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Alexander Zhulin

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In this name that follows Eastern Slavic naming customs, the patronymic is Viacheslavovich and the family name is Zhulin.

Alexander (Sasha) Viacheslavovich Zhulin (Russian: Александр Вячеславович Жулинⓘ; born 20 July 1963) is a Russian ice dancing coach and former competitor. With Maya Usova, he is a two-time Olympic medalist (1994 silver, 1992 bronze), the 1993 World champion, and the 1993 European champion. They also won gold medals at Skate America, NHK Trophy, Nations Cup, and Winter Universiade. They represented the Soviet Union, the Unified Team, and Russia.

Alexander Zhulin
Alexander Zhulin in 2010
Full nameAlexander Viacheslavovich Zhulin
Other namesAleksandr Zhulin
Sasha Zhulin
Born (1963-07-20) 20 July 1963 (age 61)
Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Height1.76 m (5 ft 9 in)
Figure skating career
Country Russia
Skating clubProfsoyuz Moskva / Spartak Moskva
Retired1994
Medal record
Figure skating: Ice dancing
Representing  Russia
Winter Olympics
Silver medal – second place 1994 Lillehammer Ice dancing
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 1993 Prague Ice dancing
European Championships
Bronze medal – third place 1994 Copenhagen Ice dancing
Gold medal – first place 1993 Helsinki Ice dancing
Representing  Unified Team and  CIS
Winter Olympics
Bronze medal – third place 1992 Albertville Ice dancing
World Championships
Silver medal – second place 1992 Oakland Ice dancing
European Championships
Silver medal – second place 1992 Lausanne Ice dancing
Representing  Soviet Union
World Championships
Bronze medal – third place 1991 Munich Ice dancing
Bronze medal – third place 1990 Halifax Ice dancing
Silver medal – second place 1989 Paris Ice dancing
European Championships
Bronze medal – third place 1991 Sofia Ice dancing
Silver medal – second place 1990 Leningrad Ice dancing
Silver medal – second place 1989 Birmingham Ice dancing

Competitive career

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Coach Natalia Dubova paired him with Maya Usova in 1980. In 1988, they made their first appearance at the European Championships, placing fourth. The next season, they won silver at the 1989 European Championships in Birmingham, England and silver in their World Championships debut, in Paris. The next two seasons, they took bronze at Worlds.

At the 1991 World Championships in Munich, Germany, they were very close to winning. They led after both the compulsory dances and original dance (although finishing 2nd in the original dance portion), and in the free dance received 4 1st place ordinals from the 9 judges. Nonetheless, a strange ordinal situation led to them finishing only 3rd in the free dance and dropping to 3rd overall behind the Duchensays and Klimova and Ponomarenko.[citation needed] They later described their 1991 free dance as "being about Paganini and his muse".[2] Zhulin wore brown tights and a loose beige shirt. Kestnbaum also reported that they skated their program with "intense emotion" and created "an overall aura of Romanticism and uncanniness", using little runs and turns on their toepicks, knee slides, and "sensuous flowing and intertwining movements" that were enhanced by their billowing costumes.[2] Kestnbaum also reported that as a "flamboyant performer", Zhulin displayed his partner as much as he displayed himself.[2]

In the 1991–92 season, Usova/Zhulin won silver at the 1992 European Championships in Lausanne, Switzerland and then captured their first Olympic medal, bronze, at the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, France.

Usova and Zhulin's free skate during the 1991–1992 season, set to music from The Four Seasons by Vivaldi, centered on the theme of statues coming to life, was full of images of symmetry, parallelism, and equality. Figure skating writer Ellyn Kestnbaum described their program in this way: "It is not about sexual difference, but it does convey sexual attraction. These are passionate, eroticized statues, and the skaters' gazes are focused centripetally into the relationship, at each other's bodies and into each other's eyes".[3]

Usova/Zhulin ended their season with silver at the 1992 World Championships in Oakland, California. They moved with Dubova from Moscow to Lake Placid, New York in September 1992.[1][4]

In the 1992–93 season, Usova/Zhulin won the 1993 European Championships in Helsinki and the 1993 World Championships in Prague.

