Nikolai Panin
| Nikolai Panin | |
|---|---|
Panin in 1908.
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| Personal information | |
| Full name | Nikolai Aleksandrovich Panin-Kolomenkin |
| Alternative names |
birth name: Nikolai Aleksandrovich Kolomensky alternative spelling: Nikolay, Nicolai |
| Country represented |
 Russian Empire
|
| Born |
8 January 1872 Khrenovoye, Voronezh Governorate, Russian Empire |
| Died | 19 January 1956 (aged 83) Leningrad, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union |
Nikolai Aleksandrovich Panin-Kolomenkin (Russian: Николай Александрович Панин-Коломенкин; 8 January 1872 [O.S. 27 December 1871] – 19 January 1956) was a Russian figure skater and coach. He won the gold medal in special figures in the 1908 Summer Olympics. Panin was Russia's first Olympic champion.
Nikolay Aleksandrovich Kolomenkin was born on 8 January 1872 in Khrenovoye, Voronezh Governorate, Russian Empire. He competed in figure skating under the name "Nikolay Panin", though most Russian sources now hyphenate his surname to "Panin-Kolomenkin".
Despite having a weak constitution, Panin was very active and took part in rowing, cycling, athletics and gymnastics. While studying mathematics at Saint Petersburg University in 1897, he took part in a figure skating competition, albeit unsuccessfully. To improve, he developed a technique of wrapping towels around his feet to weigh them down and improve his balance, thus preventing falls. It was at this time that he took the nickname "Panin" on to evade the mockery of his fellow students, at a time when many athletes were adopting nicknames.
Two men's skating events were contested at the 1908 Summer Olympics: single skating and special figures. Panin won the special figures event and competed, but did not finish, in the singles event. 1908 was the only year in which special figures was an Olympic event. Panin also competed in the 1903 World Championships, placing second behind Salchow.
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