Yulia Lipnitskaya facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Yulia Lipnitskaya
Lipnitskaya at the 2014 European Championships
Personal information
Native name	Юлия Вячеславовна Липницкая
Full name	Yulia Vyacheslavovna Lipnitskaya
Alternative names	Julia Lipnitskaia
Country represented	Russia
Born	(1998-06-05) 5 June 1998 (age 27) Yekaterinburg, Russia
Home town	Moscow, Russia
Height	1.60 m (5 ft 3 in)
Began skating	2002
Retired	28 August 2017

Yulia Lipnitskaya (born June 5, 1998) is a Russian former competitive figure skater. She was a key part of the Russian team that won the gold medal at the 2014 Winter Olympics team event.

Yulia also achieved great success on her own. She won a silver medal at the 2014 World Championships. She was also the 2014 European champion. Yulia won silver at the 2013–14 Grand Prix Final. She also earned two silver medals at the Russian national championships in 2012 and 2014.

As a junior skater, Yulia was very successful. She won the 2012 World Junior Championships. She also won the 2011–12 Junior Grand Prix Final. In 2012, she became the Russian Junior champion. Yulia stopped competing in 2017 due to health challenges.

Yulia Lipnitskaya holds a special place in Russian sports history. She is the youngest Russian athlete to win a gold medal at the Winter Olympics. She is also the youngest female figure skater to win a gold medal at the European Championships. When Russia won the team trophy, Yulia was 15 years and 249 days old. This made her the second-youngest female figure skater to win Olympic gold.

About Yulia's Early Life

Yulia Vyacheslavovna Lipnitskaya was born on June 5, 1998. Her birthplace was Yekaterinburg, Russia. Yulia was raised by her single mother, Daniela Leonidovna Lipnitskaya. Yulia's father, Vyacheslav, was called to serve in the Russian army. He did not return to the family after his service.

Yulia's Skating Journey

Starting Out in Figure Skating

Yulia began figure skating when she was four years old. Her mother took her to train with coach Elena Levkovets. Yulia also practiced rhythmic gymnastics. This helped her become more flexible. She skated in Yekaterinburg until 2009. Then, she and her mother decided to move. They wanted to help her skating career. They moved to Moscow. In March 2009, Yulia joined Eteri Tutberidze's training group.

In the 2009–10 season, Yulia competed at the junior level. She placed fifth at the 2010 Russian Championships. The next season, she was fourth at the senior level. This was at the 2011 Russian Championships. She also competed at the 2011 Russian Junior Championships. However, she had to withdraw after the first part of the competition.

First International Competitions (2011–12)

Lipnitskaya at the 2011–2012 Junior Grand Prix Final

In the 2011–12 season, Yulia was old enough for junior international events. She started on the Junior Grand Prix series. Her first event was the Baltic Cup in Gdańsk, Poland. She won both parts of the competition. This earned her a gold medal. She then won her second event in Milan, Italy. These wins helped her qualify for the Junior Grand Prix Final. At the Final in Quebec, Yulia placed first in both sections. She won the gold medal there too.

Yulia won a silver medal at the senior 2012 Russian Championships. She was third in the short program and first in the free skate. Later, she won gold at the 2012 Russian Junior Championships. At the World Junior Championships, she won gold. She also set new junior records for total score and free skate score. Yulia did not fall on the ice during any competition in the 2011–12 season.

Senior Debut and Challenges (2012–13)

Yulia was old enough for some senior events in 2012–13. However, she was not yet old enough for the World or European Championships. She made her senior debut at the 2012 Finlandia Trophy. There, she won the gold medal. Yulia was chosen for two Grand Prix events. She won a silver medal at the 2012 Cup of China. She was first in the short program and second in the free skate.

Before the 2012 Trophee Eric Bompard in Paris, Yulia twisted her right ankle. She found it hard to do jumps. But she decided to compete. She placed first in the short program. She finished third in the free skate. Overall, she won the bronze medal.

