Grigory Smirnov
Shpilevaya/Smirnov at the 2016−17 JGP Final
Full nameGrigory Sergeyevich Smirnov
Native nameГригорий Сергеевич Смирнов
Born (1997-04-01) 1 April 1997 (age 26)
Nizhny Novgorod, Russia
Height1.77 m (5 ft 9+1⁄2 in)
Figure skating career
CountryUnited States United States
PartnerAvonley Nguyen
CoachIgor Shpilband, Pasquale Camerlengo
Skating clubSC of New York
Began skating2002
RetiredAugust 20, 2022
Medal record
Representing  Russia
Figure skating: Ice dancing
Winter Youth Olympics
Gold medal – first place 2016 Lillehammer Ice dancing

Grigory Sergeyevich Smirnov (Russian: Григорий Сергеевич Смирнов, born 1 April 1997) is a Russian retired ice dancer who competed for the United States. With his former skating partner, Anastasia Shpilevaya, competing for Russia, he is the 2019 Bavarian Open champion, 2016 Youth Olympic champion, and 2017 Russian junior national champion.

During the 2021–22, he competed with Avonley Nguyen for the United States. He did not represent the US in international competition.

Personal life

Grigory Sergeyevich Smirnov was born on 1 April 1997 in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia.[1][2] He resides in Moscow.

Career

Early years

Smirnov began learning to skate in 2002.[1] He competed with Yulia Borisova in the 2010–11 season and with Valeria Neyman in 2011–12.[3]

Smirnov teamed up with Anastasia Shpilevaya ahead of the 2012–13 season. Competing on the junior level, they placed fifth at the Ice Challenge and won silver at the Pavel Roman Memorial. The following season, they qualified for the 2014 Russian Junior Championships, where they finished seventh.[4]

2014–2015 season

Shpilevaya/Smirnov received their first ISU Junior Grand Prix (JGP) assignments in the 2014–15 season. They won bronze in late August at the JGP in Courchevel, France, but finished ninth the following month in Tallinn, Estonia. The two placed fifth at the 2015 Russian Junior Championships.[4]

2015–2016 season

Shpilevaya/Smirnov's first event of the 2015 JGP series took place in October in Logroño, Spain. They finished fourth, outscored for the bronze medal by Elliana Pogrebinsky / Alex Benoit, resulting in the loss of their provisional assignment to Zagreb, Croatia. In January 2016, they won the bronze medal at the Russian Junior Championships, behind Alla Loboda / Pavel Drozd and Betina Popova / Yuri Vlasenko. They were named in Russia's teams to the Youth Olympics and World Junior Championships.[4]

In February, Shpilevaya/Smirnov won gold at the 2016 Winter Youth Olympics in Hamar, Norway, having placed first in both segments.[5] Assigned to Team Courage for the mixed NOC team event, they placed first in their segment and their team finished sixth.[6] On March 15–20, they competed at the 2016 World Junior Championships in Debrecen, Hungary where they finished fifth.[4]

2016–2017 season

In the 2016–17 Season, Shpilevaya/Smirnov's first JGP assignment was at the 2016 JGP Japan where they won the silver medal with a total score of 151.50 points. A month later they achieved their second silver of the season at the 2016 JGP Germany. With two silver medals they qualified for the 2016−17 JGP Final where they placed sixth.[4]

In February 2017 Shpilevaya/Smirnov won the gold medal at the 2017 Russian Junior Championships after placing second in the short dance and 1st in the free dance. They beat the silver medalist and the favourites, Alla Loboda / Pavel Drozd, by almost 6 points, mainly due to the costly fall that Lododa had in the free dance.[4]

In March 2017 they competed at the 2017 World Junior Championships where they finished fourth after placing fourth in both the short dance and free dance. At these championships they scored their personal best score of 152.66 points.[4]

2017–2018 season

In the 2017–18 Season, Shpilevaya/Smirnov's first JGP assignment was at the 2016 JGP Latvia where they won the silver medal behind their teammates and training partners, Sofia Shevchenko / Igor Eremenko. Due to Smirnov's injury, which required a surgery, they had to skip the rest of the season.[4]

2018–2019 season

Shpilevaya/Smirnov started their season by competing in two ISU Challenger Series events. In early October they made their international senior debut at the 2018 CS Finlandia Trophy where they finished fifth and in mid-November, they competed at the 2018 CS Alpen Trophy where they placed fourth. They placed sixth at the 2019 Russian Championships.[7]

