Ilia Kulik facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ilia Kulik |
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Kulik in the 2008 Christmas On Ice show.
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| Country represented |  Russia |
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| Born | 23 May 1977 Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union |
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| Residence | Highland park, U.S. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 11 in | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Former coach | Tatiana Tarasova Viktor Kudriavtsev |
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| Former choreographer | Tatiana Tarasova | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Retired | 1998 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Ilia Alexandrovich Kulik (born 23 May 1977) is a famous Russian figure skater. He is best known for winning the gold medal at the 1998 Winter Olympics. He also won the European Championship in 1995 and the World Junior Championship in 1995.
Ilia Kulik's Skating Career
Ilia Kulik started skating when he was five years old. He quickly showed great talent. In November 1994, when he was just 17, he won the World Junior title. A few months later, he also won the European title.
His first big competition as a senior skater was the World Championships, where he finished ninth. The next year, he earned a silver medal at the 1996 World Championships.
During the 1997-98 season, Ilia had a fantastic run. He won gold at the 1997 NHK Trophy and silver at 1997 Skate Canada International. These wins helped him qualify for the Champions Series Final, which is now called the Grand Prix Final. He won the gold medal there too! He also became the Russian national champion.
Ilia had some back problems, which made him miss the 1998 European Championships. But he was ready for the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan. He performed amazingly in both the short and long programs. He won the Olympic gold medal at just 20 years old, becoming one of the youngest male Olympic champions in figure skating.
After his Olympic win, Ilia had to withdraw from the 1998 World Championships because of his back injury. He decided to stop competing professionally. Since then, he has focused on performing in ice shows. He has skated in many popular tours like Stars on Ice and shows in Russia. In 1999, he even skated a special duet with his wife, Ekaterina Gordeeva.
Ilia also tried acting! He played a Russian dancer named Sergei in the 2000 ballet movie Center Stage.
In 2012, Ilia and Ekaterina opened their own skating rink in Lake Forest, California. Ilia has also coached other skaters, including Michael Christian Martinez.
Ilia Kulik's Personal Life
Ilia Kulik has a sister named Svetlana, who also lives in California. His parents live in Russia.
Ilia married Ekaterina Gordeeva in San Francisco on June 10, 2002. They have a daughter together named Elizaveta Ilinichna Kulik, who was born on June 15, 2001. Ekaterina also has another daughter, Daria Sergeevna Grinkova, from her first marriage.
The family lived in California for several years. Then they moved to Avon, Connecticut, in 2003. In the summer of 2007, they moved back to the Los Angeles area and lived in Newport Beach. Ilia and Ekaterina divorced in 2016.
See also
In Spanish: Iliá Kulik para niños
