Ludmila Belousova facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ludmila Belousova
Ludmila Belousova in 1965
Personal information
Full name	Ludmila Yevgenyevna Belousova
Country represented	Soviet Union
Born	(1935-11-22)22 November 1935 Ulyanovsk, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Died	26 September 2017(2017-09-26) (aged 81)
Height	1.60 m (5 ft 3 in)
Partner	Oleg Protopopov
Former partner	Kirill Guliayev
Former coach	Igor Moskvin, Pyotr Orlov, Stanislav Zhuk
Retired	1969
Medal record Representing  Soviet Union Pairs' Figure skating Olympic Games Gold 1968 Grenoble Pairs Gold 1964 Innsbruck Pairs World Championships Bronze 1969 Colorado Springs Pairs Gold 1968 Geneva Pairs Gold 1967 Vienna Pairs Gold 1966 Davos Pairs Gold 1965 Colorado Springs Pairs Silver 1964 Dormund Pairs Silver 1963 Cortina d'Ampezzo Pairs Silver 1962 Prague Pairs European Championships Silver 1969 Garmisch-Partenkirchen Pairs Gold 1968 Västerås Pairs Gold 1967 Ljubljana Pairs Gold 1966 Bratislava Pairs Gold 1965 Moscow Pairs Silver 1964 Grenoble Pairs Silver 1963 Budapest Pairs Silver 1962 Geneva Pairs

Ludmila Belousova (born November 22, 1935 – died September 26, 2017) was a famous figure skater from the Soviet Union. She was a pair skater, meaning she skated with a partner. Her partner was her husband, Oleg Protopopov. Together, they won two gold medals at the Winter Olympic Games (in 1964 and 1968). They also won four gold medals at the World Figure Skating Championships from 1965 to 1968. Later in their lives, they moved to Switzerland and became Swiss citizens. They kept performing in ice shows even when they were in their seventies!

Ludmila Belousova's Skating Journey

Belousova and Protopopov in 1966

Ludmila started skating a bit later than most, at age 16. She was inspired after watching an ice show movie called "Springtime on Ice." She met Oleg Protopopov in Moscow in 1954. They began training together in 1956 after Oleg finished his time in the navy.

They trained at the VSS Lokomotiv sports club and represented the Soviet Union. At first, they had coaches like Igor Moskvin and Pyotr Orlov. But after some disagreements, they decided to train on their own. In 1961, they worked with Stanislav Zhuk to improve their technical skills.

Early Competitions and First Medals

Belousova and Protopopov in 1968

Ludmila and Oleg first competed at the World Championships in 1958, finishing 13th. Two years later, they skated at their first Olympics and placed ninth.

In 1962, they won their first medal at the World Championships, earning a silver. This was a big moment! They were the first pair from the Soviet Union or Russia to win a world medal in pair skating. Later that year, they also won silver at the European Championships.

Olympic and World Champions

Their biggest win came at the 1964 Winter Olympics, where they won their first gold medal. This was the first Olympic pairs gold medal for the Soviet Union. It also started an amazing streak: Soviet and Russian pairs won every Olympic gold medal in pair skating for 40 years, from 1964 to 2006!

In 1965, they won their first gold medals at both the World and European Championships. They were the first Soviet/Russian pair to win these important titles.

They became Olympic champions again at the 1968 Winter Olympics. At 32 and 35 years old, they were among the oldest figure skating champions at the Olympics.

Later Career and Legacy

After their second Olympic gold, they continued to compete. In 1969, they won a silver medal at the European Championships and a bronze at the World Championships. These were their last major international competitions, but they kept competing in the Soviet Union until 1972.

Overall, Ludmila and Oleg won two Olympic gold medals. They also earned eight medals at both the World and European Championships, including four gold medals in a row at both events. After retiring from competitions, they continued to perform together in ice shows for many years.

Ludmila and Oleg helped develop pair skating. They created three special moves called "death spirals." They even gave them poetic names: the "Cosmic spiral," "Life spiral," and "Love spiral." Famous skater Dick Button said they were great because they were not only champions but also very creative.

Ludmila Belousova's Life Outside the Ice

Ludmila studied engineering at university. She married Oleg Protopopov in December 1957. Even though she kept her own last name, people often called them "The Protopopovs." They loved skating so much that they decided not to have children, so they could keep performing.

In 1979, Ludmila and Oleg were on tour when they decided to move to Switzerland and asked to live there permanently. They settled in a town called Grindelwald. In 1995, they became citizens of Switzerland. They spent their winters in Switzerland and their summers training in Lake Placid, New York.

In 2003, they visited Russia for the first time in 23 years, after being invited by a famous sports official. Ludmila gave her last exhibition dance in 2016, when she was 80 years old!

Major Skating Achievements

Here are some of Ludmila Belousova's top results with Oleg Protopopov:

Images for kids

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  Belousova and Protopopov in 2007