Alexander Abt
Encyclopedia
Alexander "Sasha" Viktorovich Abt (born October 22, 1976 in Moscow
) is a Russia
n figure skater
and coach. He competed as an elite senior skater for about ten years. He placed fifth at the 2002 Winter Olympics
.
; however, Volkov was suffering from cancer and sent Abt to be trained by Rafael Arutunian
before he died. Soon after, Abt began to make a name for himself on the junior circuit, placing second at the 1991 Junior World Championships.
His early career was hindered by a series of injuries, including two knee surgeries, and the most serious injury which took place in 1996, while performing at a rink in Mexico
, Abt crashed into the boards, causing his skate blade to cut into his leg's quadriceps muscle, forcing Abt into the hospital
for several weeks and off the ice for six months as he faced an uncertain future.
In 1998, Abt placed fourth in Olympic
trials despite skating what many considered to be a stronger free skate than Alexei Yagudin
, who made the Olympic team instead. Later that year, Abt won his first medal at the European Figure Skating Championships
, coming in third behind fellow countrymen Yagudin and Evgeni Plushenko
. Over the next few years Abt continued to hone his style, as he became well known throughout the skating world for his deep edges, knee bends, elegant stroking and musicality. However, Abt also continually had to compete with Yagudin and Plushenko, both of whom possessed an arsenal of very difficult jumps.
Abt won the silver medal at the 2002 European Championships, and came in fifth at the 2002 Winter Olympics
. He intended to retire following that season, but instead elected to continue competing and began working with a new coach, Alexander Zhulin
. This change proved a success, and Abt won three Grand Prix medals, as well as his first (and only) Russian Championship in the 2002-3 season.
However, Abt continued to suffer from repeated injuries and illnesses. He was forced to withdraw from the 2003 European Championships after injuring his landing ankle in practice a day before he was supposed to fly out, and took several months to recover. The last time he skated competitively was at the 2004 Russian Championships, where he withdrew after placing fourth in the short program. Shortly after, Abt became a professional skater. He also took part in the Russian TV show Ice Age (2008), got one of the main roles in a Russian soap opera about figure skating My Hot Ice (2008–2009).
Elena Pavlova. They have one son, Makar, born in March 2000. The family now resides in New Jersey, in the United States, where Abt and Pavlova coach at a local rink. Abt stays busy as a professional skater touring in Japan for Prince Ice World and in Russia on the Ice Symphony tour. Pavlova previously competed with her twin brother Alexander Pavlov, who now competes internationally for Australia.
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
) is a Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n figure skater
Figure skating
Figure skating is an Olympic sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform spins, jumps, footwork and other intricate and challenging moves on ice skates. Figure skaters compete at various levels from beginner up to the Olympic level , and at local, national, and international competitions...
and coach. He competed as an elite senior skater for about ten years. He placed fifth at the 2002 Winter Olympics
Figure skating at the 2002 Winter Olympics
-Full Results:Referee:* Sally-Anne StaplefordAssistant Referee:* Junko HiramatsuJudges: Wendy Langton Merja Kosonen Janet Allen Nicolae Bellu Yuri Kliushnikov Volker Waldeck Alexander Penchev Mieko Fujimori Evgenia Bogdanova Jarmila Portová -Ladies:Hughes, fourth after the technical program, skated...
.
Career
Abt's first experience with figure skating came at the age of six when his grandmother first took him to a figure skating rink. He first began training with Sergei VolkovSergey Nikolayevich Volkov
Sergey Nikolayevich Volkov was a Soviet figure skater and an Honored Sports Master who he debuted in 1968 European Championship and won the 12th place....
; however, Volkov was suffering from cancer and sent Abt to be trained by Rafael Arutunian
Rafael Arutunian
Rafael Vladimirovich Arutunian is an Armenian figure skating coach. He is a former Soviet national competitor.Among his current and former students are Jeffrey Buttle, Mao Asada, Mai Asada, Michelle Kwan, Sasha Cohen, Alexander Abt, Sergei Voronov, Alexander Shubin, Ivan Dinev, and fellow Armenian...
before he died. Soon after, Abt began to make a name for himself on the junior circuit, placing second at the 1991 Junior World Championships.
His early career was hindered by a series of injuries, including two knee surgeries, and the most serious injury which took place in 1996, while performing at a rink in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, Abt crashed into the boards, causing his skate blade to cut into his leg's quadriceps muscle, forcing Abt into the hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
for several weeks and off the ice for six months as he faced an uncertain future.
