Oksana Baiul facts for kids

Oksana Serhiyivna Baiul-Farina (born November 16, 1977) is a Ukrainian retired competitive figure skater. She is the 1993 world champion and the 1994 Olympic champion in ladies' singles.

Baiul is famous for being the first Olympic Champion from Ukraine to compete under the Ukrainian flag. She is also the first Olympic champion of independent Ukraine in any sport. After winning the gold medal in 1994, Baiul moved to the United States to perform in professional ice skating shows. She has lived in the United States since 1994. She also appeared on TV and participated in special skating events.

Quick facts for kids Oksana Baiul
Personal information
Native name	Оксана Баюл
Country represented	Ukraine
Born	(1977-11-16) 16 November 1977 (age 47) Dnipropetrovsk, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union (now Dnipro, Ukraine)
Height	1.60 m
Former coach	Galina Zmievskaya Valentyn Nikolayev Stanislav Koritek
Former choreographer	Sarah Kawahara
Former training locations	Simsbury, Connecticut Odesa Dnipro
Retired	1994
Medal record Figure skating: Ladies' singles Representing  Ukraine Olympic Games Gold 1994 Lillehammer Ladies' singles World Championships Gold 1993 Prague Ladies' singles European Championships Silver 1993 Helsinki Ladies' singles Silver 1994 Copenhagen Ladies' singles

Early Life and Family

Oksana Baiul was born on November 16, 1977, in Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine. This city was known for making missiles. Her parents divorced when she was two years old. Her father, Sergey Baiul, was not part of her life after that.

Oksana was raised by her mother, Marina, who was a French teacher, and her grandparents. Her grandfather passed away in 1987, and her grandmother in 1988. In 1991, when Oksana was 13, her mother suddenly died. After her mother's death, Oksana lived with the wife of her coach, Stanislav Koritek, and then with friends.

In mid-1992, Oksana moved to Odesa, Ukraine. She lived in a dormitory, and the government helped pay for her expenses because of her talent in skating. In 1993, she also lived with her coach, Galina Zmievskaya, for a month.

Moving to the United States

After the 1994 Winter Olympics, Oksana Baiul moved to the United States. She lived in Simsbury, Connecticut, which is home to a big skating center. Later, she moved to Richmond, Virginia, then Cliffside Park, New Jersey, and finally to Pennsylvania in 2012.

Religious Background

Oksana Baiul grew up as a Russian Orthodox Christian. As a child, she heard that her grandmother on her mother's side might have been Jewish. In 2003, she found her father, Sergey Baiul. He confirmed that her Romanian maternal grandmother was indeed Jewish. Because of this, Oksana decided to identify as Jewish. She said in 2005 that "Being Jewish, that feels good. It feels natural, like a second skin."

Skating Journey and Training

When Oksana was a child, she was interested in ballet. However, she was told she didn't have the right body for it. Her grandmother suggested skating, calling it "ballet on skates." Oksana started skating at age three in Dnipro. Her grandfather also supported her skating, believing it would help her become a great dancer. Oksana continued with ballet but chose ice skating in the end. Her mother paid for her lessons, costumes, and equipment. By age five, she was training with Stanislav Koritek, a well-known Ukrainian coach.

Oksana trained with Koritek until March 1992, when he moved to Canada for a coaching job. In August 1992, another coach, Galina Zmievskaya, took Oksana as a student. Zmievskaya arranged for Oksana to move to her home in Odesa. Oksana made quick progress under Zmievskaya's guidance. Her other coach in Odesa was Valentyn Nikolayev. She represented the FSC "Ukraine" club.

Competitive Skating Career

1993 European and World Championships

Oksana Baiul started competing and won the silver medal at the 1993 European Championships in Helsinki. She finished second to Surya Bonaly from France.

Before the 1993 World Championships in Prague, Oksana had an accident during practice. She crashed into the boards and hurt her back and neck. Even with these injuries, she competed. She was second after the short program and first in the free skate. At just 15 years old, she became the world champion.

