Evgeni Platov

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Evgeni Platov
Grishuk and Platov at the 1994 European Championships in Copenhagen
Full nameEvgeni[1][2][3] Arkadievich Platov
Other namesEvgeny[4] Platov
Yevgeny[5] Platov
Born (1967-08-07) August 7, 1967 (age 56)
Odesa, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union
Height1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Figure skating career
Skating clubArmy Sports Club, Odesa
RetiredMarch 1998
Medal record
Figure skating: Ice dancing
Representing  Russia
Winter Olympics
Gold medal – first place 1998 Nagano Ice dancing
Gold medal – first place 1994 Lillehammer Ice dancing
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 1997 Lausanne Ice dancing
Gold medal – first place 1996 Edmonton Ice dancing
Gold medal – first place 1995 Birmingham Ice dancing
Gold medal – first place 1994 Chiba Ice dancing
Silver medal – second place 1993 Prague Ice dancing
European Championships
Gold medal – first place 1998 Milan Ice dancing
Gold medal – first place 1997 Paris Ice dancing
Gold medal – first place 1996 Sofia Ice dancing
Silver medal – second place 1994 Copenhagen Ice dancing
Silver medal – second place 1993 Helsinki Ice dancing
Grand Prix Final
Gold medal – first place 1997–98 Munich Ice dancing
Gold medal – first place 1995–96 Paris Ice dancing
Representing  CIS ( Unified Team)
World Championships
Bronze medal – third place 1992 Oakland Ice dancing
European Championships
Bronze medal – third place 1992 Lausanne Ice dancing
Representing  Soviet Union
World Junior Championships
Gold medal – first place 1986 Sarajevo Ice dancing
Gold medal – first place 1985 Colorado Springs Ice dancing
Gold medal – first place 1984 Sapporo Ice dancing

Evgeni Arkadievich Platov (Ukrainian to English: Ev'heni Arkadievich Platov) (Russian: Евгений Аркадьевич Платов; born August 7, 1967; Ukrainian: Євген Аркадійович Платов) is a Russian former competitive ice dancer. He is best known for his partnership with Oksana Grishuk from 1989 to 1998. With Grishuk, he is a two-time Olympic champion (1994, 1998), four-time World champion (1994–1997), and three-time European champion (1996–1998).

With previous partner Elena Krykanova, he was a three-time World Junior champion (1984–1986). During his career, he represented the Soviet Union, the Unified Team, and Russia. Since retiring from competition, he works as a figure skating coach and choreographer.

Personal life

Platov was born on August 7, 1967, in Odesa, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union.[5] He lived in Odesa until his move to Moscow, Russian SFSR, in 1982.[6] He married Maria Anikanova, a Russian figure skater and later actress, but they eventually divorced.[7]

Platov settled in New Jersey in 1998.[8]

Platov coaches at Palm Beach Ice Works, West Palm Beach, Florida.[9]

Early career

Platov switched from singles to ice dancing in October 1976.[6] Boris Rublev arranged his first partnership and then paired him with Elena Krykanova a couple of months later.[6] The two were coached by Rublev in Odesa until 1982 when they moved to Moscow to train under Natalia Dubova.[6] Krykanova/Platov won three World Junior titles from 1984 to 1986.[3]

Platov began competing on the senior level with Larisa Fedorinova in 1987. In 1988, they won gold at the Karl Schäfer Memorial and silver at the Prize of Moscow News. Their partnership ended in August 1989.[6]

Partnership with Grishuk

Dubova paired Platov with Oksana Grishuk in September 1989.[6] They trained in Moscow.[10] Three months later, in December 1989, they won the bronze medal at the Soviet Championships. They were fifth in their World Championship debut in 1990. Their first European and World medals, both bronze, came at the 1992 European Championships and 1992 World Championships.

In mid-1992, due to tensions between Grishuk and Maya Usova and their alleged love rivalry over Maya's then-husband and partner Alexander Zhulin,[11] Dubova allegedly expelled Grishuk from her group[10] or Grishuk chose to leave.[12] Dubova found a new partner for Platov (the then teenage future Olympic champion Tatiana Navka[13]) while Grishuk briefly searched for a new partner in Germany before returning to Moscow and her previous coach, Natalia Linichuk.[10] Platov decided not to follow Dubova and re-teamed with Grishuk in the fall of 1992.[10]

During the 1992–93 season, Grishuk/Platov won European and World silver medals. In 1993–94, they won silver at the European Championships. They won their first Olympic title at the 1994 Olympics.[14] They ended the season with their first World title at the 1994 World Championships. They then left Russia and moved with Linichuk to Newark, Delaware for better training and living conditions.[12]

Grishuk/Platov missed most of 1994–95 due to injury but returned to win the 1995 World Championships. They had a full season in 1995–96 and won another set of European and World titles.

