Denis Petukhov
Encyclopedia
Denis Petukhov is a Russia
n-American
ice dancer. With partner and wife Melissa Gregory
, he is the 2004-2007 U.S. silver medalist
.
by a single mother, Lubov, who worked as a secretary. He has one younger sister, Natalia.
Petukhov began skating at age eight, in ice dancing from the start. He originally competed for Russia
with partner Oksana Potdykova
, with whom he was the 2000 Russian national bronze medalist
and a two-time medalist at the World Junior Figure Skating Championships
. That partnership ended in the spring of 2000 when she ruptured her achilles tendon
and was forced to retire from skating.
Petukhov met American ice dancer Melissa Gregory
through an online partner search for pairs skaters. He came to the United States on a tourist visa at the end of August 2000 to test with her and other prospective partners, but after skating with Gregory first, he canceled his other tryouts. He never used his return plane ticket to Russia
, and he and Gregory were married on February 2, 2001 in Las Vegas
, Nevada
. The next month they flew to Russia
so that Petukhov's family could celebrate their marriage, as well. Together they have won four silver medals and two bronze medals at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships and competed in the 2006 Winter Olympics
.
Petukhov became a U.S. citizen on February 22, 2005. He is one of the few skaters to have competed at both the European Figure Skating Championships
and Four Continents Figure Skating Championships
.
Gregory and Petukhov both suffered injuries in a fall during the warmup before the free dance at 2007 Skate Canada International
on November 4, 2007. Petukhov lost his footing while practicing a one-handed rotational lift, dropping Gregory onto the ice and injuring her ribs and hip and skidding into the boards himself, hurting his own knee and neck. Gregory was taken to a hospital following the fall but released that night. They were then forced to withdraw from competition for the rest of the season while they healed from their injuries.
Gregory and Petukhov did not return to competition, partially due to financial difficulties. In 2008, they moved to Connecticut and began coaching and choreographing for other skaters at the International Skating Center of Connecticut. They also launched their own YouTube
channel, OlympianUncut, which focuses on a behind-the-scenes look at the skating world. They continue to skate in shows such as the Stars, Stripes and Skates show in September 2009.
Petukhov choreographs the majority of his and Gregory's programs himself and has also choreographed programs for other skaters such as singles skaters Johnny Weir
and Evgeny Plushenko.
In 2010, Petukhov was cast on Skating with the Stars
as a partner for celebrity contestant Sean Young
.
but made a change in 2003 to Nikolai Morozov
and Shae-Lynn Bourne
. Following the 2005/2006 season, they switched again to Natalia Linichuk
and Gennadi Karpanosov at the University of Delaware
in Newark
. On September 7, 2007, they announced another coaching change, this time to Priscilla Hill
at The Pond Ice Arena, also in Newark
.
(with Potdykova)
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n-American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
ice dancer. With partner and wife Melissa Gregory
Melissa Gregory
Melissa Gregory is an American ice dancer. With partner and husband Denis Petukhov, she is the 2004–2007 U.S. silver medalist.-Biography:...
, he is the 2004-2007 U.S. silver medalist
United States Figure Skating Championships
The United States Figure Skating Championships is figure skating competition held annually to crown the national champions of the United States. The competition is sanctioned by U.S. Figure Skating. In the U.S. skating community, the event is often referred to informally as "Nationals".Skaters...
.
Biography
Petukhov was raised in KirovKirov, Kirov Oblast
Kirov , formerly known as Vyatka and Khlynov, is a city in northeastern European Russia, on the Vyatka River, and the administrative center of Kirov Oblast. Population: -History:...
by a single mother, Lubov, who worked as a secretary. He has one younger sister, Natalia.
Petukhov began skating at age eight, in ice dancing from the start. He originally competed for Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
with partner Oksana Potdykova
Oksana Potdykova
Oksana Potdykova is a former competitive Russian ice dancer. With former partner Denis Petukhov, she is the 2000 Russian national bronze medalist. They won two medals at the World Junior Figure Skating Championships and competed at the European Figure Skating Championships, placing 12th. They were...
, with whom he was the 2000 Russian national bronze medalist
Russian Figure Skating Championships
The Russian Figure Skating Championships are a figure skating national championship held annually to determine the national champions of Russia. Skaters compete at the senior level in the disciplines of men's singles, ladies singles, pair skating, and ice dancing.The first Russian national...
and a two-time medalist at the World Junior Figure Skating Championships
World Junior Figure Skating Championships
The World Junior Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union in which younger figure skaters compete for the title of World Junior Champion...
. That partnership ended in the spring of 2000 when she ruptured her achilles tendon
Achilles tendon
The Achilles tendon , also known as the calcaneal tendon or the tendo calcaneus, is a tendon of the posterior leg. It serves to attach the plantaris, gastrocnemius and soleus muscles to the calcaneus bone.- Anatomy :The Achilles is the tendonous extension of 3 muscles in the lower leg:...
and was forced to retire from skating.