Yulia qualified for the Grand Prix Final in Sochi, Russia. But she had to withdraw because of an injury. During training, she fell and hurt her chin. She also got a slight concussion. Doctors told her to stay off the ice for at least two weeks. She started training again slowly. She avoided jumps and spins at first. Yulia then withdrew from the senior Russian Championships. She needed more time to get ready. She returned to compete at the 2013 Russian Junior Championships. She finished in fifth place. Yulia said she was still working to get back in shape. She then competed at the 2013 World Junior Championships. She won the silver medal there.

Olympic and European Champion (2013–14)

Lipnitskaya at the 2014 Olympics Team event with Evgeni Plushenko

For her 2013–14 programs, Yulia chose all her own music. She picked "You Don't Give Up On Love" for her short program. For her free skate, she chose music from the movie Schindler's List. She had watched the film many times. Her coach was not sure about the music at first. They also had trouble finding a choreographer. Finally, former ice dancer Ilia Averbukh choreographed both programs.

In the 2013–14 season, Yulia was old enough for all senior ISU events. She started by winning gold at the 2013 Finlandia Trophy. Her first Grand Prix event was the 2013 Skate Canada International. She placed second in the short program and first in the free skate. She won the gold medal with 198.23 points. At the 2013 Rostelecom Cup, she scored 72.24 points in the short program. This put her in the lead. She won the gold medal overall. This qualified her for the Grand Prix Final. At the Final in Fukuoka, Japan, she won the silver medal.

Yulia won the silver medal at the 2014 Russian Championships. She was second in the short program and first in the free skate. In her first European Championships, she placed second in the short program. She was first in the free skate. She scored a total of 209.72 points. At 15 years old, Yulia became the youngest European champion in ladies' singles. She was the first Russian to win the ladies' title since 2006.

Yulia was chosen for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. The first skating event was the team trophy. Yulia skated in both parts of the team event. She placed first in both. This helped team Russia win the gold medal. She became the youngest Olympic gold medalist in figure skating under modern rules. She was six days younger than American Tara Lipinski when she won in 1998. On February 10, 2014, Yulia appeared on the cover of Time magazine. After the team event, she left Sochi to train in Moscow. Her coach said the media attention was too much.

In the individual event, Yulia placed fifth in the short program. She fell on one of her jumps. She was sixth in the free skate after more mistakes. She finished fifth overall.

In March, Yulia received a letter from Steven Spielberg. He is the director of Schindler's List. He praised her performance. A few weeks later, she made her World Championship debut. This was at the 2014 World Championships in Saitama, Japan. She placed third in the short program and second in the free skate. She won the silver medal.

Challenges and Coaching Changes (2014–16)

Lipnitskaya at the 2014–15 Grand Prix Final

For the 2014–15 Grand Prix season, Yulia competed at the 2014 Cup of China and the 2014 Trophée Éric Bompard. At the Cup of China, she was first after the short program. But she was fourth in her free skate. This put her second overall. Yulia missed the medal ceremony. She left the rink because she was upset about her free skate. She did not know the ceremony time. The International Skating Union fined her. Yulia won the silver medal at the Trophée Bompard. Her results qualified her for the Grand Prix Final in Barcelona. In the final, she placed second in the short program. However, she struggled in the free skate. She dropped to fifth overall.

At the 2015 Russian Championships, Yulia placed ninth overall. She was not chosen for the 2015 European Championships. This meant she could not defend her title. She also did not compete at the 2015 World Championships. Yulia said her season was over. She planned to recover and train for the next season.

In May 2015, Yulia started working with a new choreographer, Marina Zueva. This was to prepare her programs. Her 2015–16 Grand Prix events were Skate America and Trophée Éric Bompard. She started her season with a second-place finish at the 2015 Finlandia Trophy. She placed sixth at the 2015 Skate America. After the short program at the Trophée Éric Bompard, she was in second place. But the competition was canceled due to events in Paris.

