September 12, 2016 exactly 67 years will be celebrated by the legendary woman, multiple champion, who managed to bring figure skating to the highest world level - Rodnina Irina. Biography, personal life, performances and photos of the famous figure skater will be the subject of our article.
First steps towards big sport
September 12, 1949 in the family of an officer and a nurse was born a girl who was destined to change the world of Olympic sports. Ira grew up as a sickly child, so her little, at the age of five, her parents sent her to the famous Moscow school of figure skating, from where many outstanding figure skaters came out. Since Irina Rodnina came to the rink in 1954, her biography and personal life have changed forever. Despite the fact that she got up on skates very early, already then the future athlete showed such qualities as determination, diligence and the will to win, because after passing a serious selection, Irina got to the CSKA school in the figure skating section. At that time, the girl was engaged as a single skater and under the strict guidanceYakova Smushkina has mastered the basic elements of figure skating.
Since 1962, Irina began to train under the coaching of Sonya and Milan Valun, who came from Czechoslovakia. Already in 1963, Irina Rodnina and her partner, Oleg Vlasov, took third place in youth competitions and received their first prize. After a while, the girl's coaches were forced to return home, but by the will of fate, Stanislav Alekseevich Zhuk became her new coach.
Cooperation with Stanislav Zhuk
With the change of coach, a new life began. Stanislav Alekseevich found a new partner for Irina, who became Alexey Ulanov. An adult, stately and handsome Alexei with a strong, strong spirit and body Irina looked great together. In 1967, the guys performed for the first time in front of the judges with a demonstration performance, thereby gaining their attention.
Two years later, in 1969, the couple Rodnina - Ulanov won their first victory in the World Championship. They had to go to the European Championship without a coach, but this did not stop them from taking prizes, because Rodnina's strong-willed qualities, her ability to deal with difficulties and her undeniable charm helped to reach new heights. Until 1972, Irina won over and over again with Ulanov. However, on the eve of the 1972 World Championship, Alexei informed Irina of his intention to leave his partner: he was supposed to be paired with Lyudmila Smirnova, whom Ulanov was going to marry.
This was a blow for the athlete, according to her, Alexei was her friend, with whom they dreamed of conqueringOlympus, and it was very unfortunate that the partner did not share her desires.
At that moment, figure skater Irina Rodnina was on the verge of leaving figure skating, and there was also an opinion that the athlete would become a single skater. But paired with Alexei Ulanov, Irina won gold twice more, one of which was at the Olympics in Sapporo.
Meeting with Alexander Zaitsev
At the time when there were rumors about her final retirement from figure skating, Irina Rodnina chooses a different path: among little-known skaters, the girl found Alexander Zaitsev, who became her new partner, thanks to her main advantage - character. This was immediately understood by the coach and Rodnina Irina. The biography, the personal life of the athlete were now closely connected with the new partner.
1972 turned out to be a very difficult year for Irina. All summer and autumn, endless training sessions on ice awaited them with Alexander, tired and exhausted crawled home, but the couple looked to the future with optimism. Rodnina became for Zaitsev not just a comrade in sports, but also a mentor from whom to follow an example, and a faithful support. Irina, in the person of Alexander, found a close friend and moral support in difficult times. They trained long, furiously and reaped the fruits of their hard work: first places and gold medals, while their rivals, Smirnova and Ulanov, won silver. The audience warmly supported the couple Irina Rodnina - Alexander Zaitsev.
And in 1973 they managed to leave a memorable mark in the history of figure skating at the World Championships in Bratislava,showing themselves as real professionals, champions and fighters for victory.
Triumph in Bratislava
That day was very exciting for Irina, Alexander and their coach, because the couple presented their joint performance to the world for the first time. Everything was fine, the athletes confidently began their free program, and at the moment of culmination, when Rodnina and Zaitsev performed difficult lifts, the music suddenly stopped. However, such a closure (as it turned out later) did not prevent the talented couple from rolling their number to the end, the skaters did not stop for a second and met exactly the time allotted for them. The public at first did not understand what was happening. Then applause was heard, rapidly turning into a standing ovation, replacing the music. The audience did not want to let their favorites go, the couple was asked to roll their number, but Rodnina refused, rightly waiting for the results: the judges expressed their word in the form of high marks, and this performance became an example for all skaters and went down in history as an indicator of an amazing desire to win.