The next season, they were third at the 1994 European Championships in Copenhagen, behind Jayne Torvill / Christopher Dean and Oksana Grishuk / Evgeni Platov. They had been sitting in 1st place and seemingly ensured the title as Grishuk & Platov were mathematically out of gold medal contention, after Torvill & Dean were placed behind them in the free dance 5 judges to 4. However Grishuk & Platov won the free dance and changed the ordinals between Usova & Zhulin, and Torvill & Dean, dropping Usova & Zhulin to a 3rd-place finish. This loss seemed to indicate a loss of their #1 Russian status and instilled fear in their chances for the Olympic Gold medal. Their new free program to a collection of Nina Rota tunes also received negative reviews from fans and judges alike as it was a sharp departure from their previous work, and many critics felt it did not suit their sensual and elegant style.

At the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway, they won the silver medal behind Grishuk/Platov. They tied for 1st place with Grishuk & Platov in the compulsory dances, and went into the free dance tied for overall 1st with Torvill & Dean who won the original dance, setting up an intense 3-way battle for gold. Unlike the Europeans all 3 teams in position to win gold simply by winning the free dance. In the free dance they received 3 1st place ordinals and 6 2nd place ordinals, but lost the gold to Grishuk & Platov who received 5 1st place ordinals, 1 2nd place ordinal, and 3 3rd place ordinals, losing the free dance and gold based on the majority rule, despite having no judges place them 3rd and a lower total of ordinals than Grishuk & Platov. Had 1 of 3 judges changed their mark by .1 Usova & Zhulin would have won the gold. Upset about the controversial Olympic loss, Usova & Zhulin withdrew from the 1994 World Figure Skating Championships, which they had intended to be their final competitive event.[citation needed] Usova and Zhulin were known for excelling technically and artistically and according to writer Ellyn Kestnbaum, "leaned toward drama and passion".[2]

Usova/Zhulin skated together professionally from 1994 to 1997. They toured with Champions on Ice and won the World Professional Championships. Zhulin then skated with former rival, Oksana Grishuk, for one year. His former partner, Maya Usova, would compete for many years with former rival, Evgeni Platov.

Further career

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Zhulin with Navka/Kostomarov in 2004

After retiring, Zhulin became a skating coach and choreographer. He coached in New Jersey[5] before moving back to Russia in 2006.[6] He is based in Moscow and often coaches in collaboration with Oleg Volkov.[7] Zhulin has also been involved in Russian ice shows, such as Ice Age.[8]

Among others, Zhulin has coached:

His current students include:

Personal life

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Zhulin married Maya Usova in 1986[4] but the two eventually divorced.[32] He was romantically involved with competitive rival Oksana Grishuk.[33][34] In 2000, he married Tatiana Navka, with whom he has a daughter, Sasha, born in May 2000.[9]

Zhulin became an American citizen in 2006.[35] In April 2010, he and Navka filed for divorce.[7][36] He married Natalia Mikhailova in August 2018.[37] Their daughter, Ekaterina, was born on 10 January 2013 in Moscow.[38][39]

Controversies

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In 2021, he connected the COVID-19 pandemic to the Black Lives Matter movement and transgender athletes, saying "the world is going to hell".[40]

In 2023, Zhulin attacked American skaters Adam Rippon and Ashley Wagner:[41]

We don't care what they think of us. This "Eva Rippon" [Eve; playing on Adam and Eve] is a boy whose dick got in the way of completing his jumps, so he never completed them and achieved nothing.

If he had done the operation [gender transition] on time and would have called himself "Eva Rippon", then he would have skated much better in women's single skating.

The second girl Ashley Wagner is also offended by God. She skated great, but she couldn't jump, she didn't twist. Naturally, they hate the Russians [who can jump].

These two people are not the cream of society to have the right to give their opinion about figure skating and about our great country. So I don't give a fuck about their opinion.

Ukraine

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According to Oleksandra Nazarova / Maksym Nikitin, Zhulin did not contact his former students after they survived weeks of Russia's bombardment of their hometown, Kharkiv, and documented what they had experienced in February and March 2022.[42] In late March 2022, Zhulin gave an interview to the Russian media in which he dismissed Nazarova and Nikitin as "brainwashed".[43]

Following sanctions announced by Ukraine in April 2023, Zhulin said: "It's like Katsalapov being banned from entering Uganda. Roughly the same. Who needs Ukraine, no one is going there for the next ten years. I hope sooner. I hope that it will already have another name."[44]

