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Irina Lobacheva

Irina Lobacheva
Gpf-lobasheva.jpg
Lobacheva in 2003.
Personal information
Country represented Russia
Born (1973-02-18) 18 February 1973 (age 44)
Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Height 1.65 m (5 ft 5 in)
Former partner Ilia Averbukh
Alexei Pospelov
Former coach Natalia Linichuk
Gennadi Karponosov
Natalia Dybinskaya
Oleg Epstein
Skating club ESHUSM Moskvich
Former training locations Newark, Delaware
Moscow
Began skating 1979
Retired 2003

Irina Viktorovna Lobacheva (Russian: Ирина Викторовна Лобачёва; born 18 February 1973) is a Russian former competitive ice dancer. With partner Ilia Averbukh, she is the 2002 Olympic silver medalist, the 2002 World champion and the 2003 European champion.

Lobacheva and Averbukh teamed up in 1992 after falling in love while skating in the same group but with different partners.

After the Goodwill Games in the summer of 1994 their coaches moved to Delaware, USA, with many of their students to train at the University of Delaware. A year later, Lobacheva / Averbukh joined them.

In September 2001, Lobacheva injured her left knee in training, causing them to miss the Grand Prix season. They won the silver medal at the 2002 Olympics behind Marina Anissina / Gwendal Peizerat.

Lobacheva / Averbukh won gold at the 2002 World Championships and at the 2003 European Championships. They retired from competition at the end of the 2002-2003 season.

Lobacheva and Averbukh married in 1995. Their son, Martin, was born in 2004. They divorced in 2007.

(with Averbukh)


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Wikipedia

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