Elena Bechke
Encyclopedia
Elena Yurievna Bechke ' onMouseout='HidePop("25788")' href="/topics/Saint_Petersburg">Saint Petersburg
, Russia
) is a Russian pair skater
. She competed for the Soviet Union
, the Commonwealth of Independent States
, and the Unified Team
. With partner Denis Petrov
, she is the 1992 Olympic silver medalist
, the 1989 World bronze medalist
, and the 1991 & 1992 European silver medalist
.
from 1983 to 1987. One of their notable competitions was the 1986 European Championships
, where they won the bronze.
Bechke and Denis Petrov
began skating together in 1987, and trained with the legendary Russian pairs coach Tamara Moskvina
. Their first win was at the 1988 Trophée Lalique. They went on to win the bronze medal at the 1989 World Championships
, silver medals at the 1991 and 1992 European Championships, and the silver medal at the 1992 Olympic Games
. They retired from amateur competition after the Winter Olympics.
Bechke and Petrov competed for several years as professionals. They won the World Professional Championships in 1996, as well as a number of other professional competitions in the mid- and late-1990s. They placed second at their last World Professional Championships, in 1999.
They toured with Stars on Ice
for seven years (1994–2000), and also coached together in Virginia. Bechke retired from skating after the 1999–2000 season, while Petrov continued to skate.
Bechke was remarried to Wayne Ellis and their son was born in 2002. As of 2009, she is a coach in North Carolina.
(with Kornienko)
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
, 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...
) is a Russian pair skater
Pair skating
Pair skating is a figure skating discipline. International Skating Union regulations describe pair teams as consisting of "one lady and one man." The sport is distinguished from ice dancing and single skating by elements unique to pair skating, including overhead lifts, twist lifts, death spirals,...
. She competed for the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, the Commonwealth of Independent States
Commonwealth of Independent States
The Commonwealth of Independent States is a regional organization whose participating countries are former Soviet Republics, formed during the breakup of the Soviet Union....
, and the Unified Team
Unified Team
The Unified Team was the name used for the sports team of the former Soviet Union at the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville and the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. The IOC country code was EUN, after the French name, Équipe Unifiée...
. With partner Denis Petrov
Denis Petrov
Denis Alekseyevich Petrov is a Russian pair skater who competed for the Soviet Union, the Commonwealth of Independent States, and the Unified Team...
, she is the 1992 Olympic silver medalist
Figure skating at the 1992 Winter Olympics
Referee:* Benjamin T. WrightAssistant Referee:* Monique GeorgelinJudges: Reinhard Mirmseker Mary Pearson Yang Jiasheng Monique Petis Mieko Fujimori Ingelise Blangsted Igor Prokop Vanessa Riley* Marina Sanaya Maragaret Ann Wier...
, the 1989 World bronze medalist
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...
, and the 1991 & 1992 European silver medalist
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...
.
Career
Bechke skated with Valery KornienkoValery Kornienko
Valery Kornienko is a former Soviet pair skater. With partner Elena Bechke, he is the 1986 European bronze medalist and 1984 Skate Canada champion. They split in 1987.- Competitive highlights :- References :* *...
from 1983 to 1987. One of their notable competitions was the 1986 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...
, where they won the bronze.
Bechke and Denis Petrov
Denis Petrov
Denis Alekseyevich Petrov is a Russian pair skater who competed for the Soviet Union, the Commonwealth of Independent States, and the Unified Team...
began skating together in 1987, and trained with the legendary Russian pairs coach Tamara Moskvina
Tamara Moskvina
Tamara Nikolayevna Moskvina , née Bratus is a Russian pair skating coach and former competitive skater. In pair skating with partner Alexei Mishin, she was the 1969 World silver medalist and Soviet national champion. In ladies singles, she was a five-time Soviet national champion...
. Their first win was at the 1988 Trophée Lalique. They went on to win the bronze medal at the 1989 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...
, silver medals at the 1991 and 1992 European Championships, and the silver medal at the 1992 Olympic Games
1992 Winter Olympics
The 1992 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVI Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 8 to 23 February 1992 in Albertville, France. They were the last Winter Olympics to be held the same year as the Summer Olympics, and the first where the Winter Paralympics...
. They retired from amateur competition after the Winter Olympics.
Bechke and Petrov competed for several years as professionals. They won the World Professional Championships in 1996, as well as a number of other professional competitions in the mid- and late-1990s. They placed second at their last World Professional Championships, in 1999.
They toured with Stars on Ice
Stars on Ice
Stars on Ice is a touring figure skating show produced by IMG. It was originally conceived in 1986 as a vehicle for IMG client Scott Hamilton, who had been released from his contract with Ice Capades, after being told that male skaters do not sell tickets...
for seven years (1994–2000), and also coached together in Virginia. Bechke retired from skating after the 1999–2000 season, while Petrov continued to skate.
Personal life
Bechke and Petrov were married in 1990, but divorced in 1995.Bechke was remarried to Wayne Ellis and their son was born in 2002. As of 2009, she is a coach in North Carolina.
