Evgeni Plushenko facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Evgeni Plushenko
Plushenko at the Champions Union show in 2023
Personal information
Native name	Евгений Плющенко
Country represented	Russia
Born	(1982-11-03) 3 November 1982 (age 42) Dzhamku [ru], Solnechny District, Khabarovsk Krai, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Residence	Saint Petersburg, Russia
Height	1.80 m
Choreographer	Maxim Staviski, David Avdish
Skating club	Yubileyny Sports Palace
Began skating	1986
Retired	13 February 2014, 31 March 2017
World standing	160 (2015–16) 135 (2014–15) 67 (2013–14) 62 (2012–13) 24 (2011–12) - (2010–11) 34 (2009–10) - (2008–09) 44 (2007–08) 9 (2006–07) 2 (2005–06) 1 (2004–05) 1 (2003–04) 1 (2002–03) 1 (2001–02)

Evgeni Viktorovich Plushenko (Russian: Евгений Викторович Плющенко, born 3 November 1982) is a Russian former figure skater. He is one of the most successful figure skaters in history. He has won four Olympic medals. These include a gold medal in 2006 and another team gold in 2014. He also earned silver medals in 2002 and 2010.

Plushenko is also a three-time World champion (2001, 2003, 2004). He has won the European Championships seven times (2000, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2010, 2012). He was a four-time Grand Prix Final champion. Plushenko also won the Russian national championship ten times. His four Olympic medals once tied a record for figure skating.

Evgeni Plushenko's Early Life

Plushenko was born on November 3, 1982, in Dzhamku, a small place in the Soviet Union. His family later moved to Saint Petersburg, Russia, in 1994. He has an older sister.

He started studying at Lesgaft University in 2000 and graduated in 2005. He also studied tourism and hospitality. His last name is often spelled Plushenko, but other spellings exist. His first name can be Evgeni or Yevgeny.

Skating Career Highlights

Plushenko and longtime coach Alexei Mishin at the 2004 Russian National Championships

Plushenko began figure skating lessons at age four. His first coach was Tatiana Skala. He trained in Volgograd until his local ice rink closed. In 1994, he moved to Saint Petersburg to train with Alexei Mishin.

He quickly became a top skater. At age 14, he became the youngest ever World Junior Champion in 1997. The next year, at 15, he won a bronze medal at the 1998 World Championships.

Rivalry and First World Title

Plushenko had a big rivalry with Alexei Yagudin. They both trained under coach Mishin for a while. In 2000, Plushenko beat Yagudin at the European Championships. He then won his first World title in 2001. This was a very successful season for him.

Olympic Success and Challenges

At the 2002 Winter Olympics, Plushenko was a favorite. He finished second overall, winning a silver medal. Over the next four years, he won almost every competition he entered. He only finished second twice during this time.

In 2005, an injury forced him to stop competing at the World Championships. He had surgery in Germany to fix the problem.

Olympic Gold in Turin

Plushenko was the top favorite for the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy. He skated two amazing programs. He won the gold medal, becoming an Olympic champion. He set new world records for both his short program and free skating scores. His free skating music was created for him by violinist Edvin Marton.

Taking a Break and Returning

Edvin Marton, Dima Bilan, and Plushenko at the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest

After the 2006 Olympics, Plushenko took a break from skating. He used this time to rest and recover from knee injuries. In 2007, he announced he would return to competitive skating. He wanted to help Russia stay strong in figure skating. He also planned to compete in the 2010 Winter Olympics.

In 2008, Plushenko performed with violinist Edvin Marton and singer Dima Bilan. They were part of the winning performance at the Eurovision Song Contest 2008.

Comeback and Vancouver Olympics

Plushenko returned to training in 2009 with his coach Alexei Mishin. He won the 2009 Cup of Russia in his first competition back. In December 2009, he signed with a sports management agency.

He won his eighth Russian Championship in 2010. At the 2010 European Figure Skating Championships, he set a new world record in the short program. He went on to win his sixth European title.

At the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, he again set an Olympic record in the short program. He believed that quad jumps were very important for men's figure skating. He finished second overall, winning a silver medal. He became the only male single skater to win medals at three Olympics.

