Ilia Averbukh
Born (1973-12-18) 18 December 1973 (age 50)
Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Height1.77 m (5 ft 10 in)
Figure skating career
CountryRussia
Skating clubDynamo Moscow
Began skating1979
Retired2003
Medal record
Figure skating
Ice dancing
Representing  Russia
Olympic Games
Silver medal – second place 2002 Salt Lake City Ice dancing
World Championships
Silver medal – second place 2003 Washington, D.C. Ice dancing
Gold medal – first place 2002 Nagano Ice dancing
Bronze medal – third place 2001 Vancouver Ice dancing
European Championships
Gold medal – first place 2003 Malmö Ice dancing
Bronze medal – third place 2002 Lausanne Ice dancing
Bronze medal – third place 2001 Bratislava Ice dancing
Bronze medal – third place 1999 Prague Ice dancing
Grand Prix Final
Gold medal – first place 2002–2003 St. Petersburg Ice dancing
Silver medal – second place 2000–2001 Tokyo Ice dancing
Bronze medal – third place 1998–1999 St. Petersburg Ice dancing
World Junior Championships
Gold medal – first place 1992 Hull Ice dancing
Gold medal – first place 1990 Colorado Springs Ice dancing

Ilia Izyaslavich Averbukh (Russian: Илья Изяславич Авербух, correctly spelled "Ilya"; born 18 December 1973) is a Russian ice dancer. With his then-wife Irina Lobacheva, he is the 2002 Olympic silver medalist,[1][2] the 2002 World champion and the 2003 European champion.

With Marina Anissina, he is the 1990 and 1992 World Junior champion.[3]

Career

Averbukh started skating at the age of 5. He initially competed with Marina Anissina. They won two World Junior Championships (1990 and 1992).[3] Averbukh teamed up with Irina Lobacheva in 1992.[4] After the Goodwill Games in the summer of 1994 their coaches moved with many of their students to the United States to train at the University of Delaware. Lobacheva and Averbukh joined them the next year.[4]

In September 2001, Lobacheva injured her knee in training, causing them to miss the Grand Prix season.[4] They won the silver medal at the 2002 Olympics behind Marina Anissina / Gwendal Peizerat.

Lobacheva / Averbukh won gold at the 2002 World Championships and at the 2003 European Championships. They retired from competition at the end of the 2002–2003 season.[5][6]

Post-competitive career

Following his retirement from competitive skating, Averbukh became a producer of skating shows and tours.[7] Among his projects are Ice Symphony/Ice Age; City Lights; Bolero (a television show pairing skaters with prima ballerinas);[8][9] and Small Stories of a Big City, an ice show during the 2012 Olympics in London.[10] In January 2013, Averbukh was named an ambassador for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.[citation needed]

Averbukh works as a choreographer. His past and current clients include:

Programs

(with Lobacheva)

Season Original dance Free dance Exhibition
2002–2003
[4][12]
2001–2002
[12][13]
  • Tanguera
    by M. Mores
  • Bulerias Magna Mafa
    by Thomas Espanner
2000–2001
[12][14]
  • Foxtrot: Come into my house
  • Quickstep: Dancing Fool
1999–2000
[12]
  • Ritmo de Bom Bom
    by Vimi
  • Rhumba de le more
1998–1999
[12]
  • Diablo
1997–1998
[12]
1996–1997
[12]
  • Argentine Tango:
  • This Business of Love
    (from The Mask)
    by Domino
1995–1996
[12]
  • Malagueña
1994–1995
[12]
1993–1994
[12]

Results

With Lobacheva

Results[4][13][14]
International
Event 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–00 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03
Olympics 5th 2nd
Worlds 13th 15th 6th 7th 4th 4th 4th 3rd 1st 2nd
Europeans 9th 5th 5th 4th 3rd 4th 3rd 3rd 1st
Grand Prix Final 5th 4th 3rd 4th 2nd 1st
GP Cup of Russia 2nd 2nd 2nd 2nd 1st
GP Int. Paris/Lalique 1st 2nd
GP Nations Cup 3rd 4th
GP NHK Trophy 8th 2nd 2nd 1st
GP Skate America 2nd 2nd 2nd 2nd
GP Skate Canada 4th 3rd
Goodwill Games 2nd 2nd
National
Russian Champ. 2nd 3rd 3rd 1st 2nd 2nd 1st 1st 1st
GP = Became part of Champions Series in 1995–96, Grand Prix from 1998 to 1999

With Anissina

Results[3]
International
Event 1989–1990 1990–1991 1991–1992
World Junior Championships 1st 4th 1st

Hall of Fame

Averbukh is Jewish[15][16][17] and elected to the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame's induction class of 2015.[18]

Other sports

Averbukh will play a role in the opening ceremony of the 2016 Bandy World Championship.[19][20]

Personal life

Lobacheva and Averbukh married in 1995.[4] Their son, Martin, was born in 2004. They divorced in 2007.