Petukhov met American ice dancer Melissa Gregory
Melissa Gregory
Melissa Gregory is an American ice dancer. With partner and husband Denis Petukhov, she is the 2004–2007 U.S. silver medalist.-Biography:...
through an online partner search for pairs skaters. He came to the United States on a tourist visa at the end of August 2000 to test with her and other prospective partners, but after skating with Gregory first, he canceled his other tryouts. He never used his return plane ticket to Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, and he and Gregory were married on February 2, 2001 in Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
. The next month they flew to Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
so that Petukhov's family could celebrate their marriage, as well. Together they have won four silver medals and two bronze medals at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships and competed in the 2006 Winter Olympics
2006 Winter Olympics
The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in Turin, Italy from February 10, 2006, through February 26, 2006. This marked the second time Italy hosted the Olympic Winter Games, the first being the VII Olympic Winter...
.
Petukhov became a U.S. citizen on February 22, 2005. He is one of the few skaters to have competed at both the European Figure Skating Championships
European Figure Skating Championships
The European Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition in which figure skaters compete for the title of European Champion...
and Four Continents Figure Skating Championships
Four Continents Figure Skating Championships
The Four Continents Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition. The International Skating Union established it in 1999 to provide skaters representing non-European countries with a similar competition to the much older European Figure Skating Championships and a chance...
.
Gregory and Petukhov both suffered injuries in a fall during the warmup before the free dance at 2007 Skate Canada International
2007 Skate Canada International
The Skate Canada International is an international, senior-level invitation-only figure skating competition. It is part of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating...
on November 4, 2007. Petukhov lost his footing while practicing a one-handed rotational lift, dropping Gregory onto the ice and injuring her ribs and hip and skidding into the boards himself, hurting his own knee and neck. Gregory was taken to a hospital following the fall but released that night. They were then forced to withdraw from competition for the rest of the season while they healed from their injuries.
Gregory and Petukhov did not return to competition, partially due to financial difficulties. In 2008, they moved to Connecticut and began coaching and choreographing for other skaters at the International Skating Center of Connecticut. They also launched their own YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
channel, OlympianUncut, which focuses on a behind-the-scenes look at the skating world. They continue to skate in shows such as the Stars, Stripes and Skates show in September 2009.
Petukhov choreographs the majority of his and Gregory's programs himself and has also choreographed programs for other skaters such as singles skaters Johnny Weir
Johnny Weir
John Garvin "Johnny" Weir is an American figure skater. He is a three-time U.S. National Champion , the 2008 Worlds bronze medalist, a two-time Grand Prix Final bronze medalist, and the 2001 World Junior Champion....
and Evgeny Plushenko.
In 2010, Petukhov was cast on Skating with the Stars
Skating with the Stars
Skating with the Stars is an American reality TV show. The show features celebrities paired with professionals from the world of figure skating. The show is based on the British show, Dancing on Ice. The show has a schedule similar to the first season of Dancing with the Stars with performance...
as a partner for celebrity contestant Sean Young
Sean Young
Sean Young is an American actress, best known for her performance in films from the 1980s such as Blade Runner, Dune, and No Way Out.-Early life:...
.
Coaching changes
Gregory and Petukhov were originally coached by Oleg Epstein and Sandra HessSandra Hess
Sandra Hess is an actress best known for her role as Sonya Blade in the film Mortal Kombat: Annihilation.-Biography:Hess began modeling and working on television commercials when she was 15...
but made a change in 2003 to Nikolai Morozov
Nikolai Morozov (figure skater)
Nikolai Alexandrovich Morozov is a Russian former competitive ice dancer, who works as a coach and a choreographer.- Personal life :Morozov was briefly married to his ice dancing partner Tatiana Navka. He later married French ice dancer Caroline Douarin with whom he has a daughter, Annabelle...
and Shae-Lynn Bourne
Shae-Lynn Bourne
Shae-Lynn Bourne, MSC is a Canadian ice dancer. She and partner Victor Kraatz became the first North American ice dancing world champions in 2003. They competed at three Winter Olympic Games, placing 10th at the 1994 Winter Olympics, 4th at the 1998 Winter Olympics, and 4th at the 2002 Winter...
. Following the 2005/2006 season, they switched again to Natalia Linichuk
Natalia Linichuk
- External links :*** - Navigation :...
and Gennadi Karpanosov at the University of Delaware
University of Delaware
The university is organized into seven colleges:* College of Agriculture and Natural Resources* College of Arts and Sciences* Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics* College of Earth, Ocean and Environment* College of Education and Human Development...
in Newark
Newark, Delaware
Newark is an American city in New Castle County, Delaware, west-southwest of Wilmington. According to the 2010 Census, the population of the city is 31,454. Newark is the home of the University of Delaware.- History :...
. On September 7, 2007, they announced another coaching change, this time to Priscilla Hill
Priscilla Hill
Priscilla Hill is an American retired competitive figure skater who currently works as a coach. She was a two-time medalist at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships and competed twice at the World Figure Skating Championships...
at The Pond Ice Arena, also in Newark
Newark, Delaware
Newark is an American city in New Castle County, Delaware, west-southwest of Wilmington. According to the 2010 Census, the population of the city is 31,454. Newark is the home of the University of Delaware.- History :...