Let Irina Rodnina's nationality be Jewish, she was and remains a Russian modest woman with a bright look and an open smile. On the one hand, her purity and tenderness, on the other hand, her stamina and strength of mind, attracted attention to her person.
Under the leadership of Tatyana Tarasova
The year 1974 began, and with it new difficulties and changes. Stanislav Zhuk somehow approached Rodnina and announced that he was ready to conquer new horizons, and hiswork with Irina, even if she was his best student, is over. Rodnina tried to influence the coach, persuaded her to stay, because so many years of working with this person literally made them akin, but Zhuk was adamant to the girl's pleas. At that moment, Rodnina and her partner needed to get together, and they decided to turn to the young Tatyana Tarasova. Tatyana Anatolyevna quickly took them under her wing, brought new colors to their couple, added lyrical notes, taught them new complex elements.
Wedding with Zaitsev and the birth of a son
In 1975, a significant event happened in the life of Irina Rodnina and Alexander Zaitsev - they became husband and wife. At the wedding, the orchestra played the tune of "Kalinka", which was very touching, because it is clear without words: "Kalinka" by Irina Rodnina is a kind of talisman, a visiting card of the famous athlete.
There was a serious preparation for the Olympic Games in Innsbruck, which were to be held in 1976. Rodnina tried to instill the Olympic spirit in her partner, mentally setting up Zaitsev to win. Training continued under the guidance of Tarasova. During the performances themselves, it was clear that the couple was a little tired and exhausted, they made mistakes, but still won prizes, for Irina Rodnina it was the second Olympic gold.
In February 1979, Rodnina had a son, who was named after his father - Alexander. After the birth of Sasha Rodnina, she had to restore her physical form again in order to return to the ice.
Last exit on the ice andtears of a champion
The last time she went to the rink, taking part in the Olympics-80. It was then that for the tenth time she received the championship title and for the third time she took Olympic gold, hitting the Guinness Book of Records. During the medal ceremony Rodnina Irina Konstantinovna could not hold back her tears, this moment became one of the most heartbreaking and touching in the history of the Olympic Games.
After stunning victories at the world and European championships, Irina Konstantinovna decided to leave the big sport. The search began again. Rodnina could not apply her skills in any way, she tried to be a mentor, then a teacher, but nothing could make up for the feeling of emptiness.
After leaving the big sport
Relations with her husband also reached an impasse, and they had to leave. But, having fallen in love again, at the age of thirty-five, Irina Rodnina got married. Leonid Minkovsky, Rodnina's husband, had nothing to do with the world of sports, he was a businessman and producer. He persuaded his wife to try their hand abroad.
In the United States, Irina Rodnina chose the profession of a coach for herself. At first it was difficult: adaptation to new living conditions, getting used to the mentality of the country, learning the language. After some time, Rodnina divorced her second husband, from whom Alena's daughter was born.
However, the difficulties did not break her even here, because Rodnina had the strongest support - her children. It is easier for a woman to cope with the vicissitudes of fate,because she has children,” Irina Rodnina thinks so. The athlete’s children did not follow in the footsteps of the famous mother: Alexander became an artist, and Alena became a TV presenter.
US activities and homecoming
During her stay in the USA, Irina Rodnina worked as a coach near Los Angeles, at the International Figure Skating Center, and became the mistress of a small ice rink.
Despite the fact that her business abroad was going well, the champion was not let go by longing for her homeland. Returning to her hometown time after time, Rodnina Irina Konstantinovna decided to create a figure skating school in Russia.
At the moment, Irina is a public figure, politician, member of the United Russia party. In 2014, during the opening of the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Irina Rodnina and Alexander Tretiak were given the right to light the Olympic flame.
Her name has already gone down in history. Rodnina Irina, a biography whose personal life turned out to be very difficult, but full of interesting events, does not regret anything. She wants to believe that new achievements are yet to come.
