Oksana Grishuk facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Oksana Grishuk
Grishuk and Platov at the 1994 European Championships
Personal information
Full name	Oksana Vladimirovna Grishuk
Alternative names	Oksana Grishuk/Grishuk Pasha Grishuk
Former country(ies) represented	Russia  Soviet Union
Born	(1972-03-17) 17 March 1972 (age 53) Odessa, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union (now Odesa, Ukraine)
Height	1.68 m (5 ft 6 in)
Former partner	Evgeni Platov Alexandr Chichkov
Former coach	Natalia Linichuk Gennadi Karponosov Natalia Dubova
Skating club	Sportsclub Dinamo
Retired	March 1998
Medal record Figure skating: Ice dancing Representing  Russia Winter Olympics Gold 1998 Nagano Ice dancing Gold 1994 Lillehammer Ice dancing World Championships Gold 1997 Lausanne Ice dancing Gold 1996 Edmonton Ice dancing Gold 1995 Birmingham Ice dancing Gold 1994 Chiba Ice dancing Silver 1993 Prague Ice dancing European Championships Gold 1998 Milan Ice dancing Gold 1997 Paris Ice dancing Gold 1996 Sofia Ice dancing Silver 1994 Copenhagen Ice dancing Silver 1993 Helsinki Ice dancing Grand Prix Final Gold 1997–98 Munich Ice dancing Gold 1995–96 Paris Ice dancing Representing  CIS ( Unified Team) World Championships Bronze 1992 Oakland Ice dancing European Championships Bronze 1992 Lausanne Ice dancing Representing  Soviet Union World Junior Championships Gold 1988 Brisbane Ice dancing Silver 1987 Kitchener Ice dancing

Oksana Vladimirovna Grishuk (born on March 17, 1972) is a famous Russian former ice dancer. She is best known for her amazing partnership with Evgeni Platov from 1989 to 1998. Together, they made history in ice dancing.

Oksana and Evgeni won two Olympic gold medals in 1994 and 1998. They also won four World Championships in a row from 1994 to 1997. Plus, they were three-time European champions from 1996 to 1998. Before teaming up with Platov, Oksana also won the World Junior Championship in 1988 with her partner Alexandr Chichkov.

About Oksana Grishuk

Oksana Grishuk was born in Odessa, which was part of the Soviet Union at the time. Her family moved to Moscow in 1980 when she was eight years old. She studied at the Sport University of Moscow. Later, she moved to the United States for better training. She lived in Delaware and Massachusetts before settling in Los Angeles, California. Today, Oksana lives in Los Angeles with her daughter.

Oksana's Skating Journey

Oksana started skating when she was just four years old. When she moved to Moscow, it was hard to find a club that would accept her, but she eventually found a coach. At age 12, she began training with Natalia Linichuk.

Early Career with Alexandr Chichkov

Oksana first competed for the Soviet Union with Alexandr Chichkov. In 1987, they won a silver medal at the World Junior Figure Skating Championships. The next year, they won the gold medal at the same event and also became Soviet Champions. Alexandr had to stop skating in 1989 because of an injury.

Partnering with Evgeni Platov

After Alexandr retired, Oksana joined Natalia Dubova's training group. There, she was paired with Evgeni Platov. They trained in Moscow and quickly became a strong team. Just three months later, in December 1989, they won a bronze medal at the Soviet Championships. They earned their first European and World medals, both bronze, in 1992.

In 1992, Oksana left Dubova's group and returned to her former coach, Natalia Linichuk. Evgeni Platov decided to follow Oksana and they continued to skate together.

Olympic and World Success

During the 1992–93 season, Oksana and Evgeni won silver medals at both the European and World Championships. In 1994, they won silver at the European Championships. Then, they achieved their dream: they won their first Olympic gold medal at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway. They finished that amazing season by winning their first World Championship title.

After their Olympic win, they moved to Newark, Delaware in the United States with their coach for better training. They continued to dominate the sport, winning the World Championships again in 1995, 1996, and 1997.

In 1996, Oksana and Evgeni changed coaches and began training with Tatiana Tarasova in Massachusetts. They continued their winning streak, earning their second European title and fourth World title in 1997.

Making History at the Olympics

In 1997, Oksana briefly changed her first name to Pasha to avoid being confused with another skater, Oksana Baiul, but she later went back to Oksana.

At the 1998 Olympics in Nagano, Japan, Oksana and Evgeni made history. They became the first ice dancers ever to win two Olympic gold medals! They won 20 competitions in a row from 1994 to 1998. This incredible achievement earned them a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records.

Evgeni Platov once described their partnership like being "a husband and a wife" because they worked so closely together. He said Oksana had a "fire on ice" and that her strong will helped them be so good.

After Competition

Oksana and Evgeni retired from competitive skating after the 1998 Olympics. They performed together in shows for a short time. Later, Oksana skated with Alexander Zhulin for about a year. She also performed as a solo skater and with other partners in popular shows like Cinderella and Nutcracker.

In 1994, the Russian President Boris Yeltsin gave Oksana a special government medal called the Medal of Friendship for her great achievements in sports. In 1998, she received another medal, the Medal of Labor, also for her outstanding sports career.

In 2006, Oksana was a judge on a TV show called Skating's Next Star. She also won a Russian celebrity skating show called Dance on Ice in Moscow that same year. In 2008, Oksana and Evgeni Platov reunited in Nagano, Japan, to celebrate 10 years since their second Olympic gold medal win. Today, Oksana coaches figure skating in Anaheim, California, helping new skaters achieve their dreams.

Programs

(with Platov)

(with Zhulin)

Competition Results

With Evgeni Platov

With Alexandr Chichkov

See also

In Spanish: Oksana Grishuk para niños