2019–2020 & 2020–2021 seasons

Beginning the season with two Challenger assignments, Shpilevaya/Smirnov placed fourth at 2019 CS Lombardia Trophy and then sixth at 2019 CS Finlandia Trophy. Making their Grand Prix debut, they placed sixth at the 2019 Rostelecom Cup.[8] At the 2020 Russian Championships, they placed ninth.[4]

In September 2020, it was announced that the pair had split due to Shpilevaya's inability to practice due to the lasting effects of a severe case of COVID-19.[9]

2021–2022 season

In September 2021, it was confirmed that Smirnov had switched federations to compete with American ice dancer Avonley Nguyen for the United States after Shpilevaya was forced to end her career.[10] They were scheduled to make their U.S. Championship debut in January 2022, but withdrew after Smirnov suffered a hip injury.[11]

On August 20, 2022, Smirnov announced he had retired and was now coaching.[12]

Programs

With Nguyen

Season Rhythm dance Free dance Exhibition
2021–2022

With Shpilevaya

Season Rhythm dance Free dance
2019–2020
[13]
2018–2019
[14]
Short dance
2017–2018
[15]
  • Cha Cha: Kiss
    performed by Tom Jones
  • Samba: Baila Baila Conmigo
    performed by Domino
  • Love Story
2016–2017
[16]
2015–2016
[1]
2014–2015
[17]
  • Samba:
  • Rhumba:
  • Samba:

Competitive highlights

GP: Grand Prix; CS: Challenger Series; JGP: Junior Grand Prix

With Nguyen for United States

National
Event 21–22
U.S. Champ. WD
USCS Georgia 1st

With Shpilevaya for Russia

International[4]
Event 12–13 13–14 14–15 15–16 16–17 17–18 18–19 19–20
GP Rostelecom Cup 6th
CS Alpen Trophy 4th
CS Finlandia 5th 6th
CS Lombardia 4th
Bavarian Open 1st
Universiade 5th
International: Junior[6][4]
Junior Worlds 5th 4th
Youth Olympics 1st
JGP Final 6th
JGP Estonia 9th
JGP France 3rd
JGP Germany 2nd
JGP Japan 2nd
JGP Latvia 2nd
JGP Spain 4th
Denkova-Staviski 1st
Ice Challenge 5th
Ice Star 1st
Pavel Roman 2nd
Volvo Open Cup 1st
National[3]
Russia 6th 9th
Russia, Junior 7th 5th 3rd 1st WD
Team events[6]
Youth Olympics 6th T
1st P
TBD = Assigned; WD = Withdrew
T = Team result; P = Personal result. Medals awarded for team result only.

With Neyman for Russia

International
Event 2011–12
Bavarian Open 4th N
Ice Challenge 1st N
N = Advanced novice level

Detailed results

Shpilevaya/Smirnov at the 2016–17 Junior Grand Prix Final

With Shpilevaya

2019–20 season
Date Event RD FD Total
24–29 December 2019 2020 Russian Championships 8
70.34 		9
105.33 		9
175.67
15–17 November 2019 2019 Rostelecom Cup 6
67.04 		5
105.89 		6
172.93
11–13 October 2019 2019 CS Finlandia Trophy 6
68.04 		5
97.77 		6
165.81
13–15 September 2019 2019 CS Lombardia Trophy 6
67.04 		5
103.58 		4
170.62
2018–19 season
Date Event RD FD Total
7–9 March 2019 2019 Winter Universiade 6
62.19 		5
104.63 		5
166.82
5–10 February 2019 2019 Bavarian Open 3
65.00 		1
108.55 		1
173.55
19–23 December 2018 2019 Russian Championships 7
68.00 		6
105.23 		6
173.23
11–18 November 2018 2018 CS Alpen Trophy 4
63.43 		5
95.22 		4
158.65
4–7 October 2018 2018 CS Finlandia Trophy 5
64.33 		4
103.61 		5
167.94
2017–18 season
Date Event Level SD FD Total
6–9 September 2017 2017 JGP Latvia Junior 1
60.11 		2
79.72 		2
139.83
2016–17 season
Date Event Level SD FD Total
15–19 March 2017 2017 World Junior Championships Junior 4
63.26 		4
89.40 		4
152.66
1–5 February 2017 2017 Russian Junior Championships Junior 2
67.71 		1
96.17 		1
163.88
8–11 December 2016 2016−17 JGP Final Junior 6
59.29 		6
81.35 		6
140.64
18–20 November 2016 2016 Ice Star Junior 1
66.49 		1
93.43 		1
159.92
5–9 October 2016 2016 JGP Germany Junior 2
61.00 		2
87.02 		2
148.02
7–11 September 2016 2016 JGP Japan Junior 2
60.88 		2
90.62 		2
151.50
2015–16 season
Date Event Level SD FD Total
14–20 March 2016 2016 World Junior Championships Junior 4
59.15 		6
87.40 		5
146.55
12–21 February 2016 2016 Winter Youth Olympics - Team Event Junior
- 		1
86.48 		6
12–21 February 2016 2016 Winter Youth Olympics Junior 1
57.93 		1
83.95 		1
141.88
19–23 January 2016 2016 Russian Junior Championships Junior 2
63.73 		3
92.23 		3
155.96
20–25 October 2015 2015 Denkova-Staviski Cup Junior 1
57.78 		1
90.33 		1
148.11
30 September – 4 October 2015 2015 JGP Spain Junior 4
57.15 		4
83.24 		4
140.39
2014–15 season
Date Event Level SD FD Total
4–7 February 2015 2015 Russian Junior Championships Junior 4
55.47 		4
84.39 		5
139.86
5–9 November 2014 2014 Volvo Open Cup Junior 1
57.05 		1
82.96 		1
140.01
24–28 September 2014 2014 JGP Estonia Junior 8
42.96 		9
68.70 		9
111.66
20–24 August 2014 2014 JGP France Junior 3
47.94 		4
73.48 		3
121.42
2013–14 season
Date Event Level SD FD Total
22–25 January 2014 2014 Russian Junior Championships Junior 6
56.96 		7
75.52 		7
132.48