.
Competitive highlights
(with Gregory)| Event | 2001-02 | 2002-03 | 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Olympic Games Winter Olympic Games The Winter Olympic Games is a sporting event, which occurs every four years. The first celebration of the Winter Olympics was held in Chamonix, France, in 1924. The original sports were alpine and cross-country skiing, figure skating, ice hockey, Nordic combined, ski jumping and speed skating... |
14th | ||||||
| World Championships World Figure Skating Championships The World Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union in which elite figure skaters compete for the title of World Champion... |
12th | 11th | 9th | 10th | |||
| Four Continents Championships | 6th | 4th | 2nd | ||||
| U.S. Championships United States Figure Skating Championships The United States Figure Skating Championships is figure skating competition held annually to crown the national champions of the United States. The competition is sanctioned by U.S. Figure Skating. In the U.S. skating community, the event is often referred to informally as "Nationals".Skaters... |
3rd | 3rd | 2nd | 2nd | 2nd | 2nd | |
| Grand Prix Final Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final The Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final is an international, senior-level figure skating competition. It is the culmination of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating series. Skaters compete in men's singles, ladies' singles, pair skating, and ice dancing.... |
6th | ||||||
| Skate Canada International Skate Canada International The Skate Canada International is an international, senior-level invitation-only figure skating competition organized by Skate Canada. It is the second competition of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating. The location changes yearly. Medals are awarded in four disciplines: Ladies' singles, Men's... |
8th | 3rd | WD | ||||
| Skate America Skate America Skate America is an international, senior-level figure skating competition held as part of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating series. It is organized by the United States Figure Skating Association. The location changes yearly... |
5th | 5th | 2nd | ||||
| Cup of Russia Cup of Russia The Cup of Russia is an international, senior-level figure skating competition held as part of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating series. Figure skaters compete in the disciplines of ladies' singles, men's singles, pair skating, and ice dancing. It was held as the Rostelecom Cup in 2009 after... |
4th | ||||||
| Trophée Eric Bompard Trophée Eric Bompard The Trophée Eric Bompard is an international, senior-level figure skating competition held as part of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating series. The Trophée Eric Bompard was formerly known as the Trophée Lalique... |
4th | ||||||
| NHK Trophy NHK Trophy The NHK Trophy is an international, senior-level figure skating competition held as part of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating series. Figure skaters compete in the disciplines of ladies' singles, men's singles, pair skating, and ice dancing.... |
4th | 3rd | |||||
| Cup of China Cup of China The Cup of China is an international, senior-level figure skating competition held as part of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating series. The location changes yearly. Figure skaters compete in the disciplines of ladies' singles, men's singles, pair skating, and ice dancing.The Cup of China is... |
4th | ||||||
| Nebelhorn Trophy Nebelhorn Trophy The Nebelhorn Trophy is an international senior-level figure skating competition organized by the Deutsche Eislauf-Union and held annually in Oberstdorf, Germany. The competition is named after the Nebelhorn, a nearby mountain.... |
2nd |
(with Potdykova)
| Event | 1996-1997 | 1997-1998 | 1998-1999 | 1999-2000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| European Championships European Figure Skating Championships The European Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition in which figure skaters compete for the title of European Champion... |
12th | |||
| World Junior Championships World Junior Figure Skating Championships The World Junior Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union in which younger figure skaters compete for the title of World Junior Champion... |
2nd | 3rd | ||
| Russian Championships Russian Figure Skating Championships The Russian Figure Skating Championships are a figure skating national championship held annually to determine the national champions of Russia. Skaters compete at the senior level in the disciplines of men's singles, ladies singles, pair skating, and ice dancing.The first Russian national... |
7th | 3rd | ||
| Cup of Russia Cup of Russia The Cup of Russia is an international, senior-level figure skating competition held as part of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating series. Figure skaters compete in the disciplines of ladies' singles, men's singles, pair skating, and ice dancing. It was held as the Rostelecom Cup in 2009 after... |
7th | |||
| Finlandia Trophy Finlandia Trophy The Finlandia Trophy is an annual senior-level international figure skating competition, held in Finland. Skaters compete in the disciplines of men's singles, ladies singles, pair skating and ice dancing, although not every discipline has been included in every year... |
2nd | 3rd | ||
| Golden Spin of Zagreb Golden Spin of Zagreb The Golden Spin of Zagreb is an annual senior-level figure skating competition, held yearly in Zagreb, Croatia. Skaters compete in four disciplines: men's singles, ladies singles, pair skating, and ice dancing, although, in some years, not every discipline was included in the program.The 2001... |
1st | |||
| Skate Israel Skate Israel Skate Israel is a senior-level international figure skating competition, held in Metulla, Israel. Skaters compete in four disciplines: ladies and men's singles, pairs and ice dancing... |
5th | |||
| Challenge Lysiane Lauret | WD | |||
| ISU Junior Series Final | 2nd | |||
| Junior Grand Prix, Germany | 1st | |||
| Junior Grand Prix, Hungary | 3rd |
- WD = Withdrew