Elena Buyanova is the person who made Soviet figure skating successful and recognized. Unfortunately, her career was interrupted, but now Elena Germanovna is a very talented professional coach who leads her students to resounding victories.
The start of the journey
Elena Buyanova (nee Vodorezova) was born on May 21, 1963 in Moscow.
Father - German Nikolaevich Vodorezov - was a football player, but, having been injured, left the big sport. Mom, Zinaida Mikhailovna, taught physical education at school.
Grandma, seeing that her granddaughter was hanging around, decided to bring her to the figure skating section, where the girl immediately liked it very much.
Two years later, Elena tried to get into the figure skating section of CSKA, but she was rejected due to unsuitability. It is not known whether Elena would have become a figure skater in the future, if not for a chance meeting with the director of a sports school, who turned out to be a classmate of German Nikolaevich. Thanks to him, Lenochka was nevertheless accepted into a sports school.
Skater career
Elena was a very stubborn, even stubborn girl, she constantly trained. A couple of years later, the coach showed the athlete to Stanislav Zhuk, who really liked her, and he decided to make her a champion.
At the age of 12, Lena won the youth national championship, then the International Artistic Gymnastics Tournament for the prize of the Moscow News newspaper.
Thanks to these two victories, Lena was invited to play for the national team.
A year later, the European Championship was held, at which Elena was able to impress all experts and spectators - she was the first in the history of figure skating to perform three triple jumps in one program, made a combination of a double flip and a triple sheepskin coat.
Elena performed many elements in her sport for the first time in history, this makes her stand out among all other skaters. In addition, she was the youngest athlete ever to compete at the highest level.
In 1976, the figure skater won the championship of the Soviet Union.
At the European Championships in 1978, she received the first bronze medal for Soviet figure skaters in single skating.
She could have continued to win, but a series of victories was stopped by her disease - rheumatoid polyarthritis, which she inherited and aggravated due to constant exposure to the cold. Lena went to the hospital three times a year, but she did not want to stop training - she worked through pain.
In 1982, the girl returned to the rink, won 3rd place in the continental championship, in 1983 she receivedbronze medal at the World Championships.
In 1984, the athlete competed at the Olympic Games in Sarajevo. This was her last performance as a figure skater, which was a big blow for a girl who passionately loved figure skating. She graduated from the Institute of Physical Education and decided to devote herself to coaching in order to somehow be closer to the ice.
Private life
In 1984, Elena met former skater Sergei Buyanov and soon married him. Three years later, the couple had a son, who was named Ivan.
At the time of their acquaintance Elena was 18 years old, Sergey - 26. At that time he had already left the sport, became the director of a store that sold various cinema accessories and filmstrips.
Elena Buyanova lost the opportunity to compete, but became a good wife and mother.
The former figure skater may well not work anymore, but the skating rink is her life and she can't live a day without it.
If Elena Buyanova has any problems, she always turns to her husband first.
There are rumors that Sergei cheated on his wife with coach Eteri Tutberidze and her daughter is Buyanov's daughter. Elena did not take dirty linen out of the hut, she ordered her husband to make a choice between her and her mistress. Sergei decided to stay in the family. How true these rumors are is unknown, since neither side has made any statements.
Son Ivan played football professionally as a child, but he did not go into big-time sports - he decided to deal with the economy and entered the financialacademy.
Elena Buyanova now
They say that she is a coach from God.
Elena, smiling, says that all her students are much more talented than herself. After all, she only knew how to jump well. Among her pupils: Olympic champion Adelina Sotnikova, Russian championship medalist Maria Sotskova, Olympic medalist Denis Ten and other equally famous figure skaters.
In addition to coaching at the rink, Buyanova Elena Germanovna is the head of the CSKA figure skating team. Elena is deeply immersed in administrative work and is quite satisfied with her activities.
In 2013, Elena was awarded the Order of Friendship, and in 2014 - the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, IV degree.