In 1998, Abt placed fourth in Olympic
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
trials despite skating what many considered to be a stronger free skate than Alexei Yagudin
Alexei Yagudin
Alexei Konstantinovich Yagudin is a former Russian figure skater. His major achievements in his six years of eligible sports career include:*2002 Olympic Champion*Four-time World Champion...
, who made the Olympic team instead. Later that year, Abt won his first medal at the European Figure Skating Championships
European Figure Skating Championships
The European Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition in which figure skaters compete for the title of European Champion...
, coming in third behind fellow countrymen Yagudin and Evgeni Plushenko
Evgeni Plushenko
Evgeni Viktorovich Plushenko is a Russian figure skater. He is the 2006 Winter Olympics Gold Medalist, 2002 Winter Olympics Silver Medalist, and 2010 Winter Olympics Silver Medalist, three-time World Champion, six-time European Champion, a four-time Grand Prix Final champion and an eight-time...
. Over the next few years Abt continued to hone his style, as he became well known throughout the skating world for his deep edges, knee bends, elegant stroking and musicality. However, Abt also continually had to compete with Yagudin and Plushenko, both of whom possessed an arsenal of very difficult jumps.
Abt won the silver medal at the 2002 European Championships, and came in fifth at the 2002 Winter Olympics
Figure skating at the 2002 Winter Olympics
-Full Results:Referee:* Sally-Anne StaplefordAssistant Referee:* Junko HiramatsuJudges: Wendy Langton Merja Kosonen Janet Allen Nicolae Bellu Yuri Kliushnikov Volker Waldeck Alexander Penchev Mieko Fujimori Evgenia Bogdanova Jarmila Portová -Ladies:Hughes, fourth after the technical program, skated...
. He intended to retire following that season, but instead elected to continue competing and began working with a new coach, Alexander Zhulin
Alexander Zhulin
Alexander Viacheslavovich Zhulin is a retired Russian ice dancer who represented the Soviet Union, the Unified Team, and Russia. With Maya Usova, he is the 1993 World champion, 1994 Olympic silver medalist, and 1992 Olympic bronze medalist....
. This change proved a success, and Abt won three Grand Prix medals, as well as his first (and only) Russian Championship in the 2002-3 season.
However, Abt continued to suffer from repeated injuries and illnesses. He was forced to withdraw from the 2003 European Championships after injuring his landing ankle in practice a day before he was supposed to fly out, and took several months to recover. The last time he skated competitively was at the 2004 Russian Championships, where he withdrew after placing fourth in the short program. Shortly after, Abt became a professional skater. He also took part in the Russian TV show Ice Age (2008), got one of the main roles in a Russian soap opera about figure skating My Hot Ice (2008–2009).
Personal life
In 1999, Abt married former ice dancerIce dancing
Ice dancing is a form of figure skating which draws from the world of ballroom dancing. It was first competed at the World Figure Skating Championships in 1952, but did not become a Winter Olympic Games medal sport until 1976....
Elena Pavlova. They have one son, Makar, born in March 2000. The family now resides in New Jersey, in the United States, where Abt and Pavlova coach at a local rink. Abt stays busy as a professional skater touring in Japan for Prince Ice World and in Russia on the Ice Symphony tour. Pavlova previously competed with her twin brother Alexander Pavlov, who now competes internationally for Australia.