Programs

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With Usova

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Usova/Zhulin in 1994
 
Usova/Zhulin in 1989
Season Original dance Free dance[45] Exhibition[46]
1993–94
  • A Day In The Life Of A Fool
1992–93
  • Ausencias
  • Autumn Leaves
1991–92
  • A Paris
1990–91
  • Autumn Leaves
1989–90
  • Samba
1988–89
  • Black Bottom
    by Ray Henderson
  • A Paris
1987–88
  • Tango
  • Indian Temple dance
Post-1994[46]
  • La Belle Dame Sans Regret
    by Sting
  • L'Oiseau
    (from Cirque du Soleil)
  • The Hunchback
  • Blues For Klook

With Grishuk

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Season Programs
1998–99
  • Enigma

Amateur career

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With Usova

International
Event 82–83 83–84 84–85 85–86 86–87 87–88 88–89 89–90 90–91 91–92 92–93 93–94
Olympics 3rd 2nd
Worlds 2nd 3rd 3rd 2nd 1st
Europeans 4th 2nd 2nd 3rd 2nd 1st 3rd
Skate America 1st 1st
Nations Cup 1st
NHK Trophy 2nd 1st 1st 1st
Moscow News 6th 4th 3rd 2nd
Goodwill Games 2nd
Nebelhorn 1st
St. Gervais 1st
St. Ivel / Electric 1st 1st
Universiade 1st 2nd
National
Soviet Champ. 2nd 5th 3rd 3rd 3rd 3rd 2nd 1st
Spartakiada 1st
USSR Cup 3rd

