Margarita Drobiazko facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Margarita Drobiazko
Drobiazko and Povilas Vanagas in 2024
Personal information
Country represented	Lithuania
Former country(ies) represented	Russia Soviet Union
Born	(1971-12-21) 21 December 1971 (age 53) Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Height	1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Partner	Povilas Vanagas
Former partner	Oleg Granionov (RUS)
Former coach	Elena Maslennikova, Igor Shpilband, Rostislav Sinicyn, Elena Tchaikovskaia, Lilija Vanagiene, Anatoliy Petukhov, Betty Callaway, Tatiana Tarasova, Natalia Dubova, Natalia Linichuk
Former choreographer	Elena Maslennikova, Gintaras Svistunavicius, Vasily Kleimenov, Elena Tchaikovskaia, Christopher Dean, Jayne Torvill
Skating club	Sports School Baltu Ainiai
Former training locations	Kaunas Moscow
Began skating	1977
Retired	2002, 2006
ISU personal best scores
Combined total	196.18 2006 Europeans
Comp. dance	38.34 2006 Europeans
Original dance	59.60 2006 Worlds
Free dance	100.89 2006 Europeans
Medal record Figure skating Ice dancing Representing  Lithuania World Championships Bronze 2000 Nice Ice dancing European Championships Bronze 2006 Lyon Ice dancing Bronze 2000 Vienna Ice dancing Grand Prix Final Bronze 2001–2002 Kitchener Ice dancing Bronze 2000–2001 Tokyo Ice dancing Bronze 1999–2000 Lyon Ice dancing

Margarita Drobiazko is a famous retired ice dancer. She was born in Moscow, Russia, on December 21, 1971. Margarita is best known for competing for Lithuania with her skating partner, Povilas Vanagas.

Together, Margarita and Povilas achieved many great things. They won a bronze medal at the 2000 World Figure Skating Championships. They also earned three bronze medals at the Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final. In Europe, they won two bronze medals at the European Figure Skating Championships in 2000 and 2006. They even became champions at the 1999 Skate Canada International event. Margarita and Povilas are also special because they competed in five Winter Olympics, which is a record for figure skaters! Their highest finish was 5th place.

Margarita's Skating Journey

Margarita started skating when she was six years old. She saw other kids learning at an outdoor rink and wanted to try. Her mother wanted her to be a ballerina, but Margarita convinced her to let her skate.

When she was 12, Margarita began ice dancing. She had famous coaches like Natalia Linichuk and Natalia Dubova. At first, she competed for Russia with a partner named Oleg Granionov.

Teaming Up with Povilas Vanagas

Margarita's life changed when she was paired with Lithuanian skater Povilas Vanagas. This happened in Moscow, arranged by coach Tatiana Tarasova. After the Soviet Union broke up, they decided to represent Lithuania. This was a bit tricky at first because of some disagreements between Russia and Lithuania.

They moved to Kaunas, Lithuania, and trained with Elena Maslennikova. Later, they also worked in England with famous skaters Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean. In 1999, they started training with Elena Tchaikovskaia in Moscow too.

Margarita and Povilas first retired from competing after the 2001–2002 Olympic season. But they decided to come back in 2005 to compete in their fifth Olympics! They trained hard in different countries like the United States, Germany, Russia, and Lithuania. After the 2006 World Championships, they retired from competitive skating for good.

Life Outside the Ice Rink

Margarita was born in Moscow but lived in Magadan, a city in Russia's far north-east, until she was six. To compete for Lithuania in the Olympics, she became a Lithuanian citizen in 1993.

Margarita and Povilas Vanagas are not just skating partners; they are also married! They got married in June 2000.

In 2022, Margarita took part in an ice ballet show in Sochi. Because of her participation in an event that was seen as supporting a country involved in a conflict, the president of Lithuania, Gitanas Nausėda, removed a special award they had received. Later, in September 2023, her Lithuanian citizenship was also taken away for similar reasons.

Television Appearances

Margarita has also been on TV! She appeared in seven seasons of a popular ice show contest called Ice Age.

Skating Programs

(with Povilas Vanagas)

Competition Achievements

(ice dance with Povilas Vanagas)