1994 European Championships and Winter Olympics

In 1994, Oksana won another silver medal at the European Championships in Copenhagen, again finishing second to Surya Bonaly. At the 1994 Winter Olympics, she was in second place after the short program. During a practice session before the long program, she collided with Germany's Tanja Szewczenko. This caused a back injury and a cut on her shin that needed stitches.

To be able to compete in the free skate, she received two pain-killing injections. She performed wonderfully and won the free skate, narrowly beating Nancy Kerrigan. She even added an extra triple jump to her program that wasn't planned! Her artistic and engaging style helped her win the gold medal. She was 16 years and 101 days old, making her one of the youngest Olympic figure skating champions. Nancy Kerrigan placed second, and Chen Lu from China placed third. After her Olympic win, Ukraine honored her as a Merited Master of Sports.

Professional Skating Career

After the 1994 Winter Olympics, Oksana decided to become a professional skater. This was partly because conditions at their skating rink in Odesa were difficult due to economic struggles in Ukraine. At 16, she signed a contract to tour the United States.

Oksana faced physical challenges after the Olympics. She had knee surgery in the summer of 1994. Although her doctor advised her to rest for two months, she returned to skating much sooner due to her touring contract. This affected her ability to do jumps.

Life After Competition

In 1994, Oksana's coach, Galina Zmievskaya, was asked to lead the coaching team at the International Skating Center in Simsbury, Connecticut. Oksana and fellow skater Viktor Petrenko followed her there to continue training.

Oksana performed in TV productions like The Nutcracker on Ice and The Wizard of Oz on Ice for CBS. In 1997, she decided to no longer train with Zmievskaya. In August 1998, she began training with Natalia Linichuk. Oksana has continued to skate professionally, including performances with the touring show Broadway on Ice.

In December 2006, Oksana skated at the Red Square ice rink in Moscow with other champions. In February 2007, she worked with ballet dancer Saule Rachmedova to combine Ice Theatre of New York with fashion for a designer's "Winter Collection." The next month, she appeared on MTV's Total Request Live.

Oksana also had a role in a skating musical called Cold as Ice. This show was about six skaters preparing for championships and the Olympics. In March 2009 and March 2010, Oksana made guest appearances at the Kate Wollman Skating Rink in Prospect Park, Brooklyn. She also met with skating students after her performances.

Oksana Baiul has her own line of clothing and jewelry. In November 2005, she appeared on the Bravo TV show Celebrity Poker Showdown. She was also a judge on the ABC show Master of Champions in 2006.

In November 2011, her manager, Carlo Farina (who later became her husband), found issues with her money accounts at a talent agency. Oksana later filed lawsuits in 2012 and 2013 regarding these financial matters. In January 2015, she also made accusations against her former coaches and their manager about money.

As of January 2015, Oksana is married to Carlo Farina. She now uses the name Oksana Baiul-Farina. They live in Shreveport, Louisiana, with their daughter, Sophia, who was born in 2015.

Oksana in Other Media

• A Promise Kept (1994) is a TV movie made by CBS about Oksana Baiul's life.
• The song "Oksana" by Hawksley Workman is about Oksana Baiul.
• In the film I, Tonya (2017), an actress plays Oksana winning the gold medal at the 1994 Winter Olympics.
• In the film Blades of Glory (2007), a character mentions Oksana.
• In the musical Kimberly Akimbo, a character mentions Oksana Baiul.

Charitable Work

On March 27, 2010, Oksana Baiul skated in a figure skating show to help raise money for the AIDS Resource Foundation for Children. She performed her famous Swan Lake program.

Oksana supports the Tikva Children's Home Charity, which helps Jewish children in Odesa. She also supports the International Museum of Women, which celebrates women's lives around the world.

Competitive Results

Oksana Baiul career performances.

Professional Career Highlights

See also

In Spanish: Oksana Bayul para niños

• List of Olympic medalists in figure skating