Alexei Tikhonov

Alexei Vladimirovich Tikhonov (Russian: Алексей Владимирович Тихонов; born 1 November 1971) is a Russian pair skater. With partner Maria Petrova, he is the 2000 World champion and a two-time (1999, 2000) European champion.

In this name that follows Eastern Slavic naming conventions, the patronymic is Vladimirovich and the family name is Tikhonov.

Alexei Tikhonov
Tikhonov in 2005.
Full nameAlexei Vladimirovich Tikhonov
Born (1971-11-01) 1 November 1971
Samara, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Height1.87 m (6 ft 1+1⁄2 in)
Figure skating career
Country Russia
PartnerMaria Petrova
Skating clubYubileyny Sport Club
Began skating1975
Retired2007
Medal record
Representing  Russia
Pairs' Figure skating
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2000 NicePairs
Silver medal – second place 2005 MoscowPairs
Bronze medal – third place 2003 Washington, D.C.Pairs
Bronze medal – third place 2006 CalgaryPairs
European Championships
Gold medal – first place 1999 PraguePairs
Gold medal – first place 2000 ViennaPairs
Silver medal – second place 2004 BudapestPairs
Silver medal – second place 2007 WarsawPairs
Bronze medal – third place 2002 LausannePairs
Bronze medal – third place 2003 MalmöPairs
Bronze medal – third place 2005 TurinPairs
Bronze medal – third place 2006 LyonPairs
Grand Prix Final
Silver medal – second place 2004-05 BeijingPairs
Bronze medal – third place 1998-99 Saint PetersburgPairs
Bronze medal – third place 2002-03 Saint PetersburgPairs
Bronze medal – third place 2003-04 Colorado SpringsPairs
World Junior Championships
Silver medal – second place 1997 SeoulPairs

Career

Tikhonov began skating in his hometown, Samara.[1] Initially a singles skater, he switched to pairs at 15 and a half.[2]

Tikhonov first competed with partner Irina Saifutdinova for the Soviet Union and, after the dissolution, for Russia. They won the bronze medal at the 1989 World Junior Figure Skating Championships for the Soviet Union. Their partnership ended when she decided to get married and leave the sport.[2]

He teamed up with Japanese pair skater Yukiko Kawasaki and competed with her representing Japan. Kawasaki and Tikhonov were two-time Japanese national champions. They competed internationally together, winning the bronze medal at the 1993 NHK Trophy and placing 15th at the 1994 World Championships. He said, "I stayed [in Japan] for two years, but I was alone in my apartment. I used to go to the Russian Embassy just to talk to people. I tried to learn some Japanese but it was very hard."[2]

Tikhonov spent the next five years skating in various ice shows in the U.K. and Florida, including shows led by Tatiana Tarasova and Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean.[2] He started to miss competitive skating and when Maria Petrova's coach called, he agreed to compete with her.[2] They teamed up in the summer of 1998.[1][3] Petrova was a former World Junior champion with Anton Sikharulidze.

Petrova and Tikhonov won the World Championship in 2000. They placed 6th at the 2002 Winter Olympics and 5th at the 2006 Games. They won a silver medal at the 2005 Worlds, and a bronze in 2006.

Petrova and Tikhonov announced they would retire after the 2006 Worlds, but at the request of the Russian Skating Federation they later agreed to remain eligible for another year. During their final season, they finished 6th at the Grand Prix Final, and withdrew from the World Championships due to injury.

Petrova and Tikhonov trained in Saint Petersburg with Ludmila Velikova.[2] After retiring from competition, they performed in ice shows, including Russian television projects.[4]

Personal life

Tikhonov was born to parents Vladimir and Larisa.[5] In addition to skating together, Petrova and Tikhonov are also an off-ice couple.[5] On 1 February 2010, she gave birth to their first child, a daughter named Polina.[6][7] The family lives in Moscow region.[8]

Tikhonov is godfather to Alexei Urmanov's twins.[9]

Programs

(with Petrova)

