Alexander Gorshkov: biography, photos, achievements

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:41

On October 8, 1946, the future figure skating star Alexander Gorshkov was born. Moscow is his hometown. The boy got on skates and began active training at the age of six. The child had to be torn between a secondary school and a figure skating school. After graduating from an educational institution, he enters the Institute of Physical Culture. It happened in 1964. In 1970, Alexander successfully graduated from an educational institution, where he continued intensive training to improve figure skills.

Biography: Alexander Gorshkov and his first steps in sports

When Sasha was six years old, his mother Maria Sergeevna, in a conversation with the mother of a classmate, found out that a figure skating school was being recruited in Sokolniki. It was at that moment that the idea arose to give the child to sports. Both mothers became friends with each other, one day they took the boys by the hand and took them to a school for beginner skaters. The first months of stay at Alexander's school passed in difficult conditions. He practically did not succeed, and he was immediately recorded in the ranks of underachievers. At schoolthere was a division into levels, and Sasha got to classes at a more primitive level.

Alexander's mother did not agree with this state of affairs and was not going to put up with it. Once Maria Sergeevna took her child by the hand and forcibly brought him to an advanced group. By a lucky chance, at that time there was a new coach in the group, who was not familiar with the whole squad. The teacher decided that Sasha had been sick for a long time, so he did not see him among the ranks of the students. So Alexander Gorshkov remained in the group of a higher level, and, as it turns out later, not in vain. It was here that he met his future partner Lyudmila Pakhomova.

Elena Chaikovskaya

A special role in the life of a novice skater was played by coach Elena Chaikovskaya. After all, it was she who considered future champions in two young people. At that moment, when Elena just started working with young talents, she herself was a young and inexperienced coach. And no one, in principle, believed in a couple of Lyudmila and Alexander, except for Tchaikovsky.

Three young talents started working together to create a new style in figure skating, which is called the "new Russian style". Their work began in May 1966. Six months later, the couple has already made their debut at international competitions.

Lyudmila Pakhomova

The best years in Alexander's life were associated with the name of Lyudmila Pakhomova. Mila - so he affectionately called his partner in sports and in life. At the moment when onlythey met, Pakhomova was already a fairly well-known person. Together with her former partner Viktor Ryzhkin, the girl was already the champion of the Soviet Union. Against the background of such a stellar personality, the unknown Alexander Gorshkov, whose photo you see in the article, looked very faded. But Tchaikovskaya continued to believe that her pupils had a good future.

Sporting achievements of the couple Pakhomova and Gorshkov

Thanks to hard training and the coach's belief in the duo's success, after a couple of years, the first results appeared. In 1969, Alexander Gorshkov and Lyudmila Pakhomova made their debut at the European Championships, where they took an honorable third place. The world championship brought them more successful results. There they were weaker than the reigning champions Diana Tauler and Bernard Ford. Despite the fact that the representatives of the school of the new Russian style lost to the titled pair, the British noted the professionalism and successful future of young skaters.

The results were not long in coming, and already in 1970 Alexander Gorshkov and Pakhomova became European champions. The further career of the couple was very successful. They have become world champions a total of six times. And even after once losing the first place to the German couple, the next year they took revenge at a very good level. No one else had questions about leadership.

In general, the couple constantly had to prove their superiority, not only in the fight against German athletes. Competition had to befrom skilled skaters from the USA, Great Britain, Germany and many others. The guys constantly had to prove that they are the best. They had no room for error.

Olympic Games

In 1976, the couple had to make their debut at the Olympic Games in Innsbruck. However, shortly before this event, Alexander Gorshkov underwent a major lung operation. Despite he alth difficulties, the man recovered and took part in the first such serious competitions in his life. At the Olympic Games, the duo proved again that there is no one better than them. The couple went into a colossal gap from their pursuers and took the Olympic gold home to Moscow.

As for Elena Chaikovskaya, she took gold at two consecutive Olympic Games, however, with another pair.

