Alexander Zaitsev (pair skater)

Alexander Gennadyevich Zaitsev (Russian: Александр Геннадьевич Зайцев, born 16 June 1952 in Leningrad) is a retired pair skater who represented the Soviet Union. With partner Irina Rodnina, he is a two-time (1976, 1980) Olympic champion, six-time World champion and seven-time European champion. They were coached by Stanislav Zhuk and later Tatiana Tarasova in Moscow.

For other people with the same name, see Alexander Zaitsev.
Alexander Zaitsev
Full nameAlexander Gennadyevich Zaitsev
Born (1952-06-16) 16 June 1952
Leningrad, RSFSR, Soviet Union
Height5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)[1]
Figure skating career
CountrySoviet Union
Retired1980
Medal record
Figure skating: Pairs
Representing the  Soviet Union
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 1980 Lake Placid Pairs
Gold medal – first place 1976 Innsbruck Pairs
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 1978 Ottawa Pairs
Gold medal – first place 1977 Tokyo Pairs
Gold medal – first place 1976 Gothenburg Pairs
Gold medal – first place 1975 Colorado Springs Pairs
Gold medal – first place 1974 Munich Pairs
Gold medal – first place 1973 Bratislava Pairs
European Championships
Gold medal – first place 1980 Gothenburg Pairs
Gold medal – first place 1978 Strasbourg Pairs
Gold medal – first place 1977 Helsinki Pairs
Gold medal – first place 1976 Geneva Pairs
Gold medal – first place 1975 Copenhagen Pairs
Gold medal – first place 1974 Zagreb Pairs
Gold medal – first place 1973 Cologne Pairs

From 1973 to 1980 they won every event they entered and are, to date, the most decorated pair team of all time.

Career

In April 1972, Zaitsev was recommended by Stanislav Zhuk to Irina Rodnina as a potential partner. She was already a four-time World champion and 1972 Olympic gold medalist with her previous partner Alexei Ulanov, who had left her to skate with Lyudmila Smirnova. Zaitsev was three years younger than Rodnina and was much less seasoned but learned quickly. He was from Leningrad (Saint Petersburg) while she was from Moscow.

Rodnina / Zaitsev's music stopped during their short program at the 1973 World Championships, possibly due to a Czech worker acting in retaliation for the suppression of the Prague Spring.[2][3] Known for intense concentration, they finished the program in silence, earning a standing ovation and a gold medal upon completion,[4] ahead of Smirnova / Ulanov, whom they again defeated in 1974.

In 1974, Rodnina / Zaitsev left Zhuk, with whom the working relationship had become strained,[3] to train with Tatiana Tarasova. They won six consecutive World titles together, as well as seven European gold medals, and won their first Olympic title together in 1976. Rodnina / Zaitsev did not compete during the 1978–79 season because she was pregnant with their son, who was born on February 23, 1979.[3] They returned in 1980 to capture their second Olympic title together and Rodnina's third. They then retired from competitive skating. In 2023, Zaitsev's medal for the 1980 Olympics was sold at the RR Auction auction house for $93,000 (including the buyer's premium). Zaitsev himself said that he had nothing to do with the sale, the medal was kept by the parents of his ex-wife.[5][6]

After retiring from competition, Zaitsev became a coach and for a time was involved in the administration of the sport.

Personal life

Rodnina and Zaitsev were married in April 1975. Their son, also named Alexander, was born in 1979. The pair later divorced.

Results

Pairs with Irina Rodnina

Event 1972–73 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80
Winter Olympics1st1st
World Championships1st1st1st1st1st1st
European Championships1st1st1st1st1st1st1st
Soviet Championships1st1st1st1st
Prize of Moscow News1st

See also

References
  1. Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Alexander Zaitsev". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 2020-04-17.
  2. Srebnitskaya, Daria (September 10, 2009). Роднина - это эпоха [Rodnina – an era]. russianews.ru (in Russian). Archived from the original on January 19, 2003. Retrieved May 6, 2011.
  3. Pushkina, Oksana (October 3, 2004). Ирина Константиновна Роднина [Irina Konstantinovna Rodnina]. peoples.ru (in Russian). Archived from the original on 6 June 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  4. Encyclopædia Britannica: Irina Rodnina
  5. "Одна из величайших медалей нашего спорта продана с аукциона в США. Почему ее очень жаль?". Sport Express (in Russian). 2023-07-23.
  6. "Lake Placid 1980 Winter Olympics Gold Winner's Medal for Pairs Figure Skating". RR Auction. 2023-07-20.
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