Irina Rodnina facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Irina Rodnina
Ирина Роднина
Rodnina in 2018
Member of the State Duma for Moscow Oblast
Incumbent
Assumed office 5 October 2016
Preceded by	constituency re-established
Constituency	Dmitrov (No. 118)
Member of the State Duma (Party List Seat)
In office 24 December 2007 – 5 October 2016
Personal details
Born	(1949-09-12) 12 September 1949 (age 75) Moscow, RSFSR, USSR
Political party	United Russia CPSU (until 1991)
Height	152 cm (5 ft 0 in)
Spouses	Alexander Zaitsev ​ ​ (m. 1975; div. 1985)​ Leonid Minkovski ​ ​ (m. 1985, divorced)​
Children	Alexander Alexandrovich Zaitsev Alena Leonidovna Minkovskaya
Education	State Central Order of Lenin Institute of Physical Culture
Irina Rodnina Personal information Country represented  Soviet Union Partner Alexei Ulanov (1964–1972) Alexander Zaitsev (1972–1980) Coach Stanislav Zhuk (1964–1974) Tatiana Tarasova (1974–1980) Skating club Armed Forces (sports society) Retired 1980 Medal record Representing  Soviet Union Pairs' Figure skating Olympic Games Gold 1972 Sapporo Pairs Gold 1976 Innsbruck Pairs Gold 1980 Lake Placid Pairs World Championships Gold 1969 Colorado Springs Pairs Gold 1970 Ljubljana Pairs Gold 1971 Lyon Pairs Gold 1972 Calgary Pairs Gold 1973 Bratislava Pairs Gold 1974 Munich Pairs Gold 1975 Colorado Springs Pairs Gold 1976 Gothenburg Pairs Gold 1977 Tokyo Pairs Gold 1978 Ottawa Pairs European Championships Gold 1969 Garmisch-Partenkirchen Pairs Gold 1970 Leningrad Pairs Gold 1971 Zürich Pairs Gold 1972 Gothenburg Pairs Gold 1973 Cologne Pairs Gold 1974 Zagreb Pairs Gold 1975 Copenhagen Pairs Gold 1976 Geneva Pairs Gold 1977 Helsinki Pairs Gold 1978 Strasbourg Pairs Gold 1980 Gothenburg Pairs

Irina Konstantinovna Rodnina (born September 12, 1949) is a famous Russian politician and former figure skater. She is known as the only pair skater to win 10 World Championships in a row (from 1969 to 1978). She also won three Olympic gold medals in a row (1972, 1976, 1980). After her amazing sports career, she became a member of the State Duma, which is like the Russian Parliament.

Irina Rodnina first skated with Alexei Ulanov. Later, she teamed up with Alexander Zaitsev. She is the first pair skater to win an Olympic title with two different partners.

Early Life and Family Background

Irina Rodnina was born in Moscow, Russia, on September 12, 1949. Her father, Konstantin Rodnin, was an officer in the Red Army. Her mother, Yulia Rodnina, was a paramedic. Her parents met during Second World War.

When Irina was a young child, she was often sick. She had pneumonia many times. To help her get more exercise and spend time outdoors, her doctor suggested she try skating. In 1954, she went to an ice rink for the first time. This was at Pryamikov Children Park in Moscow.

Figure Skating Career Highlights

Irina Rodnina started training seriously at the Children and Youth Sports School of CSKA when she was 13 years old. This was during her sixth year of secondary school.

Partnerships and Coaches

By 1963, Irina began skating with her first partner, Oleg Vlasov. They were coached by Sonia and Milan Valun. In 1964, Stanislav Zhuk became her coach. He paired her with Alexei Ulanov.

With Alexei Ulanov

Irina Rodnina and Alexei Ulanov quickly became a strong team. They won their first World title in 1969. They continued to win four World titles in a row.

Rodnina with Ulanov in 1970

At the 1972 Winter Olympics, Rodnina and Ulanov won the gold medal. This was a huge achievement for them. After the Olympics, they competed in the 1972 World Championships. During practice, Irina had an accident and got a concussion. Even with her injury, they performed very well and won their fourth World title.

With Alexander Zaitsev

In April 1972, coach Stanislav Zhuk suggested Irina team up with Alexander Zaitsev. He was a young skater from Leningrad with good jumping skills. They quickly learned to skate together.

At the 1973 World Championships, something unusual happened. Their music stopped during their short program. But Irina and Alexander were so focused that they finished their routine in silence. The audience gave them a standing ovation, and they won the gold medal!

In 1974, Rodnina and Zaitsev started training with a new coach, Tatiana Tarasova. With her, they won six World titles in a row. They also won seven European gold medals. In 1976, they won their first Olympic gold medal together.

Irina Rodnina and Alexander Zaitsev did not compete in the 1978–79 season because Irina was pregnant. Their son was born in February 1979. They returned to skating in 1980. They won their second Olympic title together. This was Irina's third Olympic gold medal overall. She was 30 years old, making her one of the oldest female figure skating Olympic champions. After this win, they retired from competitive skating.

Overall Achievements in Skating

Irina Rodnina and her partners, Alexei Ulanov and Alexander Zaitsev, were the best in international pair skating throughout the 1970s. She won ten World Championships and three Olympic gold medals. She also won eleven European titles. This makes her the most successful pair skater in history.

She was known for her athleticism and daring moves. She and her partners performed amazing lifts, side-by-jumps, and the split triple twist. In the early 1990s, she coached at a training center in California, USA.

Political Career

In 2005, Irina Rodnina became a member of the Public Chamber of Russia. This group advises the government. In 2007, she was elected to the State Duma. This is a major part of the Russian government. She is a member of President Vladimir Putin's United Russia party.

Personal Life

Irina Rodnina studied at the Central Institute of Physical Culture. Her first husband was Alexander Zaitsev, her skating partner. They had a son, also named Alexander, born in 1979.

Later, she married film producer Leonid Menkovsky. They have a daughter, Alyona Minkovski, born in 1986. Irina Rodnina is currently divorced. She lived in the United States for some years before moving back to Russia.

Skating Results

With Ulanov

With Zaitsev

Other Honours and Awards

• Order of the Red Banner of Labour (1972)
• Order of Lenin (1976)
• Order "For Merit to the Fatherland", 2nd, 3rd and 4th classes
• Medal "In Commemoration of the 850th Anniversary of Moscow"
• International Skating Union's Jacques Favart Award, first recipient (1981)
• Inducted into International Women's Sports Hall of Fame (1988)
• Inducted into the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame (1989)
• At the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, she had the honor of being one of the torchbearers who lit the Olympic Cauldron with Vladislav Tretiak.

Images for kids

• 

  Irina Rodnina in 2018

• 

  Rodnina with Ulanov in 1970

See also

In Spanish: Irina Rodniná para niños