Figure skating is a sport in which Soviet and Russian athletes reached unprecedented heights. Athletes in ice dancing competed with particular success. The first Olympic champions in this category were precisely the representatives of the Soviet Union - Lyudmila Pakhomova and Alexander Gorshkov. At present, Russia and the USSR have 7 Olympic gold medals, this is more than half (ice dancing competitions at the Olympic Games have been held only 12 times so far, since 1976). Among the outstanding dancers, Olympic champions, winners of world and European championships and a couple of Marina Klimova and Sergey Ponomarenko.
Carier start
For her, the path in figure skating began on the ice of the Yunost skating rink. Having mastered the rules of ice dancing, skater Marina Klimova began skating with Oleg Volkov (now he is a figure skating coach). Together they took bronze at the Spartakiad of the Peoples of the USSR (1978).
Sergey Ponomarenko began to ride on the ice of Spartak. His first partner was Tatyana Durasova. This couple also participated in the 1978 Spartakiad and won a gold medal there. In the same composition, they won twice the world championship among juniors (1978 and 1979) and won third place in the German tournament Nebelhorn Trophy in 1980.
Start collaboration
Figure skater Klimova Marina Vladimirovna and figure skater Sergey Vladimirovich Ponomarenko began to ride together under the guidance of coach Natalia Ilyinichna Dubova.
The first joint result is the fourth place in the European Championship in 1983. However, already in the next season, the couple achieved much more serious achievements: this is the bronze of the European Champion and most importantly - their first Olympic medal. At the games in Sarajevo, a pair of Klimov-Ponomarenko took third place.
During this period, athletes performed mainly in the classical style: paid soft lines, ease of movement, harmony of programs.
However, after 1989, the couple tried to find a different style of skiing, to put more modern programs. This was due to the appearance of brother and sister Paul and Isabelle Duchenne, who set the modern trends in ice dancing. Natalya Dubova, however, insisted that the duet of the figure-like Marina Klimova and partner Sergei Ponomarenko continue to perform in the classical style. This inconsistency of views on the style of the productions led to the completion of joint work. Since 1991, athletes rode under the patronage of the legendary Tatyana Tarasova. And it was a real success.
Work with Tatyana Anatolyevna
Tarasova has radically changed the style of the couple. As they wanted, the program was now avant-garde, original, with unusual costumes and modernist choreography. Joint work with Tatyana Anatolyevna pretty quickly yielded results. In 1992, the couple took gold medals in all tournaments. But the main achievement was, of course, the victory at the Olympic Games.
Olympics in Albertville
For games, the couple was given an avant-garde free dance to the music of Bach, in which everything was unusual: from music to costumes. Tatyana Anatolyevna Tarasova noted that during the preparation for the figure skating competitions, Marina Klimova was completely immersed in the program: she even ate while listening to music.
Until the last moment there was no indisputable favorite of these games: the struggle was between Marina and Sergey and the French pair Duchenne / Duchenne. In the original dance, Klimov - Ponomarenko won with a difference of one judicial vote. Before the free dance, the athletes were very nervous, according to Tarasova, Marina Klimova, a figure skater, could not even fall asleep. Four judges after performing an arbitrary dance decided to give gold to the French duo, five voted for the first place to the Soviet skaters.
After the Olympics, there was the World Championship in Lausanne, where Marina Klimova and Sergey Ponomarenko also took gold. After this victory, they decided to end the amateur competition.
After retirement
The couple took part in professional world championships (they won silver twice). Marina and Sergey participated in the show, as well as in a television project where professional skaters pair up with actors, musicians and athletes.
Outside the ice
Athletes remain a couple and beyond the ice. The personal life of the skater Marina Klimova is inextricably linked with the personal life of Sergey, because in 1984 they got married. The spouses have two children: sons Tim and Anton.
A family of outstanding athletes lives in America. Former skater Marina Klimova has not parted with this sport: she teaches children figure skating. And Sergey is a member of the ISU technical team and also trains novice athletes.
By the way, the son of Olympic champions Anton (Anthony) is also engaged in figure skating and competes in the same category as his parents. He is paired with Christina Carreira, representing the United States. They already managed to become vice world champions at the junior level, now they are starting the competitive path at the adult level.