First marriage

The perfect couple on the ice turned out to be the perfect couple to start a family. From the very first joint steps that young people took on the ice, a spark ran between them. They began to feel not only respect and sympathy for each other. They felt more serious feelings begin to flare up in them. As a result of this, already in 1970, the couple got married. The wedding took place immediately after the skaters took the championship in Ljubljana.

Sports career is short, and a year after a successful debut at the Olympic Games, the couple completed it. Lyudmila decided to continue her career as a coach, and Alexander as a sports functionary.

In 1977, the couple had a daughter, Julia. To givethe woman could not take due care and devote a large amount of time to her child. Lyudmila and Alexander went headlong into sports careers, and Yulia's upbringing was under the control of her grandmother.

In 1978, Lyudmila already became the coach of the Soviet Union. And I must say, the girl turned out to be a completely successful mentor who was able to bring up more than one duet of champions. However, she did not manage to stay at the peak of popularity for a long time. A year later, Lyudmila was diagnosed with a tumor with which she had been unsuccessfully fighting for 7 years.

Tragedy in the life of a titled figure skater

The disease was not going to recede, and Lyudmila could not find time to fight it. She always fled to the ice, refused medical attention. Perhaps that is why fate decided to punish her for such a negligent attitude towards her he alth.

In 1985, Mila celebrated her last birthday. In general, she spent the last six months in the hospital, and she simply did not have the physical strength to work hard on the ice. During the time spent in a hospital bed, the former figure skater was even able to write a book. Lyudmila took her last breath on May 17, 1986. She was only 39 years old…

Continuation of the sports career of the Olympic champion

After leaving the ice Gorshkov Alexander Georgievich continued to improve himself in sports. He was a figure skating sports coach until 1992. In the same year, he headed the Russian Olympic Committee. In 1998 he becamechairman of the ice dancing committee. Often Gorshkov was invited to various sports competitions as the chief judge.

The pair of Pakhomova and Gorshkov was inscribed in the Guinness Book of Records for the six-time championship. Also in Moscow, a figure skating school was opened, which bears the name of great athletes. In 2010, Gorshkov became president of the Figure Skating Federation of the Russian Federation.

Lyudmila Pakhomova and Alexander Gorshkov: daughter of a star couple

The only daughter of the great skaters Julia is incredibly similar to her mother. When the great athlete and talented coach passed away, her daughter was only 9 years old.

Despite the fact that a competitive, athletic spirit constantly reigned in the family, the girl did not follow in the footsteps of her famous parents. Julia herself dreamed of becoming a ballerina from an early age. She did not want to connect her life with ice because of her grandmother's unwillingness. She was categorically against it, because Lyudmila's mother knew what it was like to raise a future Olympic champion. What are these inhuman loads and how difficult it is morally. However, Yulia did not happen to become a ballerina either, because the girl is quite tall - now her height is almost 2 meters.

After joining the ballet school, the girl was offered to become a basketball player. And Julia herself decided to become a fashion designer. At the age of 18, she left for France, where she planned to start a serious career as a fashion designer. Learning what you love has paid off. Julia began to show promise as an aspiring fashion designer. There she isfound her destiny and soon married a French citizen. A few years later, the girl returned to her homeland and got a job at Bosco Ciliegi. Now she works with fashion collections, which she buys directly from France.

Julia herself in frank conversations about her mother often tells how she misses her. As she talks to her, she often asks for advice. Mom stays with her throughout her life. Lyudmila was born on December 31, so for Yulia it is always a sad holiday, on which she devotes more time to remembering her mother. Julia and her father always go to the cemetery on this day. Then the family, it would seem, is reunited again. Here you can be silent and talk about what worries the soul.

Second marriage

Alexander Gorshkov is a figure skater whose personal life was of interest to many of his fans. Did he marry a second time? As many publications say, Irina appeared in the life of Alexander during the life of Lyudmila. She worked at the Italian Embassy as a translator. Irina has a son from her first marriage - Stanislav. A long time after the death of Lyudmila, Alexander decided to try again to start a family. It was Irina who became his chosen one.

Skater Alexander Gorshkov has such an interesting and eventful life. He is not only a talented athlete, but also a wonderful person. I wish such people met more often on the path of everyone!