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 (Russian: Ирина Константиновна Роднина; born September 12, 1949) is a famous Russian politician and former figure skater. She is known for being 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 politician. She was elected to the State Duma in 2007. The State Duma is like the parliament in Russia. She is a member of President Vladimir Putin's United Russia party. Irina Rodnina was the first pair skater to win an Olympic title with two different partners. Only Artur Dmitriev has done this since.

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.

Irina was often sick when she was a young child. She had pneumonia many times. Her doctor suggested she get more exercise and spend time outdoors. So, in 1954, her parents took her to an ice rink for the first time. This was at Pryamikov Children Park in Moscow.

Figure Skating Career Highlights

When Irina was 13, she started training at the Children and Youth Sports School of CSKA. This school was on Leningradsky Prospekt.

Skating with Alexei Ulanov

Rodnina with Ulanov in 1970

In 1964, Irina's coach, Stanislav Zhuk, paired her with Alexei Ulanov. They quickly became a strong team. Rodnina and Ulanov won their first World title in 1969. They won four World titles in a row.

They also won the gold medal at the 1972 Winter Olympics in Sapporo. After the Olympics, they competed in their last competition together, the 1972 World Championships. During practice, Irina had an accident and got a concussion. Even with her injury, they performed well and won their fourth World title. After this, Ulanov decided to skate with a different partner. Irina thought about stopping skating.

Skating with Alexander Zaitsev

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

At the 1973 World Figure Skating Championships, their music stopped during their performance. But they kept going and finished their routine in silence! The crowd gave them a standing ovation. They won the gold medal.

In 1974, Rodnina and Zaitsev started training with a new coach, Tatiana Tarasova. Together, they won six World titles in a row. They also won seven European gold medals. Their first Olympic gold medal together was at the 1976 Winter Olympics.

Irina and Alexander did not compete in the 1978–79 season because Irina was expecting a baby. Their son was born in February 1979. They returned to skating in 1980. They won their second Olympic gold medal together at the 1980 Winter Olympics. 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, they retired from competitive skating.

Her Amazing Records

Irina Rodnina and her partners, Alexei Ulanov and Alexander Zaitsev, were the best in pair skating during 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 strength and for trying difficult and exciting moves. She and her partners performed amazing lifts and twist lifts.

Political Career

Irina Rodnina became involved in politics in 2005. She joined the Public Chamber of Russia. In 2007, she was elected to the State Duma. This is a part of the Russian government. She is a member of the United Russia party.

In 2012, she supported a law that stopped people from the United States from adopting Russian orphans.

International Sanctions

Because of Russia's actions in Ukraine, Irina Rodnina was sanctioned by the United Kingdom in March 2022. In December 2022, the Ukrainian Parliament also sanctioned her.

Personal Life

Irina Rodnina studied at the Central Institute of Physical Culture. Her first husband was Alexander Gennadiyevich 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 named Alyona Minkovski, born in 1986. Irina is currently divorced. She lived in the United States for some years before moving back to Russia.

Skating Results

With Ulanov

With Zaitsev

Awards and Honours

Irina Rodnina has received many awards for her achievements:

• 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"
• She was the first person to receive the International Skating Union's Jacques Favart Award (1981).
• She was added to the International Women's Sports Hall of Fame (1988).
• She was added to the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame (1989).
• At the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, she had the special honour of lighting the Olympic Cauldron with Vladislav Tretiak.

See also

In Spanish: Irina Rodniná para niños