that was held in Tokyo, Japan, in December 2009. They placed second in the short program with 73.14 points, 2.22 behind Shen Xue & Zhao Hongbo. However, they finished fourth in the free skate with 127.24 points. They won the bronze medal overall with 200.38 points, 13.87 behind gold medalists Shen Xue & Zhao Hongbo. Savchenko developed a flu during the Grand Prix Final which worsened and forced the pair to withdraw from German Nationals.[20]
During the 2010 Europeans, they led in the short program with 74.12 points, by just 0.2 over Yuko Kawaguchi & Alexander Smirnov. They placed second in the free skate with a new personal best 137.60 points, 1.63 behind gold medalists Yuko Kawaguchi & Alexander Smirnov, who consequently placed first in the free skate and overall. Overall Savchenko and Szolkowy earned a new personal best score of 211.72 points.
At the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada, the pair earned their personal best score of 75.96 points in the short program, yet only placed second. Rivals Shen Xue & Zhao Hongbo took the top stop with a world record short program score of 76.66 points. They placed third in the free skating with 134.64 points, 7.16 behind Pang Qing & Tong Jian, who placed first in that segment. Overall they won the bronze medal with 210.60 points, 5.97 behind of gold medalists and Olympic champions Shen Xue & Zhao Hongbo and 2.71 of silver medalists Pang Qing & Tong Jian.
They then competed at the 2010 World Championships. They placed third in the short program with 69.52 points, which was 5.76 behind leaders Pang Qing & Tong Jian. In the free skate they placed second with a score of 135.22 points, 0.89 behind Pang Qing & Tong Jian, who also won that segment to capture the gold medal. Overall the team totalled 204.74 points to win the silver medal. Following the Olympics, they both concluded they would like to continue competing at least another season.[21]
After performing in fifteen shows, Savchenko and Szolkowy began training for the 2010–2011 season in May 2010 in Chemnitz.[20] The pair experimented with a throw quad flip in training. Steuer said, "It did work sometimes, but it needs extremely high concentration."[22] In September 2010, Savchenko stated that they "plan to continue through 2014, but you never know if our bodies will work as we like them to work."[22]
Savchenko and Szolkowy won 2010 Skate America by over 20 points and 2010 Trophée Eric Bompard by 14 points. On their way back from France, the airline lost their luggage containing their skates, resulting in concerns the pair would be forced to withdraw from the Grand Prix Final.[23] Skates are not permitted as part of hand luggage because the blades are considered potential weapons.[24] The airline found their luggage a few days later.[25] They placed first in both the short and long program at the 2010–2011 Grand Prix Final to win the title.[26][27]
At the European Championships, they won the short program by almost three points, receiving a perfect ten for performance and execution from one of the judges.[28] In the long program, the pair received zero points for a spin after an error by Savchenko; they placed second in the free program by less than a point, finishing first overall to win their fourth European title ahead of 2010 champions Kavaguti and Smirnov.[29][30] Their training ice was scheduled to be melted in late March, after they would normally have left for the World Championships, however, the competition was postponed to late April. They were able to get their ice time extended until Easter, with the city and sport association negotiating the finances.[31]
At the 2011 World Championships Savchenko and Szolkowy were in second place following the short program.[32] They went on to win their third World Championships with a record-breaking free skate. Their total score was also a new world record.[33] With this win, the pair capped off a season in which they won every event they entered.
Savchenko and Szolkowy took up the new option of competing at three Grand Prix events during the 2011–2012 season. They are entered in 2011 Skate America, 2011 NHK Trophy and 2011 Cup of Russia. In October, they confirmed Pina and Angels & Demons as their new music selections and said they were practicing a throw triple axel.[34][35] Only one team, Rena Inoue and John Baldwin, has landed it successfully in competition.[36] At Skate America, Savchenko and Szolkowy attempted the throw triple axel in the short program but experienced a hard fall.[37] They were given credit for completing the revolutions and finished in 5th place, 3.4 points off the lead.[38] They rebounded to place first in the free skate and won their second consecutive Skate America title and third in their career.[39] They added a reverse lasso lift to their free program but performed only a double twist because they were still working on a new entry to the triple.[40]
They attempted the throw triple axel again in the short program at 2011 NHK Trophy but Savchenko took another hard fall.[36] They finished third at the event.[41] Savchenko and Szolkowy rebounded to win the 2011 Rostelecom Cup.[42] They qualified for the 2011-12 Grand Prix Final. Although they did not attempt it in Russia, they said they had not ruled out the triple axel.[43] They also said they were considering missing the German Championships in order to rest.[43] At the Grand Prix Final, Savchenko and Szolkowy won the gold medal with a total score of 212.26, defeating Volosozhar and Trankov by a margin of only 0.18 points.[44][45][46]
