Natalia Mishkutionok

Natalia Mishkutionok
Personal information
Native name Наталья Евгеньевна Мишкутёнок
Full name Natalia Yevgenievna Mishkutionok
Alternative names Mishkutenok/Mishkutienok
Country represented Russia
Former country(ies) represented Soviet Union
Born (1970-07-14) July 14, 1970
Minsk, Byelorussian SSR, Soviet Union
Height 1.59 m (5 ft 2 12 in)
Former partner Artur Dmitriev
Former coach Tamara Moskvina
Former choreographer Alexander Matveev
Tamara Moskvina
Former skating club Yubileyny Sport Club
Retired 1994

Natalia Yevgenievna Mishkutionok (Russian: Наталья Евгеньевна Мишкутёнок, born July 14, 1970) is a Russian former pair skater who now works as a coach. With Artur Dmitriev, she is the 1992 Olympic champion, the 1994 Olympic silver medalist, a two-time World champion (1991, 1992), and a two-time European champion (1991, 1992).

Personal life

Natalia Mishkutionok[1] was born on July 14, 1970[2] to a Polish mother and a Belarusian father in the Byelorussian SSR.[3] In 1995, she settled in Colorado Springs, Colorado and moved to Texas in 2001.[4] She was formerly married to American hockey player Craig Shepherd, with whom she skated professionally on occasion during the late 1990s. She divorced Shepherd and married Alan Hainline. Their daughter, Natasha Alena Mishkutionok-Hainline, was born on January 16, 2006.[4]

Career

Mishkutionok began skating in 1976.[2] She teamed up with Artur Dmitriev around 1986.[5] They were coached by Tamara Moskvina in Saint Petersburg and their choreographers were Alexander Matveev with Moskvina.[5][6] Together, Mishkutionok/Dmitriev won the 1991 and 1992 World and European Championships, and Olympic gold in 1992. They performed to Franz Liszt's Liebesträume (Dream of Love), which became one of the most noted programs of their career and earned them four perfect 6.0 marks at the 1992 World Championships in Oakland, California. They turned professional shortly after that championship.

Mishkutionok/Dmitriev chose to reinstate as amateurs after the ban against such actions was lifted. They attempted to defend their Olympic title in the 1994 Winter Olympics, where they delivered two strong programs. Their free skate to Rachmaninov's 2nd Piano Concerto earned a standing ovation and is considered one of their finest performances. The judges awarded the gold medal to Mishkutionok and Dmitriev's friends and countrymen Ekaterina Gordeeva / Sergei Grinkov ("G & G"). Mishkutionok decided to retire from competition in 1994.[7]

One hallmark of Mishkutionok/Dmitriev's style was their creative spins, especially one in which Mishkutionok would do a split and point her head down, with an arm around Dmitriev's calf so that they were both vertical and aligned; this signature move, called "Natasha's spin" was incorporated into most of their programs. Another signature move was a backwards inside death spiral in which Mishkutionok bent backwards, holding her foot behind and above her head while Dmitriev also held her raised skate blade and her free hand. Mishkutionok/Dmitriev competed before, during, and after the breakup of the Soviet Union, thus, they competed for the Soviet Union, the Unified Team, and Russia, all within a four-year period.

Mishkutionok is currently coaching pairs and singles skaters in Grapevine, Texas and Farmers Branch, Texas. One of her students is the U.S. men's 2009 novice silver medalist Stevan Evans.

Programs

Season Short program Free skating Exhibition
1993–1994
[8]

"The Symphony of Emotions":
  • Piano Concerto #2
    by Sergei Rachmaninov

  • Nostalgia
1992–1993
[8]
  • Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini
    by Sergei Rachmaninov
  • Flute Dance
    1990–1992
    [8]
    • Don Quixote
      by Ludwig Minkus


    • War Drums

    • Peasant Dance
    1988–1990
    [8]
    • The Swan
    • Let's Dance Together
      (Jewish folk music)
    • Piano Piece ("The Death Spiral")

    • Peasant Dance


    • War drums

    Competitive highlights

    (with Artur Dmitriev)

    International[2]
    Event 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1993–94
    Winter Olympics 1st 2nd
    World Champ. 3rd 1st 1st
    European Champ. 4th 3rd 3rd 1st 1st 3rd
    GPI de Paris 1st 1st
    Nations Cup 1st
    NHK Trophy 3rd
    Skate America 1st 1st
    Goodwill Games 2nd 1st
    Moscow News 4th 1st
    Piruetten 1st
    Universiade 1st
    National[9]
    Russian Champ. 2nd
    Soviet Champ. 2nd 2nd 2nd 2nd

    Professional

    Event 1992–93
    World Pro. Championships 3rd
    World Challenge of Champions 3rd
    US Open Pro. 1st

    References

    1. "2014 - 2015 Coach/Instructor Compliance" (PDF). U.S. Figure Skating. December 5, 2014. p. 199. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 7, 2014.
    2. 1 2 3 "MISHKUTIENOK Natalia / DMITRIEV Artur". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 18 June 2014.
    3. Hersh, Phil (12 February 1992). "Russians Still Figure As Pairs Champions". Chicago Tribune.
    4. 1 2 Rutherford, Lynn; Leamy, Liz (January 21, 2008). "Past, present and parents at U.S. Champs". IceNetwork. Retrieved June 23, 2011.
    5. 1 2 Janofsky, Michael (12 February 1992). "ALBERTVILLE; No Longer Soviet Skaters, But They Are Still the Best". The New York Times.
    6. "Natalia Mishkutenok & Artur Dmitriev". Pairs on Ice. Archived from the original on October 7, 2007.
    7. Longman, Jere (8 February 1998). "It's Medal Time, So Here's Dmitriev Hungry As Ever". The New York Times.
    8. 1 2 3 4 "Mishkutyenok & Dmitriev: The Music". Archived from the original on August 23, 1999.
    9. Мишкутёнок Наталья Евгеньевна [Natalia Yevgenievna Mishkutionok] (in Russian). fskate.ru.
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