Alla Shekhovtsova

Alla Viktorovna Shekhovtsova (Russian: Алла Викторовна Шеховцова; born 2 November 1964 in Sverdlovsk) is a Russian figure skating judge and ISU Technical Specialist and ISU Ice Dance Technical Committee member;[1] a former ice dancer, the wife of Valentin Piseev (general director of the Figure Skating Federation of Russia).[2][3] They have a son Stanislav (born 1989).[4]

Biography

Shekhovtsova started skating at the age of 5.[5] Her father was a hockey player.

Shekhovtsova first competed as an ice dancer. When she realized that she could never compete at the highest level, she left skating.[6] She graduated from the Ural State University of Economics and later from the Russian Academy of Theatre Arts (ice choreography faculty), where she studied in the same class with Zhanna Gromova.[2][6] At the same time she started coaching at the Sverdlovsk figure skating school, where she trained under Igor Ksenofontov.[6] After a year she became a senior coach of the Sverdlovsk ice dancing school.[5]

Shekhovtsova moved to Moscow and worked as a coach in the class of Natalia Linichuk and Gennadi Karponosov, and took over the class after they decided to leave for the USA.[6] She later became a judge, judging at the Russian Championships, European Figure Skating Championships and World Figure Skating Championships.[5] She judged figure skating at the 2002 Winter Olympics, 2006 Winter Olympics, 2010 Winter Olympics, and 2014 Winter Olympics.

Since 2000 Shekhovtsova has been a deputy general director at the Odintsovo Hockey and Figure Skating Children's Center.[2]

Criticism

Shekhovtsova and her husband, Valentin Piseev, have been publicly criticized by Russian coaches and skaters.[3][7] Shekhovtsova has been called "the First Lady" and "grey eminence" due to her influence on Piseev, and therefore on the Figure Skating Federation of Russia.[1] A figure skating coach Elena Tchaikovskaia stated that Piseev only listened "to one adviser", which was his wife.[8] She later criticised Shekhovtsova for becoming an ISU Ice Dance Technical Committee member despite "knowing nothing about ice dancing".[9] When asked about the relationship with her husband in the interview, Shekhovtsova stated that "the talks about my influence are greatly exaggerated" and Piseev "is the one who always makes all the decisions".[1]

At the 2014 Winter Olympics, her appointment as a judge caused a controversy.[10] She judged the ladies' single skating competition and was photographed hugging Russian skater Adelina Sotnikova in the arena.[11] Sotnikova won the gold medal. The Korean Olympic Committee (KOC) filed an official complaint against Shekhovtsova, citing the hug and her marriage to Valentin Piseev as reasons for a conflict of interest. The complaint was, however, dismissed by ISU.[12]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Vaytsekhovskaya, Elena (12 April 2012). "Алла Шеховцова: первая леди" (in Russian). Sport Express. Retrieved 30 August 2014.
  2. 1 2 3 "Шеховцова (Писеева) Алла Викторовна" (in Russian). FSkate.ru. Retrieved 30 August 2014.
  3. 1 2 Solovyev, Vasily (12 April 2010). "Interview with Alla Shekhovtsova (part 1)". Proizvolnaya Programma (in Russian). Fskate.ru. Retrieved 30 August 2014.
  4. ↑ Solovyev, Vladislav. "Interview with Valentin Piseev" (in Russian). Volokolamsk Week. Retrieved 28 August 2014.
  5. 1 2 3 Solovyev, Vasily (12 April 2010). "Interview with Alla Shekhovtsova (part 2)". Proizvolnaya Programma (in Russian). Fskate.ru. Retrieved 30 August 2014.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Verezemskaya, Olga (2012). "Созреть для лидерства". Moskovsky Figurist (Moscow) 7 (25).
  7. ↑ Smith, Beverley (9 June 2010). "Russia's figure skating power play". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 30 August 2014.
  8. ↑ "Елена Чайковская: нельзя из фигурного катания делать семейный бизнес" (in Russian). All Sport. March 15, 2010. Retrieved 28 August 2014.
  9. ↑ Gubina, Marina (2 August 2010). "Тренеры фигуристов ждут действий от нового президента" (in Russian). Infox.ru. Retrieved 30 August 2014.
  10. ↑ Brennan, Christine (21 February 2014). "Brennan: Skating Insiders Question Sochi Gold Judging". USA Today. Retrieved 21 February 2014.
  11. ↑ "A Whole New Set of Questions About Adelina Sotnikova's Allegedly Rigged Gold Medal Win". Retrieved 16 March 2014.
  12. ↑ Zaccardi, Nick (5 June 2014). "Olympic figure skating judging complaints rejected by ISU". NBC Sports. Retrieved 6 June 2014.
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