Savchenko and Szolkowy have trained mostly in Chemnitz since teaming up. They train twice a day, six days a week.[8] Ingo Steuer has served as their sole coach and choreographer throughout their entire career together and he also cuts their music and sharpens their skates.[8][9] Savchenko designs the pair's costumes.[11] The ice rink in Chemnitz is typically melted from the start of April to mid-May; they train in Dresden if they need ice time during this period.[21][35]
Savchenko and Szolkowy have toured in multiple ice shows around the world, including the 2009 Ice All Stars, All That Skate,[47] the 2010 Art on Ice in Lausanne, Switzerland, and shows in Davos, Oberstdorf, and Ingolstadt. In October 2011, they were awarded the public prize at Germany's tenth and final Unity Prize ceremony.[48]
(with Savchenko)
| Season | Short program | Free skating | Exhibition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011–2012[36][49] | Angels & Demons by Hans Zimmer choreographed by Ingo Steuer |
Pina by Thomas Hanreich choreographed by Ingo Steuer |
Hungriges Herz performed by Scala & Kolacny Brothers Autumn Moon on a Calm Lake by Lang Lang |
| 2010–2011 | Korobushka Russian folk music performed by Bond choreographed by Ingo Steuer |
The Pink Panther Soundtrack from the 2006 movie by Christophe Beck and Henry Mancini choreographed by Ingo Steuer |
You'll Never Be Alone by Anastacia choreographed by Ingo Steuer Barbie Girl by Aqua choreographed by Ingo Steuer Gee by Girls' Generation choreographed by Ingo Steuer |
| 2009–2010[17][50] | Send In The Clowns Soundtrack from A Little Night Music by Stephen Sondheim performed by Danny Wright choreographed by Ingo Steuer |
Out of Africa Soundtrack from the 1985 movie by John Barry choreographed by Ingo Steuer You'll Never Walk Alone Soundtrack from Carousel by Richard Rodgers performed by Andre Rieu choreographed by Ingo Steuer |
Somewhere Soundtrack from West Side Story by Stephen Sondheim choreographed by Ingo Steuer Bad Day by Daniel Powter choreographed by Ingo Steuer Leningrad by Chris de Burgh choreographed by Ingo Steuer Fascination by Alphabeat choreographed by Ingo Steuer |
| 2008–2009 | Lost in Space Soundtrack from the 1998 movie by Apollo 440 choreographed by Ingo Steuer |
Schindler's List Soundtrack from the 1993 movie by John Williams & Adagio by Tomaso Albinoni choreographed by Ingo Steuer |
We've Got Tonight by Kenny Rogers & Sheena Easton choreographed by Ingo Steuer Pie Jesu by Sarah Brightman performed by Anna Maria Kaufmann choreographed by Ingo Steuer Leningrad by Chris de Burgh choreographed by Ingo Steuer |
| 2007–2008 | Asoka Soundtrack from the 2001 movie by Anu Malik choreographed by Ingo Steuer |
L'Oiseau from Cirque du Soleil by René Dupéré choreographed by Ingo Steuer |
Leningrad by Chris de Burgh choreographed by Ingo Steuer Nella Fantasia by Il Divo choreographed by Ingo Steuer Titanic Soundtrack from the 1997 movie by James Horner choreographed by Ingo Steuer Feeling Good by Michael Bublé choreographed by Ingo Steuer |
| 2006–2007 | Once Upon a Time in Mexico Soundtrack from the 2003 movie by Brian Setzer choreographed by Ingo Steuer |
The Mission Soundtrack from the 1986 movie by Ennio Morricone choreographed by Ingo Steuer |
Feeling Good by Michael Bublé choreographed by Ingo Steuer Somewhere Soundtrack from West Side Story by Stephen Sondheim & Leonard Bernstein choreographed by Ingo Steuer |
| 2005–2006 | Souvenir De Chine by Jean-Michel Jarre choreographed by Ingo Steuer |
1492: Conquest Of Paradise by Vangelis choreographed by Ingo Steuer |
Hey Ya! by Outkast choreographed by Ingo Steuer Belle Soundtrack from Nôtre Dame de Paris by Garou, Daniel Lavoie and Patrick Fiori choreographed by Ingo Steuer |
| 2004–2005 | Isole Music Medley choreographed by Ingo Steuer |
Casablanca Soundtrack from the 1942 movie by Max Steiner choreographed by Ingo Steuer |
Belle Soundtrack from Nôtre Dame de Paris by Garou, Daniel Lavoie and Patrick Fiori choreographed by Ingo Steuer |
(with Savchenko)
| Event | 2003–04 | 2004–05 | 2005–06 | 2006–07 | 2007–08 | 2008–09 | 2009–10 | 2010–11 | 2011–12 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Olympics | 6th | 3rd | |||||||
| World Championships | 6th | 6th | 3rd | 1st | 1st | 2nd | 1st | ||
| European Championships | 4th | 2nd | 1st | 1st | 1st | 2nd | 1st | ||
| German Championships | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | ||
| Grand Prix Final | 3rd | 2nd | 1st | 3rd | 3rd | 1st | 1st | ||
| Skate Canada | 1st | 1st | 1st | ||||||
| Trophée Eric Bompard | 1st | 3rd | 1st | ||||||
| Skate America | 1st | 1st | 1st | ||||||
| Cup of China | 3rd | ||||||||
| Cup of Russia | 3rd | 1st | 2nd | 1st | |||||
| NHK Trophy | 2nd | 1st | 3rd | ||||||
| Nebelhorn Trophy | 3rd | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | ||||
| Ondrej Nepela Memorial | 1st | 1st |
(with Rauschenbach)
| Event | 1997–1998 | 1998–1999 | 1999–2000 | 2000–2001 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| World Junior Championships | 10th | 9th | ||
| German Championships | 4th J. | 1st J. | 1st J. | 1st |
| Junior Grand Prix, Poland | 7th | |||
| Junior Grand Prix, Germany | 8th | 6th | ||
| Junior Grand Prix, Sweden | 5th | |||
| Junior Grand Prix, Netherlands | 4th | |||
| Junior Grand Prix, Hungary | 6th | |||
| J. = Junior | ||||
(with Otto)
| Event | 1996–1997 |
|---|---|
| World Junior Championships | 13th |
| Blue Swords | 10th |
| Grand Prix de St. Gervais | 7th |
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