Tatiana Navka facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tatiana Navka
Navka in 2006
Personal information
Full name	Tatyana Aleksandrovna Navka
Country represented	Russia
Former country(ies) represented	Soviet Union  Belarus
Born	(1975-04-13) 13 April 1975 (age 50) Dnipropetrovsk, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union
Residence	Moscow, Russia
Height	1.70 m
Partner	Roman Kostomarov
Former partner	Samvel Gezalian (BLR) Nikolai Morozov (BLR)
Former coach	Alexander Zhulin Natalia Linichuk Gennadi Karponosov Elena Tchaikovskaia Natalia Dubova
Skating club	SC Moskvich
Former training locations	Moscow Montclair, New Jersey Hackensack, New Jersey Simsbury, Connecticut
Began skating	1980
Retired	2006
ISU personal best scores
Combined total	227.81 (WR) 2005 Worlds
Comp. dance	45.97 (WR) 2005 Worlds
Original dance	68.67 2005 Worlds
Free dance	117.14 (WR) 2003 Cup of Russia
Medal record Figure skating: Ice dancing Representing  Russia Winter Olympics Gold 2006 Turin Ice dancing World Championships Gold 2004 Dortmund Ice dancing Gold 2005 Moscow Ice dancing European Championships Gold 2004 Budapest Ice dancing Gold 2005 Turin Ice dancing Gold 2006 Lyon Ice dancing Bronze 2003 Malmö Ice dancing Grand Prix Final Gold 2003–04 Colorado Springs Ice dancing Gold 2004–05 Beijing Ice dancing Gold 2005–06 Tokyo Ice dancing Silver 2002–03 St. Petersburg Ice dancing

Tatyana Aleksandrovna Navka (born April 13, 1975) is a famous Russian former ice dancer. She is best known for her partnership with Roman Kostomarov. Together, they won the gold medal at the 2006 Winter Olympics.

Navka and Kostomarov were also two-time World champions and three-time European champions. Before skating for Russia, Navka represented the Soviet Union and Belarus in competitions. She is married to Dmitry Peskov, a Russian government official.

Early Life and Skating Beginnings

Tatiana Navka was born in Dnipropetrovsk, which was part of the Soviet Union at the time. Her mother was an economist and her father was an engineer. She has a younger sister named Natalia. When she was 13, her family moved to Moscow.

Navka started skating when she was only five years old. At first, she was a single skater, which means she skated alone. But after she grew very tall very quickly, it became harder for her to do jumps. Her parents were advised that she should switch to ice dancing, where skaters compete in pairs.

Skating Career

Partnering with Samvel Gezalian

In 1988, Navka moved to Moscow to train with a new partner, Samvel Gezalian. They first competed for the Soviet Union. After the Soviet Union broke apart, they decided to represent Belarus.

They competed in the 1994 Winter Olympics and finished in 11th place. Their best result at the World Championships was 5th place in 1994. They skated together until 1995.

Partnering with Nikolai Morozov

In 1996, Navka teamed up with Nikolai Morozov, still skating for Belarus. They competed at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan, where they finished 16th. During their performance, many of the arena lights went out, but they kept skating. They trained in the United States with coach Alexander Zhulin. Navka and Morozov stopped skating together after the 1998 World Championships.

The Famous Partnership with Roman Kostomarov

Navka's most successful partnership was with Roman Kostomarov. They began skating together for Russia in 1998. After a short break, they reunited in 2000 and began training with Alexander Zhulin in New Jersey.

This partnership led to amazing success. They won:

• The World Championships in 2004 and 2005.
• The European Championships three times in a row (2004, 2005, 2006).
• The Grand Prix Final three times in a row (2003, 2004, 2005).

The high point of their career was winning the gold medal at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy. After this incredible win, Navka and Kostomarov retired from competitive skating. They still perform together in ice shows.

Life After Competition

After retiring, Navka became a celebrity in Russia. She appeared on popular TV ice shows like Stars On Ice and Ice Age. She also participated in the Eurovision Dance Contest 2008. In 2011, she was chosen as an ambassador for the 2014 Winter Olympics held in Sochi, Russia.

Personal Life

Navka became a citizen of Belarus and later of Russia. She lived in New Jersey for a time while she was training.

In 2000, she married fellow ice dancer Alexander Zhulin. They have a daughter named Sasha, who was born in the United States. The couple divorced in 2010.

Navka later married Dmitry Peskov, who is a spokesman for the Russian president, Vladimir Putin. They have a daughter named Nadezhda (Nadia), born in 2014. The couple married in 2015.

Sanctions

In 2022, several countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, and the European Union, placed sanctions on Navka. Sanctions are penalties used by governments. These were put in place because of her husband's role in the Russo-Ukrainian War.

Programs

With Kostomarov

With Morozov

With Gezalian

Competitive highlights

GP: Champions Series / Grand Prix

With Kostomarov for Russia

Navka and Kostomarov at the 2004 NHK Trophy

With Morozov for Belarus

With Gezalian for Belarus and the Soviet Union