References

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  1. ^ a b Reiter, Susan (1 March 1995). "Ice dancing: a dance form frozen in place by hostile rules". Dance Magazine. The Free Library. (FindArticles)
  2. ^ a b c d Kestnbaum, Ellyn (2003). Culture on Ice: Figure Skating and Cultural Meaning. Middleton, Connecticut: Wesleyan Publishing Press. p. 234. ISBN 0-8195-6641-1.
  3. ^ Kestnbaum, p. 237
  4. ^ a b Hersh, Phil (22 February 1994). "Love Triangle (plus 1) Tops Torvill And Dean". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on 24 December 2011. Retrieved 9 September 2011.
  5. ^ a b Mittan, Barry (15 December 2001). "Lang and Tchernyshev Look Forward to Olympic Year". Golden Skate. Archived from the original on 11 May 2008.
  6. ^ "Interview with Alexander Zhulin. May 2007 in Moscow". figureskating-online. 27 July 2007. Archived from the original on 16 March 2012. Retrieved 12 July 2011.
  7. ^ a b Vaytsekhovskaya, Elena (20 August 2012). Александр ЖУЛИН: "ТРЕНЕРСКУЮ ЧЕСТНОСТЬ СПОРТСМЕНЫ ЧУЮТ НЮХОМ" [Alexander Zhulin: Athletes sense the coach's honesty] (in Russian). Sport Express.
  8. ^ Ermolina, Olga (4 May 2012). Соперники оторвались от нас в космос. Moskovskiye Novosti (in Russian). Archived from the original on 5 May 2012.
  9. ^ a b "Tatiana NAVKA / Roman KOSTOMAROV: 2005/2006". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 1 July 2006.
  10. ^ Péchalat / Bourzat
  11. ^ Peret, Paul (4 July 2011). "Nathalie Péchalat, Fabian Bourzat and Florent Amodio Leave Russia". IFS Magazine. Archived from the original on 15 August 2011. Retrieved 2 August 2011.
  12. ^ Фигуристы Ильиных/Кацалапов ушли к Морозову под нажимом ФФККР - Жулин [Zhulin: Skaters Ilinykh / Katsalapov switched to Morozov under pressure from the FFKKR] (in Russian). RIA Novosti. 17 May 2011. Retrieved 18 May 2011.
  13. ^ "Julia ZLOBINA / Alexei SITNIKOV: 2011/2012". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 19 April 2012.
  14. ^ "Alexandra NAZAROVA / Maxim NIKITIN". International Skating Union.
  15. ^ Samokhvalov, Anatoliy (29 June 2016). "Украинская пара фигуристов Назарова/Никитин перешла от тренера Жулина к Шпильбанду" [Ukrainian figure skating duo Nazarova/Nikitin changes coaches from Zhulin to Shpilband]. rsport.ru (in Russian).
  16. ^ Фигуристы Монько/Халявин перешли тренироваться в группу Жулина-Волкова [Figure skaters Monko/Khalivin switched to Zhulin and Volkov's group]. RIA Novosti (in Russian). 18 February 2012. Archived from the original on 18 February 2012.
  17. ^ Monko / Khaliavin Archived 30 November 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  18. ^ Zahorski / Guerreiro
  19. ^ "Zahorski and Guerreiro hope for international debut this season". 2 August 2015.
  20. ^ "Загорски и Гурейро перешли от Жулина к Кустаровой и Алексеевой". 16 May 2017.
  21. ^ "Valeria ZENKOVA / Valerie SINITSIN: 2011/2012". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 26 January 2012.
  22. ^ Zenkova / Sinitsin Archived 26 January 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  23. ^ Bobrova / Soloviev
  24. ^ Vladimirova, Alexandra (25 April 2012). Фигуристы Боброва и Соловьев хотят поменять стиль катания - Жулин [Figure skaters Bobrova and Soloviev want to change their style of skating, says Zhulin]. rsport.ru / RIA Novosti (in Russian).
  25. ^ Vladimirova, Alexandra (25 April 2012). Фигурист Дмитрий Соловьев: у Жулина начали учиться кататься с нуля [Figure skater Soloviev: We're learning to skate from scratch under Zhulin]. rsport.ru (in Russian).
  26. ^ Hurtado / Khaliavin
  27. ^ "Sara Hurtado emigra a Moscú por su amor al patinaje". 23 September 2016.
  28. ^ Sinitsina / Katsalapov
  29. ^ "Fresh start for Russia's Sinitsina and Katsalapov". 31 May 2017.
  30. ^ Kavaliova / Bieliaiev
  31. ^ Stavitskaia / Bagin
  32. ^ "Aleksandr Zhulin". Sports-reference. Archived from the original on 5 November 2012.
  33. ^ Brennan, Christine (1998). Edge of Glory. Scribner. pp. 220–221. ISBN 0-684-84128-2.
  34. ^ Smith, Beverley (1994). Figure Skating: A Celebration. McClellan & Stewart. pp. 204. ISBN 0-7710-2819-9.
  35. ^ "Александр Жулин. История моей любви". 7days.ru (in Russian). April 2010.
  36. ^ Sukhova, Elena (16 April 2010). Татьяна Навка: "Жулин поступил не по-мужски" [Tatiana Navka interview]. 7dn.ru (in Russian). Archived from the original on 21 April 2010. Retrieved 24 September 2013.
  37. ^ "Александр Жулин женился в третий раз" [Alexander Zhulin has gotten married a third time]. Hello! (Russia) (in Russian). 13 August 2018.
  38. ^ Kriuchkova, Galina (18 February 2013). Александр Жулин стал отцом во второй раз [Alexander Zhulin a father for the second time]. starhit.ru (in Russian).
  39. ^ У Александра Жулина родилась дочь [A daughter born to Alexander Zhulin] (in Russian). dni.ru. 18 February 2013.
  40. ^ "Александр Жулин: "BLM, трансгендеры и коронавирус – это звенья одной цепи. Мир сходит с ума и куда-то катится"". www.sports.ru (in Russian). 25 August 2021. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
  41. ^ Александр Жулин: «Риппону член мешал докручивать прыжки. Если бы он сделал операцию, назвался бы Евой Риппон, то гораздо лучше бы катался» (Alexander Zhulin: Rippon's dick made him fail his jumps. If he had done the gender transition on time and become Eve Ripppn, he would have skated better)
  42. ^ Yoshida, Hiro; Gillis, Seán (1 April 2022). "Nazarova and Nikitin: Ukrainian Display of Courage and Defiance on World Stage". europeonice.com. Archived from the original on 6 March 2023.
  43. ^ "Жулин об украинцах на ЧМ: делают все, чтобы их не связывали с Россией". rsport.ria.ru (in Russian). 26 March 2022. Archived from the original on 17 April 2022.
  44. ^ Satdinov, Ildar (15 April 2023). ""Это все равно, что Кацалапову запретить въезжать в Уганду" — Жулин о санкциях Зеленского" ["It's the same as Katsalapov being banned from entering Uganda" – Zhulin on Zelensky's sanctions]. matchtv.ru (in Russian). Archived from the original on 15 April 2023.
  45. ^ "Skate Music List". Archived from the original on 2 April 2012.
  46. ^ a b "World Professional Figure Skating Championships – Landover, MD". Golden Skate.
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