On November 18, 2015, Yulia announced a big change. She left her longtime coaches, Eteri Tutberidze and Sergei Dudakov. She moved to train under 1994 Olympic champion, Alexei Urmanov, in Sochi. In December, she competed at the Russian Championships. She finished in seventh place. She was not chosen for the European Championships. Yulia then competed at the 2015–16 Russian Cup Final. She won a silver medal there. Yulia also competed at the 2016 Cup of Tyrol in Innsbruck, Austria. Her doctors had suggested she rest due to a hip injury. But she competed and won the gold medal. This was her first win in two years.

Injuries and Retirement (2016–17)

For the 2016–17 season, Yulia was assigned to two ISU Grand Prix events. These were Skate America and Rostelecom Cup. She started the season at the 2016 CS Ondrej Nepela Memorial in Bratislava, Slovakia. She won the short program. She then placed fifth in the free skate. She won the silver medal overall.

Yulia withdrew from Skate America due to a recurring injury. She still chose to compete at her second Grand Prix event, the 2016 Rostelecom Cup. In the short program, she earned 69.25 points. This put her in third place. In the free skate, her leg injury got worse. She had to stop during her program. After talking with judges and her coach, she was allowed to continue. But she received many penalties for the stop. Her free skate score was low. She finished in 12th and last place.

After training on December 18, 2016, Yulia slipped on ice. She injured her right hip and lower back. Because of this, she withdrew from the Russian Championships.

On August 28, 2017, Yulia's mother, Daniela, announced her daughter's retirement. Yulia had decided to retire in April. This was after three months of treatment for health issues. The President of the Russian Figure Skating Federation confirmed her decision.

Even though she is retired from competitive skating, Yulia is still involved in the sport. She teaches special classes for young skaters. In December 2020, Yulia joined the coaching team at Evgeni Plushenko's skating academy.

Yulia's Personal Life

In June 2020, Yulia Lipnitskaya confirmed she was expecting her first child. Her partner at the time was Vladislav Tarasenko. Their daughter, Katalina, was born on June 27, 2020. In 2022, Tarasenko was called to serve in the military. The couple separated after his deployment. As of 2023, he is deployed to a specific region.

In June 2024, Yulia Lipnitskaya married Dmitri Mikhailov. He is a Russian figure skating coach and choreographer. They have worked together at Evgeni Plushenko's academy. They often skate together in ice shows. They welcomed a son in September 2024.

Amazing Records and Achievements

• Youngest Olympic figure skating gold medalist since 1936. She is the second-youngest ever.
• Youngest Russian athlete to win a gold medal at the Winter Olympics.
• Youngest women's singles skater to win the European title.
• First Russian women's singles skater to score over 200 points in total score.
• Former world record holder for the junior women's free skate score (123.96). She set this at the 2012 World Junior Championships on March 3, 2012. This record was broken two years later by Elena Radionova.
• Former world record holder for the junior women's total score (187.05). She set this at the 2012 World Junior Championships on March 3, 2012. This record was also broken two years later by Elena Radionova.

Yulia's Junior World Record Scores

Yulia used to hold the junior world records for the free skate and combined total scores.