Programs
(with Petrov)| Season | Short program | Long program | Exhibition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999–2000 | Eva Csárdás Csárdás Csárdás is a traditional Hungarian folk dance, the name derived from csárda . It originated in Hungary and was popularized by Roma music bands in Hungary and neighboring lands of Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Burgenland, Croatia, Ukraine, Transylvania and Moravia, as well as among the Banat... Snowstorm |
||
| 1998 | Joue Jusqu'au Matin Liebestraum Whole Lotta Love |
||
| 1996 | The Lady and the Hooligan by Dmitri Shostakovich Dmitri Shostakovich Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich was a Soviet Russian composer and one of the most celebrated composers of the 20th century.... |
||
| 1995 | Spartacus | ||
| 1994 | ? by Giuseppe Verdi Giuseppe Verdi Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi was an Italian Romantic composer, mainly of opera. He was one of the most influential composers of the 19th century... Mon cœur s'ouvre à ta voix by Camille Saint-Saëns Camille Saint-Saëns Charles-Camille Saint-Saëns was a French Late-Romantic composer, organist, conductor, and pianist. He is known especially for The Carnival of the Animals, Danse macabre, Samson and Delilah, Piano Concerto No. 2, Cello Concerto No. 1, Havanaise, Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso, and his Symphony... You Don't Bring Me Flowers by Barbra Streisand Barbra Streisand Barbra Joan Streisand is an American singer, actress, film producer and director. She has won two Academy Awards, eight Grammy Awards, four Emmy Awards, a Special Tony Award, an American Film Institute award, a Peabody Award, and is one of the few entertainers who have won an Oscar, Emmy, Grammy,... |
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| 1992–1993 | Pas de Deux Pas de deux In ballet, a pas de deux is a duet in which ballet dancers perform the dance together. It usually consists of an entrée, adagio, two variations , and a coda.-Notable Pas de deux:... from The Nutcracker The Nutcracker The Nutcracker is a two-act ballet, originally choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov with a score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The libretto is adapted from E.T.A. Hoffmann's story "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King". It was given its première at the Mariinsky Theatre in St... by Pyotr Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (Russian: Пётр Ильи́ч Чайко́вский ; often "Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky" in English. His names are also transliterated "Piotr" or "Petr"; "Ilitsch", "Il'ich" or "Illyich"; and "Tschaikowski", "Tschaikowsky", "Chajkovskij"... |
||
| 1991–1992 | Pas de Deux Pas de deux In ballet, a pas de deux is a duet in which ballet dancers perform the dance together. It usually consists of an entrée, adagio, two variations , and a coda.-Notable Pas de deux:... from The Nutcracker The Nutcracker The Nutcracker is a two-act ballet, originally choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov with a score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The libretto is adapted from E.T.A. Hoffmann's story "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King". It was given its première at the Mariinsky Theatre in St... by Pyotr Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (Russian: Пётр Ильи́ч Чайко́вский ; often "Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky" in English. His names are also transliterated "Piotr" or "Petr"; "Ilitsch", "Il'ich" or "Illyich"; and "Tschaikowski", "Tschaikowsky", "Chajkovskij"... |
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| 1990–1991 | Money Money Money performed by Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Royal Philharmonic Orchestra The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is a British orchestra based in London. It tours widely, and is sometimes referred to as "Britain's national orchestra"... |
Competitive highlights
(with Petrov)| Event | 1987–88 | 1988–89 | 1989–90 | 1990–91 | 1991–92 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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... |
2nd | ||||
| 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... |
3rd | 4th | 4th | ||
| 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... |
2nd | 2nd | |||
| Soviet Championships Soviet Figure Skating Championships The Soviet Figure Skating Championships were a figure skating national championship held annually to determine the national champions of the Soviet Union... |
4th | 4th | 4th | 3rd | 1st |
| Nations Cup 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... |
1st | ||||
| Trophée Lalique | 1st | 1st | |||
| 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.... |
2nd | ||||
| Prize of Moscow News Prize of Moscow News The Prize of Moscow News , also known as the Moscow Skate, Nouvelles de Moscou, and the Moscow News Trophy, was an international, senior-level figure skating competition held in the former Soviet Union from 1966 to 1990... |
2nd |
| Event | 1991–92 | 1992–93 | 1993–94 | 1994–95 | 1995–96 | 1996–97 | 1997–98 | 1998–99 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| World Pros World Professional Figure Skating Championships The World Professional Figure Skating Championships, often referred to as Landover, was an elite made-for-TV figure skating competition. It was created by Dick Button, a 2-time Olympic gold medalist, through his production company Candid Productions. It usually took place in December... |
2nd | 2nd | 2nd | 2nd | 1st | 2nd | ||
(with Kornienko)
| Event | 1983–84 | 1984–85 | 1985–86 | 1986–87 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | |||
| Soviet Championships Soviet Figure Skating Championships The Soviet Figure Skating Championships were a figure skating national championship held annually to determine the national champions of the Soviet Union... |
3rd | |||
| 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... |
2nd | |||
| Skate Canada International Skate Canada International The Skate Canada International is an international, senior-level invitation-only figure skating competition organized by Skate Canada. It is the second competition of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating. The location changes yearly. Medals are awarded in four disciplines: Ladies' singles, Men's... |
1st | |||
| Prize of Moscow News Prize of Moscow News The Prize of Moscow News , also known as the Moscow Skate, Nouvelles de Moscou, and the Moscow News Trophy, was an international, senior-level figure skating competition held in the former Soviet Union from 1966 to 1990... |
3rd | 3rd | 3rd | 2nd |
| Grand Prix International St. Gervais Grand Prix International St. Gervais The Grand Prix International St. Gervais was an annual senior-level international figure skating competition held in Saint-Gervais-les-Bains, France. For many years, beginning in 1969, it was paired with a similar competition in Germany, the Nebelhorn Trophy, to form a series called the Coupe des... |
1st | |||
| 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.... |
1st | |||
| Winter Universiade Figure skating at the Winter Universiade Figure skating is a part of the Winter Universiade. It was first held as part of the Universiade in 1960.-Men's singles:- Ladies singles :- Pair skating :- Ice dancing :-References:* -External links:*... |
2nd |