Albena Denkova facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Albena Denkova
Albena Denkova and Maxim Staviski at the 2004 Worlds.
Personal information
Country represented	Bulgaria
Born	(1974-12-03) 3 December 1974 (age 50) Sofia, Bulgarian People's Republic
Height	1.65 m (5 ft 5 in)
Partner	Maxim Staviski Hristo Nikolov (formerly)
Coach	Natalia Linichuk, Gennadi Karponosov, Alexei Gorshkov (all formerly) Sergei Petukhov, Natalia Linichuk (choreographers, both formerly)
Skating club	SC Ice Dance Denkova/Staviski
Began skating	1982
Retired	2007
Medal record Figure skating Ice dancing Representing  Bulgaria World Championships Gold 2006 Calgary Ice dancing Gold 2007 Tokyo Ice dancing Silver 2004 Dortmund Ice dancing Bronze 2003 Washington, D.C. Ice dancing European Championships Silver 2003 Malmo Ice dancing Silver 2004 Budapest Ice dancing Bronze 2007 Warsaw Ice dancing Grand Prix Final Gold 2006–07 St. Petersburg Ice dancing Silver 2003–04 Colorado Sp Ice dancing Bronze 2004–05 St. Petersburg Ice dancing Bronze 2002–03 Beijing Ice dancing

Albena Petrova Denkova (born December 3, 1974) is a famous Bulgarian ice dancer. She is best known for her amazing performances with her partner and fiancé Maxim Staviski. Together, they achieved many firsts for Bulgaria in figure skating.

Albena and Maxim became two-time World champions in 2006 and 2007. They also won silver medals twice at the European Championships in 2003 and 2004. In 2006, they won the Grand Prix Final. They were the first skaters from Bulgaria to win a medal at the World Figure Skating Championships.

Albena's Early Skating Journey

Albena Denkova started her athletic life as a gymnast when she was just four years old. She loved sports from a young age. Around age eight or nine, she switched to figure skating. When she was 12, she found her passion in ice dancing.

Her first ice dance partner was Hristo Nikolov. They skated together for a while. However, they had different goals for their skating careers. Because of this, they decided to go their separate ways.

Partnering with Maxim Staviski

In 1996, Albena found a new partner, Maxim Staviski. They had a successful tryout in Moscow. Maxim then moved to Sofia, Bulgaria, to skate with her. They quickly became a strong team on the ice. Soon after, they also became a couple in their personal lives.

In September 2000, Albena and Maxim started training in two places. They split their time between Sofia and Odintsovo, near Moscow, Russia. There, they worked with coach Alexei Gorshkov and choreographer Sergei Petukhov.

Challenges and Triumphs

Albena and Maxim faced some tough times during their career. They had to withdraw from the 2000 European Championships because Maxim got sick. At the 2000 World Championships, Albena had a serious injury. Another skater's blade accidentally cut her leg. This injury was so bad that she couldn't walk for three months. It took a lot of hard work to recover.

Despite these challenges, they kept pushing forward. In 2001, they both got the flu before the European Championships. Even with Albena's leg still swelling, they competed and finished 8th. This was their best result at that time.

Making History for Bulgaria

Albena and Maxim started making history for Bulgaria in 2003. They won a silver medal at the 2003 European Figure Skating Championships. This was the first time any Bulgarian skaters won a medal at an ISU Championship.

Later that year, they won a bronze medal at the 2003 World Figure Skating Championships. This made them the first Bulgarians to win a medal at the World Championships. The next season, they continued their success. They won another silver medal at the 2004 Europeans. Then, they became World silver medalists at the 2004 World Figure Skating Championships.

In 2004–05, they moved to Newark, Delaware, U.S. There, they trained with new coaches, Natalia Linichuk and Gennadi Karponosov. They competed in their third Olympics, finishing 5th. At the 2006 World Figure Skating Championships, they achieved their biggest dream. They became the first Bulgarians to win a World gold medal in figure skating!

Later Career and Retirement

In October 2006, Albena Denkova was chosen as the President of the Bulgarian Skating Federation. This showed her leadership skills off the ice.

The 2006–07 season was another amazing year for them. They won gold at the 2006–2007 Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final. They also earned a bronze medal at the 2007 Europeans. And for the second year in a row, they won gold at the 2007 World Figure Skating Championships.

Their achievements were recognized in Bulgaria. In April 2007, they received the Stara Planina Order. This is Bulgaria's highest award. They also got a star on Bulgaria's Walk of Fame.

In 2007, an unfortunate event involving Maxim Staviski led to their decision to retire from competitive skating. Even though they stopped competing, they continued to perform in ice shows around the world. They also worked as choreographers for other skaters, including Brian Joubert.

Albena and Maxim opened their own skating school in Sofia, Bulgaria. It is called SC Ice Dance Denkova/Staviski. They wanted to help new skaters in Bulgaria. They have also appeared on the Russian TV show Ice Age.

Albena's Personal Life

Albena Denkova and Maxim Staviski are engaged to be married. They have a son named Daniel, who was born on January 30, 2011. Albena also has a younger half-sister, Ina Demireva, who is also an ice dancer. Her brother-in-law is the solo skater Andrei Lutai. Albena studied economics at Sofia University.

Competitive Highlights

Denkova / Staviski at the 2004 Worlds medal ceremony in Dortmund.

Denkova / Staviski at the 2007 European Championships in Warsaw.

With Staviski

With Nikolov