Yulia's Skating Programs

Lipnitskaya at the 2011–12 Junior Grand Prix Final

Lipnitskaya competing her free skate at the 2014 Olympics Team event

Competition and exhibition programs by season 

Season	Short program	Free skate program	Exhibition program
2011–12	"Dark Eyes" Choreo. by Nikolai Morozov	"Un Giorno Per Noi" From Romeo and Juliet Composed by Nino Rota Choreo. by Nikolai Morozov	"Je t'aime" Performed by Lara Fabian
2012–13	"Sabre Dance" Composed by Aram Khachaturian Performed by Vanessa-Mae Choreo. by Nikolai Morozov	Pas de Deux From The Nutcracker Choreo. by Nikolai Morozov	"Je t'aime" Performed by Lara Fabian
2013–14	"You Don't Give Up On Love" (Не отрекаются любя) Composed by Mark Minkov Choreo. by Ilia Averbukh	Schindler's List Composed by John Williams Choreo. by Ilia Averbukh	"Je t'aime" Performed by Lara Fabian
			"Sabre Dance" Composed by Aram Khachaturian Performed by Vanessa-Mae Choreo. by Nikolai Morozov
			Kill Bill Vol. 1
2014–15	"Megapolis" (Мегаполис) Composed by Bel Suono Choreo. by Ilia Averbukh	Romeo and Juliet "A Time for Us" From Romeo and Juliet Composed by Nino Rota "Mother's Journey" From Good Bye Lenin Composed by Yann Tiersen "Forbidden Love" From Romeo and Juliet Composed by Abel Korzeniowski Choreo. by Ilia Averbukh	"It's Wonderful" Performed by Paolo Conte
2015–16	Elvis Presley Choreo. by Marina Zueva 'Tracks used' "Can't Help Falling in Love" "(You're the) Devil in Disguise"	"Leningrad" Composed by William Joseph Choreo. by Marina Zueva	"Megapolis" (Мегаполис) Composed by Bel Suono Choreo. by Ilia Averbukh
			"Dance for You" Performed by Beyoncé
2016–17	"Les feuilles mortes" Composed by Joseph Kosma Performed by Koala Liu Choreo. by Stéphane Lambiel	Kill Bill Choreo. by Alexei Urmanov and Olga Poverennaya 'Tracks used' "Twisted Nerve" "Goodnight Moon" "Ironside" "Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)" "Battle Without Honor or Humanity"	N/A

Competitive Highlights

Lipnitskaya at the awarding ceremony for Russian athletes with President Vladimir Putin in 2014

Detailed Results

Senior Level Results

Results in the 2010–11 season 

Date	Event	SP		FS		Total		Details
		P	Score	P	Score	P	Score
26–29 Dec 2010	2011 Russian Championships	5	59.13	4	117.14	4	176.27	Details

Results in the 2011–12 season 

Date	Event	SP		FS		Total		Details
		P	Score	P	Score	P	Score
25–29 Dec 2011	2012 Russian Championships	3	63.11	1	128.54	2	191.65	Details

Lipnitskaya (right) with Ashley Wagner and Elizaveta Tuktamysheva at the 2012 Trophée Éric Bompard podium

Results in the 2012–13 season 

Date	Event	SP		FS		Total		Details
		P	Score	P	Score	P	Score
5–7 Oct 2012	2012 Finlandia Trophy	2	64.05	1	124.18	1	188.23	Details
2–4 Nov 2012	2012 Cup of China	1	63.06	2	114.86	2	177.92	Details
16–18 Nov 2012	2012 Trophée Éric Bompard	1	63.55	3	115.76	3	179.31	Details

Lipnitskaya (left) with Mao Asada and Carolina Kostner at the 2014 World Championships podium

Results in the 2013–14 season 

Date	Event	SP		FS		Total		Details
		P	Score	P	Score	P	Score
4–6 Oct 2013	2013 Finlandia Trophy	1	65.49	1	125.82	1	191.31	Details
25–27 Oct 2013	2013 Skate Canada International	2	66.89	1	131.34	1	198.23	Details
22–24 Nov 2013	2013 Rostelecom Cup	1	72.24	2	118.56	1	190.80	Details
5–8 Dec 2013	2013–14 Grand Prix Final	4	66.62	2	125.45	2	192.07	Details
24–26 Dec 2013	2014 Russian Championships	2	70.32	1	140.49	2	210.81	Details
15–19 Jan 2014	2014 European Championships	2	69.97	1	139.75	1	209.72	Details
6–9 Feb 2014	2014 Winter Olympics (Team event)	1	72.90	1	141.51	1	–	Details
19–20 Feb 2014	2014 Winter Olympics	5	65.23	6	135.34	5	200.57	Details
27–29 Mar 2014	2014 World Championships	3	74.54	2	132.96	2	207.50	Details