Since December 20, 2020, he has been married to the Russian actress Elizaveta Arzamasova.[21]

On August 14, 2021, the couple had a son.[22]

Politics

In 2023, he stated that Russian athletes should boycott the Olympics if the pre-requisite for their participation is the condemnation of Russia's "special military operation" in Ukraine.[23]

Trivia

In April 2023, Averbukh was sanctioned by the Ukrainian government, with all his assets in Ukraine frozen and a 50-year ban on entering the country, due to his support for the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[24]

See also

References

  1. ^ Wechsler, Bob (2008). Day by day in Jewish sports history. KTAV Publishing House. ISBN 9781602800137. Retrieved 17 January 2011.
  2. ^ "Jewish athletes in the Olympics — then and now". Jweekly. 9 February 2006. Retrieved 17 January 2011.
  3. ^ a b c "World Junior Figure Skating Championships: Dance" (PDF). International Skating Union. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-10-30.
  4. ^ a b c d e f "Irina LOBACHEVA / Ilia AVERBUKH: 2002/2003". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 14 July 2003.
  5. ^ "2003 World Figure Skating Championships: Ice Dance Highlights". goldenskate.com. April 9, 2003. Retrieved October 18, 2022.
  6. ^ Amy Rosewater (March 17, 2003). "Saving the Last Dance For Your True Love". washingtonpost.com. Retrieved October 18, 2022.
  7. ^ Kany, Klaus-Reinhold (4 April 2008). "Ilya Averbukh hopes to bring show to U.S." Icenetwork.
  8. ^ Rutherford, Lynn (6 June 2008). "Averbukh attributes success to persistence". Icenetwork. Archived from the original on 8 June 2008. Retrieved 8 June 2012.
  9. ^ Golinsky, Reut (2010). "Ice festival in Moscow". Absolute Skating.
  10. ^ Flade, Tatjana (17 August 2012). "Small Stories of a Big City". IFS Magazine. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 21 August 2012.
  11. ^ http://www.isuresults.com/bios/isufs00104482.htm Biography
  12. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Lobacheva and Averbukh: Program Information". ice-dance.com. Archived from the original on 28 June 2011.
  13. ^ a b "Irina LOBACHEVA / Ilia AVERBUKH: 2001/2002". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 4 February 2002.
  14. ^ a b "Irina LOBACHEVA / Ilia AVERBUKH: 2000/2001". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 18 April 2001.
  15. ^ "Averbukh, Ilia : Jews in Sports @ Virtual Museum". Archived from the original on 2015-11-05. Retrieved 2015-02-16.
  16. ^ "Jewish Olympic Medalists (1896–Present) – Jewish Virtual Library". jewishvirtuallibrary.org.
  17. ^ Wechsler, Bob (2008). Day by Day in Jewish Sports History. KTAV Publishing House. ISBN 9780881259698.
  18. ^ "Late S.F. boxing champ to be enshrined". jweekly.com. 2 December 2014.
  19. ^ Илья Авербух посетит Ульяновск - Архив новостей - Федерация хоккея с мячом России
  20. ^ Илья Авербух устроит в Ульяновске грандиозное шоу на ЧМ-2016 по хоккею с мячом
  21. ^ "Свадьба Авербуха с Арзамасовой "разорвала мозг" Ягудину: главные союзы года" (in Russian). mk.ru. February 2, 2021. Retrieved October 18, 2022.
  22. ^ "Лиза Арзамасова показала, как поздравила сына с первым годом жизни". vokrug.tv. August 15, 2022. Retrieved October 18, 2022.
  23. ^ "Авербух о критериях допуска российских спортсменов: «Если будет возникать вопрос осудить спецоперацию – это недопустимо. Это абсолютное вмешательство в личную жизнь» - Фигурное катание - Sports.ru". www.sports.ru.
  24. ^ Сіменко, Надія (April 15, 2023). "❗️ Зеленський запровадив санкції проти російських діячів спорту". ua.tribuna.com.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ilia Averbukh.
Championships - Ice dancing
International Skating Union (ISU) world No. 1 figure skaters (since 2001–02 season)
Grand Slam in figure skating
Authority control databases
Categories