Russian ice dancer
| Andrei Bukin |
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| Full name | Andrei Anatolyevich Bukin |
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| Born | (1957-06-10) 10 June 1957 (age 66)
Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union |
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| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) |
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| Retired | 1988 |
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Andrei Anatolyevich Bukin (Russian: Андрей Анатольевич Букин, born 10 June 1957) is a Soviet and Russian former ice dancer who represented the Soviet Union in his competitive career. With his partner Natalia Bestemianova, he is the 1988 Olympic Champion, 1984 Olympic silver medalist, four-time World champion, three-time World silver medalist, and five-time European champion.
Career
Bukin began figure skating at age seven, entering the Children and Youth Sports School of CSKA in Moscow. The group trained at a small stadium in Chapayevsky Park near Pesochnaya Square. At age ten, he joined Spartak and began ice dancing, originally training at the Small Sports Arena of the Central Lenin Stadium. In his early career, he was coached by Nadezhda Shirokova and his ice dancing partner was Olga Abankina, who he married. In 1977, he joined the group of the famous coach Tatiana Tarasova,[1] who paired him with Natalia Bestemianova. Bukin was the USSR Olympic Team Flag Bearer at the 1988 Winter Olympics. The duo capped their lengthy career by winning the gold medal there and at that year's World Championships.
Personal life
Bukin married former ice dancing partner, Olga Abankina, with whom he has a son Andrei (born 1983).[2] With his current partner, Yelena Vasyukova, a former ice dancer, he has a son, Ivan Bukin, born in 1993, who is also a competitive ice dancer.[3][2]