References

  1. ^ a b c "Anastasia SHPILEVAYA / Grigory SMIRNOV: 2015/2016". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 23 February 2016.
  2. ^ СПИСОК кандидатов в спортивные сборные команды Российской Федерации по фигурному катанию на коньках на 2015-2016 гг. [List of candidates for 2015-2016 Russian national team] (PDF) (in Russian). Figure Skating Federation of Russia. p. 11. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 June 2015. Retrieved 23 February 2016.
  3. ^ a b "Григорий Сергеевич Смирнов" [Grigory Sergeyevich Smirnov] (in Russian). fskate.ru.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Competition Results: Anastasia SHPILEVAYA / Grigory SMIRNOV". International Skating Union.
  5. ^ Lupano, Emma; Bayci, Emily (16 February 2016). "All smiles for Russian ice dancers Shpilevaya and Smirnov". lillehammer2016.com. Archived from the original on 18 February 2016.
  6. ^ a b c "Lillehammer 2016 Athletes: SMIRNOV Grigory". wyog2016.sportresult.com. Archived from the original on 23 February 2016.
  7. ^ Flade, Tatjana (21 December 2018). "Sinitsina and Katsalapov dance to first gold at Russian Nationals". Golden Skate.
  8. ^ Slater, Paula (November 16, 2019). "Sinitsina and Katsalapov take second consecutive Grand Prix gold in Moscow". Golden Skate.
  9. ^ "Распался российский танцевальный дуэт Шпилевая – Смирнов" [The Russian dance duet Shpilevaya - Smirnov broke up] (in Russian). September 16, 2020.
  10. ^ "Challenge Cup 2021". Philadelphia Skating Club. September 17, 2021.
  11. ^ Anything GOEs [@AnythingGOE] (January 7, 2022). "🇺🇸 Avonley Nguyen / Grigory Smirnov have withdrawn from U.S. Nationals due to Smirnov suffering with a hip injury" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  12. ^ Anything GOEs [@AnythingGOEs] (August 18, 2022). "🇷🇺 Grigory Smirnov and Andrey Filatov have ended their careers and become coaches" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  13. ^ "Anastasia SHPILEVAYA / Grigory SMIRNOV: 2019/2020". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 14 September 2019.
  14. ^ "Anastasia SHPILEVAYA / Grigory SMIRNOV: 2018/2019". International Skating Union.
  15. ^ "Anastasia SHPILEVAYA / Grigory SMIRNOV: 2017/2018". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 29 May 2018.
  16. ^ "Anastasia SHPILEVAYA / Grigory SMIRNOV: 2016/2017". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 30 May 2017.
  17. ^ "Anastasia SHPILEVAYA / Grigory SMIRNOV: 2014/2015". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 20 May 2015.

External links

Russian junior champions in figure skating – Ice dancing
Youth Olympic champions in figure skating – pair skating
Categories