Eligibility Issues and Reinstatement

In 2010, Plushenko lost his eligibility to compete. This happened because he skated in shows without permission from the Russian skating federation. He wanted to compete in the 2014 Winter Olympics. In 2011, he asked to be allowed back into competition. The International Skating Union (ISU) voted to reinstate him.

More Comebacks and Injuries

Plushenko during the men's medals ceremony at the 2012 European Championships

In 2011, Plushenko had knee surgery. He still trained with his coach Mishin. In December 2011, he won his ninth national title at the Russian Championships. He then competed at the 2012 European Figure Skating Championships. This was his first international competition since 2010. He won his seventh European title, setting personal best scores. He became one of only three men to win seven European titles. After this, he had more surgery on his knee.

In 2012, he worked with choreographers for new programs. He had a back problem that got worse from training. He had surgery in January 2013 to replace a spinal disk.

Sochi Olympics and Retirement

Plushenko at the 2014 Olympic team event with Yulia Lipnitskaya

Plushenko prepared for the 2014 Winter Olympics. In November 2013, he won the Volvo Open Cup. This helped him qualify for the Olympics. At the 2014 Russian Figure Skating Championships, he finished second.

He was chosen to represent Russia at the 2014 Winter Olympics. This was his fourth time at the Olympics. He competed in the new team figure skating event. He helped Russia win the gold medal. This was his second Olympic gold medal. He now had four Olympic medals in total. This tied a record for the most Olympic medals by a figure skater.

After struggling with a back injury, Plushenko withdrew from the men's singles competition at the 2014 Olympics. He announced his retirement from competitive skating. He had another back surgery in March 2014.

After Competitive Skating

After officially retiring in 2017, Plushenko opened his own skating school. He has coached several talented skaters. These include Adelina Sotnikova, Stanislava Konstantinova, and Ekaterina Ryabova.

Records and Achievements

Evgeni Plushenko is known for his exciting performances and pushing the sport forward. He won four Olympic medals, which was a record at the time.

He was the first male skater to do the Biellmann spin in senior competitions. He was also the first to do a 4T–3T–2Lo combination jump in competition. He has landed this combination 26 times. Plushenko was also the first to land 4T–3T–3Lo and 3A-1Lo-3F combinations. He also completed a 3A-3F combination first.

Plushenko was the first to perform a 3T–3T–3Lo–2Lo combination. He also landed a six-jump combination (3T–3T–2Lo–2Lo–2Lo–2Lo) in an exhibition. He has landed about 100 quad jumps in competitions. He has practiced 4Lo and 4Lz jumps, but never landed them in competition.

At age 16, Plushenko was the youngest male skater to get a perfect score of 6.0. He received seventy-five 6.0 scores before the new judging system was introduced. Under the new system, he set 13 world record scores.

Coaching Career

Plushenko now coaches many young skaters. His current students include:

• Sofia Muravieva
• Anastasia Zinina
• Veronika Zhilina
• Sofia Titova
• Sofia Shifrina
• Alena Zhilina

Some of his former students include:

• Alexandra Trusova
• Alena Kostornaia
• Ekaterina Ryabova
• Stanislava Konstantinova

Evgeni Plushenko's World Record Scores

Plushenko broke 13 world records during his career:

Advancing Figure Skating

Plushenko believes that both male and female skaters should be allowed to use quad jumps in competitions. He thinks there should be no limits based on gender. He feels that holding back female skaters from doing quads is unfair.

Political and Personal Life

In 2006, Plushenko joined a political party in Russia. In 2007, he was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Saint Petersburg. He later decided to leave politics to focus on his skating career.

On June 18, 2005, Plushenko married Maria Ermak. They had a son named Egor in 2006. They later divorced in 2008. In 2009, Plushenko married Yana Rudkovskaya. They have two sons, Alexander (born 2013) and Arseniy (born 2020).

Competitive Highlights

GP: Champions Series / Grand Prix

Images for kids

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  The men's podium at the 2012 European Championships medal ceremony

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  Plushenko at the 2010 European Championships

See also

In Spanish: Yevgueni Pliúshchenko para niños