In 1996, Grishuk/Platov split from Linichuk and moved to Tatiana Tarasova in Marlborough, Massachusetts.[12] Injury kept them out of competition in the first half of the 1996–97 season but they returned to win their second European and fourth World title. In September 1997, she changed her first name to Pasha after being repeatedly confused with Oksana Baiul,[12] but later went back to Oksana.

In 1997–98, Grishuk/Platov In 1997–98, Grishuk and Platov used Memorial Requiem by Michael Nymann for the music in their free skating program and dedicated it to the people of Sarajevo. Writer and figure skating historian Ellyn Kestnbaum called it "an intense, relentless, abstract free dance".[15] They won their third European Championships. At the event, they were slashed in a practice collision with Anjelika Krylova / Oleg Ovsiannikov but were not seriously hurt and both teams said it was an accident.[16] Grishuk/Platov competed at their third Olympics in 1998 in Nagano, where they became the first ice dancers to repeat as gold medalists.[12][17]

Grishuk/Platov won 20 consecutive competitions from 1994 to 1998.[12] They were entered in the Guinness Book of World Records in 1998 for becoming the first team in the history of ice dancing to win Olympic gold twice. Grishuk and Platov combined speed and difficult elements, and displayed their mastery of numerous styles of dance.[12][18] On their partnership, Platov said in 1998: "It's like being a husband and a wife. Sometimes, you fight. Sometimes, you walk away and calm down. I met her a long time ago, and I still remember her as a little girl on the ice. She was so little. So active. Usually, little girls are boring. But that girl. Oh, there was a fire on ice."[16] He also said: "It's hard to change her mind. She fights every step. But it works out. That's why she is so good."[12]

Grishuk/Platov retired from competition and did not compete at the 1998 World Championships. They skated together in shows until the summer of 1998. Platov then decided to skate with their former rival Maya Usova and Grishuk teamed up with Alexander Zhulin.

Grishuk/Platov skated together at a Russian ice show in 2006.[8] They also skated together in February 2008 in Nagano, Japan for their ten-year anniversary of winning the 1998 Olympic gold medal.

Coaching career

Platov was an assistant coach to his own former coach Tatiana Tarasova from 2002 to 2004, along with Maya Usova, at the International Skating Center of Connecticut in Simsbury, Connecticut. He helped coach Olympic Champion Shizuka Arakawa to her only world title in 2004 and briefly worked with Sasha Cohen and Johnny Weir under the guidance of Tarasova.

In the fall of 2005, Platov moved to New Jersey and became the assistant coach to his former rival, Alexander Zhulin, helping to coach the ice dancing team of Tatiana Navka and Roman Kostomarov to European and Olympic gold medals. He started coaching on his own when Zhulin left New Jersey to go back to Russia. His current and former students include:[19]

Platov formerly coached at the Princeton Sports Center in Monmouth Junction, New Jersey.[8] In mid-2009, he began coaching at the Igloo ice rink in Mount Laurel, New Jersey.[23][24]

In 2017, Platov worked alongside award-winning ice director Tony Mercer, to coach the world-famous Imperial Ice Stars for Cinderella on Ice.[25]

Programs

With Grishuk

Season Original dance Free dance Exhibition
1997–98
  • You'll See
    by Madonna

1996–97
  • You'll See
    by Madonna
1995–96
  • Muchachita
    by Perez Prado
  • Mambo Jambo
    (a.k.a. Que Rico El Mambo)
    by Perez Prado
  • Bogota
    by Gil Ventura
1994–95
  • Girls Girls Girls
1993–94
  • Historia de um Amor
  • Swing the Mood by Jivebunny & the Mastermixers
1992–93
  • Aquarell
  • Aquarell

  • Viennese Waltz
1991–92
  • Polka
1990–91
  • Blues Blue

by K.Schneider

1989–90

With Usova

Season Programs[26][27][28]
2000–01

1999–2000

1998–99

Results

GP: Champions Series (Grand Prix)

With Grishuk

International[29]
Event 89–90
(URS)
90–91
(URS)
91–92
(URS/CIS)
92–93
(RUS)
93–94
(RUS)
94–95
(RUS)
95–96
(RUS)
96–97
(RUS)
97–98
(RUS)
Olympics 4th 1st 1st
Worlds 5th 4th 3rd 2nd 1st 1st 1st 1st
Europeans 5th 5th 3rd 2nd 2nd 1st 1st 1st
GP Final 1st 1st
GP TDF / Lalique 1st 1st
GP NHK Trophy 1st
GP Skate America 1st
Centennial On Ice 1st
NHK Trophy 2nd 2nd 1st
National[29]
Russian Champ. 1st 1st
Soviet Champ. 3rd 2nd 1st
WD: Withdrew

With Fedorinova

International
Event 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89
World Championships 6th
International de Paris 4th
Karl Schäfer Memorial 1st
Novarat Trophy 3rd
Prize of Moscow News 2nd
National
Soviet Championships 4th 4th

