Marina Cherkasova
Full nameMarina Evgenievna Cherkasova
Born (1964-11-17) 17 November 1964
Moscow, Soviet Union
Figure skating career
Country Soviet Union
Retired1982
Medal record
Representing  Soviet Union
Pairs' Figure skating
Olympic Games
Silver medal – second place 1980 Lake Placid Pairs
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 1980 DortmundPairs
Silver medal – second place 1979 ViennaPairs
European Championships
Gold medal – first place 1979 ZagrebPairs
Silver medal – second place 1978 StrasbourgPairs
Silver medal – second place 1980 GothenburgPairs
Bronze medal – third place 1977 HelsinkiPairs
Bronze medal – third place 1981 InnsbruckPairs

Marina Evgenievna Cherkasova (Russian: Марина Евгеньевна Черкасова; born 17 November 1964) is a Russian retired pair skater. With Sergei Shakhrai, she won the 1979 European title at the age of 14. At 15, she was the 1980 Olympic silver medalist and 1980 World champion.

Career

Cherkasova and Shakhrai trained in Moscow with Stanislav Zhuk. Their main rivals included fellow Soviets Irina Rodnina / Alexander Zaitsev, whom they never defeated, Irina Vorobieva / Igor Lisovsky, Marina Pestova / Stanislav Leonovich, and Veronika Pershina / Marat Akbarov.

Cherkasova and Shakhrai were 12 and 18 respectively when they were paired together. Initially, there was a 35 cm height difference between the pair, with Cherkasova only 138 cm tall.[1]

Cherkasova was 12 when the pair captured the bronze at their first European Championship in 1977. Their height difference facilitated innovation in twist and lift elements; they became the first pair to perform triple jump (toeloop) at "Moscow news" trophy 9 december 1977[2] and the split quadruple twist in 1977.[3] Later, the judging standards were changed to value physical harmony between the partners, which handicapped Cherkasova and her partner.

They won the European title in 1979. By 1980 Cherkasova had grown 20 cm.[1] The change affected their technical elements, however, the pair managed to win silver at 1980 Europeans, silver at the 1980 Olympics, and gold at Worlds.[4][1] At the age of 15 years, 93 days, Cherkasova was one of the youngest figure skating Olympic medalists.

Shakhrai's problems lifting his now 45 kg partner eventually resulted in them splitting up.[1] By 1981, Cherkasova had grown so tall that Shakhrai could no longer effectively lift her. This caused them to miss the medal podium at the World Championship in Hartford, Connecticut, finishing in fourth place.

Cherkasova and Shakhrai continued to train into the 1982 season, however eventually broke up. She briefly paired with Rashid Kadyrkaev, a World junior medalist in 1980 and 1981, but he left to skate with Elena Kvitchenko at the invitation of Igor Moskvin in Leningrad.

Later life

In 1982, Cherkasova joined the Moscow Ice Ballet where she met her husband.[1] In 1986, they had a son, Vitaly, and a few years later, a daughter named Daria.[1] Cherkasova is now a children's coach in Moscow.[1]

Competitive highlights

(with Shakhrai)

International
Event 76–77 77–78 78–79 79–80 80–81
Winter Olympics2nd
World Championships4th4th2nd1st4th
European Championships3rd2nd1st2nd3rd
Prize of Moscow News1st
National[5][6]
Soviet Championships3rd1st1st3rd

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Makarova, Ekaterina. Лед в сердце [Ice Heart] (in Russian). Ogoniok.com. Archived from the original on 16 July 2011.
  2. ↑ "Soviet sport", Moscow, #287, 10 december 1977
  3. ↑ "Marina Cherkasova & Sergei Shakhrai - 1977 World Championship FS [QUAD TWIST]". YouTube.
  4. ↑ "Soviet Skaters Capture Pairs Championship". New York Times. New York. 13 March 1980. p. D18.
  5. ↑ Черкасова Марина Евгеньевна [Marina Yevgenyevna Cherkasova]. fskate.ru (in Russian).
  6. ↑ Черкасова Марина Евгеньевна [Marina Yevgenyevna Cherkasova]. solovieff.ru (in Russian).
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