Evgeni Platov facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Evgeni Platov
Grishuk and Platov at the 1994 European Championships in Copenhagen
Personal information
Full name	Evgeni Arkadievich Platov
Alternative names	Evgeny Platov Yevgeny Platov
Former country(ies) represented	Russia  CIS  Soviet Union
Born	(1967-08-07) August 7, 1967 (age 57) Odesa, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union
Height	1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Former partner	Oksana Grishuk, Larisa Fedorinova, Elena Krykanova, Maya Usova
Former coach	Tatiana Tarasova, Natalia Linichuk, Gennadi Karponosov, Natalia Dubova
Skating club	Army Sports Club, Odesa
Retired	March 1998
Medal record Figure skating: Ice dancing Representing  Russia Winter Olympics Gold 1998 Nagano Ice dancing Gold 1994 Lillehammer Ice dancing World Championships Gold 1997 Lausanne Ice dancing Gold 1996 Edmonton Ice dancing Gold 1995 Birmingham Ice dancing Gold 1994 Chiba Ice dancing Silver 1993 Prague Ice dancing European Championships Gold 1998 Milan Ice dancing Gold 1997 Paris Ice dancing Gold 1996 Sofia Ice dancing Silver 1994 Copenhagen Ice dancing Silver 1993 Helsinki Ice dancing Grand Prix Final Gold 1997–98 Munich Ice dancing Gold 1995–96 Paris Ice dancing Representing  CIS ( Unified Team) World Championships Bronze 1992 Oakland Ice dancing European Championships Bronze 1992 Lausanne Ice dancing Representing  Soviet Union World Junior Championships Gold 1986 Sarajevo Ice dancing Gold 1985 Colorado Springs Ice dancing Gold 1984 Sapporo Ice dancing

Evgeni Platov is a famous Russian former ice dancer. He was born on August 7, 1967. He is best known for his amazing partnership with Oksana Grishuk. Together, they made history in ice dancing.

Evgeni and Oksana won two Olympic gold medals in 1994 and 1998. They also won four World Championships from 1994 to 1997. Plus, they were three-time European champions. Before teaming up with Oksana, Evgeni won three World Junior titles with Elena Krykanova. Evgeni Platov has represented the Soviet Union, the Unified Team, and Russia during his career. After he stopped competing, he became a successful figure skating coach and choreographer.

Evgeni Platov's Early Life

Evgeni Platov was born in Odesa, which was part of the Soviet Union at the time. This happened on August 7, 1967. He lived in Odesa until 1982. Then, he moved to Moscow, Russia. He was married to Maria Anikanova, who was also a figure skater and later an actress. They later divorced. Evgeni Platov now lives in New Jersey, USA. He coaches figure skating in West Palm Beach, Florida.

How Evgeni Started Skating

Evgeni Platov began as a singles skater. But in October 1976, he switched to ice dancing. His first coach, Boris Rublev, helped him find his first partner. A few months later, he was paired with Elena Krykanova. They trained in Odesa with Rublev. In 1982, they moved to Moscow to train with Natalia Dubova.

Junior World Champion

Krykanova and Platov became very successful. They won three World Junior titles in a row. These wins were from 1984 to 1986.

Skating with Larisa Fedorinova

After his junior career, Platov started competing at the senior level. His partner was Larisa Fedorinova. This was in 1987. In 1988, they won a gold medal at the Karl Schäfer Memorial. They also won a silver medal at the Prize of Moscow News. Their partnership ended in August 1989.

Evgeni's Partnership with Oksana Grishuk

Evgeni Platov's most famous partnership began in September 1989. His coach, Natalia Dubova, paired him with Oksana Grishuk. They trained together in Moscow. Just three months later, they won a bronze medal at the Soviet Championships. In 1990, they competed at their first World Championship. They finished in fifth place.

Their first European and World medals came in 1992. They won bronze at both the European Championships and the World Championships.

Changes in Coaching

In 1992, there were some changes. Grishuk left their coach Natalia Dubova's group. Platov decided to stay with Grishuk. They then started training with a new coach, Natalia Linichuk, in the fall of 1992.

During the 1992–93 season, Grishuk and Platov continued to improve. They won silver medals at both the European and World Championships. In 1993–94, they won another silver at the European Championships.

Olympic and World Success

Grishuk and Platov achieved their first Olympic title at the 1994 Olympics. They then won their first World title at the 1994 World Championships. After these big wins, they moved to Newark, Delaware, USA. They wanted better training conditions there.

They missed most of the 1994–95 season due to an injury. But they came back strong to win the 1995 World Championships. In the 1995–96 season, they had a full schedule. They won more European and World titles.

In 1996, Grishuk and Platov changed coaches again. They started training with Tatiana Tarasova in Marlborough, Massachusetts. An injury kept them out of competitions for part of the 1996–97 season. But they still managed to win their second European title and fourth World title.

Making History at the Olympics

In the 1997–98 season, Grishuk and Platov used special music for their free skating program. It was "Memorial Requiem" by Michael Nyman. They dedicated it to the people of Sarajevo. They won their third European Championships. At the 1998 Nagano Olympics, they made history. They became the first ice dancers to win two Olympic gold medals.

Grishuk and Platov had an amazing winning streak. They won 20 competitions in a row from 1994 to 1998. The Guinness Book of World Records recognized them in 1998. This was for being the first ice dancing team to win two Olympic gold medals. They were known for their speed and difficult moves. They could also perform many different dance styles.

Evgeni Platov once said about their partnership: "It's like being a husband and a wife. Sometimes, you fight. Sometimes, you walk away and calm down." He added, "It's hard to change her mind. She fights every step. But it works out. That's why she is so good."

Grishuk and Platov retired from competing after the 1998 Olympics. They skated together in shows until the summer of 1998. Later, Platov skated with Maya Usova, who was a former rival. Grishuk teamed up with Alexander Zhulin. Grishuk and Platov did skate together again for a Russian ice show in 2006. They also reunited in February 2008 in Japan to celebrate their 1998 Olympic win.

Evgeni Platov's Coaching Career

After retiring from competition, Evgeni Platov became a coach. From 2002 to 2004, he was an assistant coach to his former coach, Tatiana Tarasova. This was in Simsbury, Connecticut. He helped coach Olympic Champion Shizuka Arakawa to her World title in 2004. He also briefly worked with other famous skaters like Sasha Cohen and Johnny Weir.

In 2005, Platov moved to New Jersey. He became an assistant coach to Alexander Zhulin, another former rival. He helped coach the ice dancing team of Tatiana Navka and Roman Kostomarov. They went on to win European and Olympic gold medals.

When Zhulin moved back to Russia, Platov started coaching on his own. He has coached many talented ice dancers. Some of his students include:

• Galit Chait / Sergei Sakhnovski
• Penny Coomes / Nicholas Buckland
• Sinead Kerr / John Kerr
• Alexandra Zaretsky / Roman Zaretsky
• Allison Reed / Otar Japaridze
• Olivia Smart / Joseph Buckland

Platov used to coach at the Princeton Sports Center in Monmouth Junction, New Jersey. In 2009, he began coaching at the Igloo ice rink in Mount Laurel, New Jersey. In 2017, he worked with Tony Mercer. He helped coach the Imperial Ice Stars for their "Cinderella on Ice" show.

Competition Results

Evgeni Platov competed in many events. Here are some of his main results:

With Oksana Grishuk

With Larisa Fedorinova

With Elena Krykanova