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. With her skating partner and fiance, Maxim Staviski, she achieved amazing success. They won the World Figure Skating Championships twice, in 2006 and 2007. They also won two silver medals at the European Figure Skating Championships in 2003 and 2004. In 2006, they became champions at the Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final. Albena and Maxim were the first skaters from Bulgaria to win a medal at the World Championships.

Skating Career Highlights

Albena Denkova started her journey as a gymnast when she was only four years old. She then switched to figure skating around age 8 or 9. When she was 12, she began ice dancing. Her first ice dance partner was Hristo Nikolov. They later went their separate ways because they had different goals.

Partnering with Maxim Staviski

In 1996, Albena found a new partner, Maxim Staviski, during a tryout in Moscow. Maxim moved to Sofia, Bulgaria, to skate with her. Soon, they became a couple off the ice too! In September 2000, they started splitting their training time between Sofia and a town near Moscow, Russia. There, they worked with coach Alexei Gorshkov.

Albena and Maxim faced some challenges early on. They had to pull out of the 2000 European Championships because Maxim got sick. Later that year, at the 2000 World Championships, Albena had a bad accident during practice. Her leg was injured, making it hard for her to walk for three months. Despite this, she worked hard to return to skating.

Earning Medals and World Titles

In 2003, Albena and Maxim won a silver medal at the European Championships. This was a historic moment, as they were the first Bulgarian skaters to win a medal at an international skating championship. They then made history again by winning a bronze medal at the World Championships that same year.

The next season was also very successful. They won another silver medal at the European Championships. Then, they earned a silver medal at the World Championships.

After the 2005 season, they decided to change coaches. They moved to the U.S. to train with Natalia Linichuk and Gennadi Karponosov. At the 2006 World Championships, they achieved their biggest dream: they won the gold medal! They were the first Bulgarians to become World Champions in figure skating.

In October 2006, Albena was chosen to be the President of the Bulgarian Skating Federation. This was a big honor!

The 2006–2007 season was another golden year for them. They won gold at the Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final, a bronze at the European Figure Skating Championships, and another gold at the World Championships. Because of their amazing achievements, they received Bulgaria's highest award, the Stara Planina Order, in April 2007. They also got a star on Bulgaria's Walk of Fame.

After Competitive Skating

In October 2007, Maxim decided to retire from competitive skating. This meant Albena also had to retire from competing. However, they continued to perform in skating shows around the world. They also worked as choreographers, helping other skaters create their routines.

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

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