Lipnitskaya at the 2014 Trophée Éric Bompard

Results in the 2014–15 season 

Date	Event	SP		FS		Total		Details
		P	Score	P	Score	P	Score
7–9 Nov 2014	2014 Cup of China	1	69.56	4	104.01	2	173.57	Details
21–23 Nov 2014	2014 Trophée Éric Bompard	2	66.79	2	118.39	2	185.18	Details
11–14 Dec 2014	2014–15 Grand Prix Final	2	66.24	6	111.55	5	177.79	Details
24–28 Dec 2014	2015 Russian Championships	6	66.90	11	102.80	9	169.70	Details

Results in the 2015–16 season 

Date	Event	SP		FS		Total		Details
		P	Score	P	Score	P	Score
8–11 Oct 2015	2015 CS Finlandia Trophy	2	62.81	2	109.52	2	172.33	Details
23–25 Oct 2015	2015 Skate America	5	62.24	7	108.39	6	170.63	Details
13–15 Nov 2015	2015 Trophée Éric Bompard	2	65.63	–	–	2	–	Details
24–27 Dec 2015	2016 Russian Championships	3	73.77	10	121.47	7	195.24	Details
16–20 Feb 2016	2016 Russian Cup Final	1	65.43	3	123.12	2	188.55	Details
9–13 Mar 2016	2016 Cup of Tyrol	1	66.73	1	105.91	1	172.64	Details

Note: The 2015 Trophée Éric Bompard was cancelled after the events in Paris. The short programs were finished, but the free skates were not held. The short program results were used as the final results.

Results in the 2016–17 season 

Date	Event	SP		FS		Total		Details
		P	Score	P	Score	P	Score
29 Sep – 1 October 2016	2016 CS Ondrej Nepela Memorial	1	63.16	5	102.30	2	165.46	Details
4–6 Nov 2016	2016 Rostelecom Cup	3	69.25	12	79.21	12	148.46	Details

Junior Level Results

Results in the 2009–10 season 

Date	Event	SP		FS		Total		Details
		P	Score	P	Score	P	Score
3–6 Feb 2010	2010 Russian Championships (Junior)	5	55.66	5	99.84	5	155.50	Details

Results in the 2010–11 season 

Date	Event	SP		FS		Total		Details
		P	Score	P	Score	P	Score
2–4 Feb 2011	2011 Russian Championships (Junior)	7	51.75	–	–	–	WD	Details

Lipnitskaya (center) at the 2012 World Junior Championships

Results in the 2011–12 season 

Date	Event	SP		FS		Total		Details
		P	Score	P	Score	P	Score
15–17 Sep 2011	2011 JGP Poland	1	60.37	1	112.14	1	172.51	Details
6–8 Oct 2011	2011 JGP Italy	1	63.71	1	119.34	1	183.05	Details
8–11 Dec 2011	2011–12 Junior Grand Prix Final	1	59.98	1	119.75	1	179.73	Details
5–7 Feb 2012	2012 Russian Championships (Junior)	1	65.28	1	126.64	1	191.92	Details
2–3 Mar 2012	2012 World Junior Championships	1	63.09	1	123.96	1	187.05	Details

Results in the 2012–13 season 

Date	Event	SP		FS		Total		Details
		P	Score	P	Score	P	Score
1–2 Feb 2013	2013 Russian Championships (Junior)	3	67.03	6	111.53	5	178.56	Details
2–3 Mar 2013	2013 World Junior Championships	4	53.86	2	111.81	2	165.67	Details

Awards and Recognition

• Russian Order of Friendship for her "great contribution to sports and high achievements at the 2014 XXII Winter Olympic Games in Sochi" (February 24, 2014)

See also

In Spanish: Yúliya Lipnítskaya para niños