With Krykanova

Event 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86
World Junior Championship 1st 1st 1st

References

  1. ^ a b Penny Coomes / Nicholas Buckland at the International Skating Union
  2. ^ a b Sinead Kerr / John Kerr at the International Skating Union
  3. ^ a b "World Junior Figure Skating Championships: Ice Dance" (PDF). International Skating Union. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 4, 2013.
  4. ^ a b Mittan, J. Barry (October 8, 2009). "Reed Joins Japaridze to Compete for Georgia". Skate Today. Archived from the original on July 9, 2019.
  5. ^ a b "Yevgeny Platov". sports Reference. Archived from the original on April 21, 2011.
  6. ^ a b c d e f Simonenko, Andrei (November 12, 2013). "Евгений Платов: всю жизнь стремился к тому, чтобы стать чемпионом" [Evgeni Platov: I worked my whole life to be a champion]. rsport.ru (in Russian). Archived from the original on May 7, 2016.
  7. ^ Diachkova, Natalia. Мария Аниканова: «Не могу быть в одиночестве» [Maria Anikanova: "I cannot be single"]. 7days.ru (in Russian). Archived from the original on March 3, 2012. Retrieved March 2, 2012.
  8. ^ a b c Elfman, Lois (May 29, 2008). "Behind the scenes of figure skating - May 29". Icenetwork. Archived from the original on April 17, 2013. Retrieved July 22, 2012.
  9. ^ "Figure skating coaches. Evgeny Platov". pbiw.org. Archived from the original on April 1, 2018. Retrieved April 1, 2018.
  10. ^ a b c d Hersh, Phil (February 22, 1994). "Love Triangle (plus 1) Tops Torvill And Dean". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on December 24, 2011. Retrieved September 9, 2011.
  11. ^ Cain, Áine. "The 9 biggest rivalries the Olympics has ever seen". Business Insider. Archived from the original on May 6, 2018. Retrieved May 16, 2020.
  12. ^ a b c d e f g h Longman, Jere (January 2, 1998). "Skating; Dancing on the Sharp Edge of Her Skates". The New York Times. Archived from the original on June 3, 2016. Retrieved May 22, 2009.
  13. ^ "A new beginning Again". A new beginning Again. Archived from the original on August 31, 2022. Retrieved May 16, 2020.
  14. ^ Harvey, Randy (February 22, 1994). "'94 WINTER LILLEHAMMER OLYMPICS : Torvill and Dean Must Face Music as Russians Win : Ice dancing: British routine doesn't go over with judges. Gritschuk and Platov get gold". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on June 11, 2022.
  15. ^ Kestnbaum, Ellyn (2003). Culture on Ice: Figure Skating and Cultural Meaning. Middleton, Connecticut: Wesleyan Publishing Press. p. 244. ISBN 0-8195-6641-1.
  16. ^ a b Glauber, Bill (February 12, 1998). "Grishuk, fire on and off ice, dances to own beat in Games; Never a dull moment in Russian's career as she, Platov pursue gold". The Baltimore Sun. Archived from the original on December 24, 2011.
  17. ^ Frey, Jennifer (February 16, 1998). "Basic Instinct for the Gold, and an Oscar". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016.
  18. ^ "Olympic Insider". Time. February 16, 1998. Archived from the original on January 29, 2011.
  19. ^ "Oksana Grishuk & Evgeny Platov". IceNetwork.com. Archived from the original on September 10, 2012. Retrieved February 3, 2011.
  20. ^ Galit Chait / Sergei Sakhnovski at the International Skating Union
  21. ^ Alexandra Zaretsky / Roman Zaretsky at the International Skating Union
  22. ^ Yaneva, Veneta (June 13, 2014). "Evgeni Platov: "My couples have a unique look"". Absolute Skating. Archived from the original on July 20, 2014. Retrieved July 15, 2014.
  23. ^ Rutherford, Lynn (August 17, 2009). "No kilts for Kerrs on road to Vancouver". Icenetwork. Archived from the original on September 5, 2012. Retrieved July 22, 2012.
  24. ^ Dobias, Jen (July 20, 2012). "Gold medalist Evgeny Platov trains hopefuls in South Jersey". Courier-Post. Archived from the original on February 8, 2013.
  25. ^ Studios, Nkosana & Tshepiso for FGX. "Artslink.co.za - Cinderella is NOW on Ice at the Teatro". Artslink. Retrieved June 1, 2018.[permanent dead link]
  26. ^ "Skate Music List". Archived from the original on April 2, 2012. Retrieved September 11, 2011.
  27. ^ "World Professional Figure Skating Championships - Landover, MD". Golden Skate. May 15, 2023. Archived from the original on October 23, 2019. Retrieved May 19, 2023.
  28. ^ "Japan Open". Archived from the original on August 4, 2014. Retrieved September 11, 2011.
  29. ^ a b "GRISHUK Pasha / PLATOV Evgeny". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on May 7, 2016.

External links