Season Short program Free skating Exhibition
2006–2007
[3]
2005–2006
[10][11]
  • Sarabande
    by George Frideric Handel
    (modern arrangement)
  • Fellini soundtracks
2004–2005
[9][12]
  • The Circus Princess
    by Emmerich Kalman
2003–2004
[13][14]
  • Music
    by Baxter
2002–2003
[2][15][16]
2001–2002
[14][17][18]
2000–2001
[14][19]
  • Russian Fantasie
1999–2000
[14]
  • Mr. Bureaucrat (film soundtrack)
1998–1999
[14]

Competitive highlights

With Saifutdinova for the Soviet Union
Event 1988–1989
Junior Worlds3rd

With Kawasaki for Japan
International
Event 1992–1993 1993–1994
World Championships15th
Nations Cup4th
NHK Trophy3rd
Piruetten6th
National
Japan Championships1st1st

With Petrova for Russia
Results[3][10][12][13][17][19]
International
Event 1998–99 1999–00 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07
Olympics6th5th
Worlds4th1st4th4th3rd4th2nd3rdWD
Europeans1st1st†4th3rd3rd2nd3rd3rd2nd
Grand Prix Final3rd4th5th5th3rd3rd2nd4th6th
GP Bompard2nd1st
GP Cup of China3rd1st
GP Cup of Russia1st2nd2nd2nd
GP NHK Trophy5th1st3rd4th1st1st
GP Skate America2nd
GP Skate Canada2nd3rd2nd
GP Sparkassen/Bofrost1st1st2nd3rd4th
Goodwill Games3rd
National
Russian Champ.2nd2nd2nd3rd2nd2nd2nd1st
GP = Grand Prix; WD = Withdrew
†Pairs champions Elena Berezhnaya / Anton Sikharulidze were stripped of their title.

References
  1. Kempf, Susanne (2005). "Always Home at St. Petersburg". Absolute Skating.
  2. Mittan, Barry (3 June 2003). "Maria Petrova and Alexei Tikhonov: Different Personalities Work for Petrova and Tikhonov". GoldenSkate. Retrieved 12 April 2011.
  3. "Maria PETROVA / Alexei TIKHONOV: 2006/2007". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 26 August 2007.
  4. Kozhina, Natalia (16 November 2012). Алексей Тихонов: "Дочку тренировать не буду" [Alexei Tikhonov: "I won't coach my daughter"]. Argumenty i Fakty (in Russian).
  5. Alexeyeva, Anna (29 December 2012). "Я танцую… со Змеей!" [I dance... with a snake!]. Nash Krasnoyarskiy Kray (in Russian).
  6. Фигуристка Мария Петрова родила дочь [Skater Maria Petrova gave birth to daughter] (in Russian). dni.ru. 3 February 2010. Retrieved 22 October 2010.
  7. "Мария Петрова и Алексей Тихонов стали родителями" [Maria Petrova and Alexei Tikhonov became parents]. petrova-tikhonov.ru (in Russian). 1 February 2010. Archived from the original on 12 April 2010. Retrieved 19 April 2010.
  8. Plakhtina, Elina (December 2012). Лед и пламень в своем загородном доме [Ice and fire in the country house]. Дайджест недвижимости (Real Estate Digest) (in Russian). Archived from the original on 10 January 2013.
  9. Mittan, Barry (27 March 2005). "Veteran Russian Pair Makes Final Olympic Run". Skate Today. Archived from the original on 11 April 2012.
  10. "Maria PETROVA / Alexei TIKHONOV: 2005/2006". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 3 July 2006.
  11. "Maria PETROVA / Alexei TIKHONOV: 2005/2006". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 29 October 2005.
  12. "Maria PETROVA / Alexei TIKHONOV: 2004/2005". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 14 June 2005.
  13. "Maria PETROVA / Alexei TIKHONOV: 2003/2004". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 3 June 2004.
  14. "Programs". Petrova-Tikhonov.com. Archived from the original on 21 July 2011.
  15. "Maria PETROVA / Alexei TIKHONOV: 2002/2003". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 25 June 2003.
  16. "Maria PETROVA / Alexei TIKHONOV: 2002/2003". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 24 January 2003.
  17. "Maria PETROVA / Alexei TIKHONOV: 2001/2002". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 3 February 2002.
  18. "Maria PETROVA / Alexei TIKHONOV: 2001/2002". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 24 December 2001.
  19. "Maria PETROVA / Alexei TIKHONOV: 2000/2001". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 20 April 2001.
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