Irina Slutskaya, figure skater
Irina Slutskaya is a Russian figure skater, Honored Master of Sports. Now she is a presenter of sports news on Channel One. She achieved extraordinary results in her sports career. You know, she is a silver medalist of the 2002 Olympic Games, bronze medalist of the 2006 Olympic Games, two-time world champion (2002, 2005). By the way, Irina is the first single skater in history to become a seven-time European champion. Also she is a four-time Grand Prix Final Champion and a four-time Russian National Champion.
At the moment she is the chairman of the presidium of the Voluntary Physical Culture Union, the deputy of the Moscow regional Duma.
Pretty girl was born on February 9, 1979 in Moscow, Soviet Union. Her father worked as a teacher in college, and her mother was an engineer at the car factory before retirement.
Ira was a weak child, and her mother decided to strengthen her daughter’s health by involving her in sports. At the age of four the future Olympic champion began to skate.
Then the potential of the talented girl was noted by Zhanna Fyodorovna Gromova, who became Slutskaya’s first coach. Regular training and the experience of the coach led Irina to the first serious victories.
At the age of seventeen, Irina was the first Russian athlete to win the European Figure Skating Championships. This significant event took place at the World Championships in Sofia in 1996. At the same time, the sportswoman gained bronze at the World Championships.
In 1998 Slutskaya took part in the Olympic Games in Nagano, where she won the fifth place.
Two years later, in 2000, the athlete graduated from the Academy of Physical Culture. And in 2002, the Olympics in Salt Lake City allowed Irina to bring a silver medal to Russia.
In 2005, the native Moscow walls helped Irina to win a gold medal at the World Championships. The 2006 European Championships brought the figure skater success: Irina won a record seventh gold medal. In the same year, the Olympic Games took place in Turin, where Slutskaya was on the third step of an honorary prize podium.
By November 2006, the well-known Russian figure skater decided to leave professional sports and find herself in other activities. The result of her sports career was 40 gold, 21 silver and 18 bronze medals.
Marat Basharov and Irina were presenters of the TV show Ice Age. Later, the former skater together with Evgeni Plushenko was the host of the show Stars on Ice. And in the second season of Ice Age Slutskaya appeared as a participant.
In 2009, together with Anastasia Zavorotnyuk, the ex-sportswoman hosted the TV show Ice Age-3.
Later, in 2007, Irina debuted in the movie. She starred in the episodic role in the movie Three People And a Snowflake, in the series Hot Ice and in the comedy musical A Successful Deal.
In 2011, Slutskaya received the status of the Ambassador of the Winter Olympic Games Sochi-2014.
Irina Eduardovna never forgets about sports and worries about young Russian talents. In August 2015 in Lytkarino the school of figure skating named after Irina Slutskaya was opened.
Personal life
Irina is married to former boxer Sergei Mikheev. Sergei saw his future wife on the TV screen and fell in love. In August 1999, they officially formalized their relationship. The couple became the parents of two children. Son Artem was born in November 2007, and daughter Varvara was born in October 2010.
Not so long ago there were rumors that the former skater had broken up with her husband. She was often seen with assistant and general director of the Voluntary Physical Training Union Alexei Tikhomirov.