Programs
| Season | Short program | Free skating | Exhibition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003-2004 | Yablochko (Russian Sailor Dance from the ballet "The Red Poppy The Red Poppy The Red Poppy or sometimes The Red Flower is a ballet in three acts and an apotheosis; score written by Reinhold Glière and a scenario by Mikhail Kurilko. This ballet was created in 1927 as the first Soviet ballet with a modern revolutionary theme.... ") by Reinhold Glière Reinhold Glière Reinhold Moritzevich Glière was a Russian and Soviet composer of German–Polish descent.- Biography :Glière was born in Kiev, Ukraine... |
Nyah (Flamenco) from Mission Impossible 2 soundtrack Mission: Impossible II (soundtrack) Music from and Inspired by Mission: Impossible II is the Soundtrack for the movie Mission: Impossible II.- Track listing :# Limp Bizkit – "Take a Look Around"# Metallica – "I Disappear"# Rob Zombie – "Scum of the Earth"... by Hans Zimmer Hans Zimmer Hans Florian Zimmer is a German film composer and music producer. He has composed music for over 100 films, including critically acclaimed film scores for The Lion King , Crimson Tide , The Thin Red Line , Gladiator , The Dark Knight and Inception .Zimmer spent the early part of his career in the... |
|
| 2001-2002 | Artsakh Artsakh Artsakh was the tenth province of the Kingdom of Armenia from 189 BC until 387 AD and afterwards a region of Caucasian Albania from 387 to the 7th century. From the 7th to 9th centuries, it fell under Arab control... by Ara Gevorgian |
Piano Concerto No.2 Op.18 Piano Concerto No. 2 (Rachmaninoff) The Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18, is a concerto for piano and orchestra composed by Sergei Rachmaninoff between the autumn of 1900 and April 1901. The second and third movements were first performed with the composer as soloist on 2 December 1900... III. Allegro Scherzando & Piano Concerto No.3 Op.30 Piano Concerto No. 3 (Rachmaninoff) The Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor, Op. 30, composed in 1909 by Sergei Rachmaninoff is famous for its technical and musical demands on the performer... III. Finale Alla Breve by Sergei Rachmaninoff Sergei Rachmaninoff Sergei Vasilievich Rachmaninoff was a Russian composer, pianist, and conductor. Rachmaninoff is widely considered one of the finest pianists of his day and, as a composer, one of the last great representatives of Romanticism in Russian classical music... |
Wonderful World |
Results
| Event | 1990-91 | 1992-93 | 1993-94 | 1994-95 | 1995-96 | 1996-97 | 1997-98 | 1998-99 | 1999-00 | 2000-01 | 2001-02 | 2002-03 | 2003-04 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Olympic Games Winter Olympic Games The Winter Olympic Games is a sporting event, which occurs every four years. The first celebration of the Winter Olympics was held in Chamonix, France, in 1924. The original sports were alpine and cross-country skiing, figure skating, ice hockey, Nordic combined, ski jumping and speed skating... |
5th | ||||||||||||
| World Championships World Figure Skating Championships The World Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union in which elite figure skaters compete for the title of World Champion... |
6th | 8th | 4th | ||||||||||
| World Junior Championships World Junior Figure Skating Championships The World Junior Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union in which younger figure skaters compete for the title of World Junior Champion... |
2nd | 7th | 8th | ||||||||||
| European Championships European Figure Skating Championships The European Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition in which figure skaters compete for the title of European Champion... |
3rd | 4th | 4th | 2nd | WD | ||||||||
| Russian Championships Russian Figure Skating Championships The Russian Figure Skating Championships are a figure skating national championship held annually to determine the national champions of Russia. Skaters compete at the senior level in the disciplines of men's singles, ladies singles, pair skating, and ice dancing.The first Russian national... |
4th | 4th | 18th | 7th | 4th | 3rd | 3rd | 2nd | 1st | WD | |||
| Soviet Junior Championships | 1st | ||||||||||||
| Grand Prix Final Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final The Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final is an international, senior-level figure skating competition. It is the culmination of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating series. Skaters compete in men's singles, ladies' singles, pair skating, and ice dancing.... |
5th | 4th | 4th | ||||||||||
| Skate America Skate America Skate America is an international, senior-level figure skating competition held as part of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating series. It is organized by the United States Figure Skating Association. The location changes yearly... |
3rd | 3rd | 7th | 5th | 3rd | 2nd | |||||||
| Bofrost Cup on Ice Bofrost Cup on Ice The Bofrost Cup on Ice was a figure skating competition held in Germany between 1986 and 2004. It was part of the Grand Prix series until 2003, when it was replaced by Cup of China. Following being booted out of the Grand Prix series, a new form of competition was introduced to the Bofrost Cup... |
3rd | 2nd | 4th | 4th | 2nd | ||||||||
| Cup of Russia Cup of Russia The Cup of Russia is an international, senior-level figure skating competition held as part of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating series. Figure skaters compete in the disciplines of ladies' singles, men's singles, pair skating, and ice dancing. It was held as the Rostelecom Cup in 2009 after... |
3rd | 2nd | 3rd | 6th | |||||||||
| NHK Trophy NHK Trophy The NHK Trophy is an international, senior-level figure skating competition held as part of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating series. Figure skaters compete in the disciplines of ladies' singles, men's singles, pair skating, and ice dancing.... |
8th | 5th | |||||||||||
| Nebelhorn Trophy Nebelhorn Trophy The Nebelhorn Trophy is an international senior-level figure skating competition organized by the Deutsche Eislauf-Union and held annually in Oberstdorf, Germany. The competition is named after the Nebelhorn, a nearby mountain.... |
3rd | 3rd |