Kristina Cousins
Encyclopedia
Kristina Lenko is a Canadian
professional ice dancer
. She competed internationally for Canada with Danny Moir
before turning professional.
, on the family grain farm with her three sisters - her sister Joanna
is also an ice dancer, and sisters Katherine and Sarah are also former skaters.
A student of the piano
, Lenko received First Class Honours from the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto for Grade Nine Piano.
She was married to eight time British Champion skater Steven Cousins
. They married on June 28, 2003 at their home in Barrie, Ontario
, Canada. The couple separated in summer 2006 and later divorced.
Before Dancing on Ice, Lenko's hair was below her waist. Needing something shorter, she went to her stylist in Toronto
and told him "Do whatever you like." The result was an asymmetric
Bob cut
, which has been heavily copied, even by Victoria Beckham
, as pointed out by Jayne Torvill on the Australian series of Dancing on Ice.
In 1999, Lenko and her partner moved to Barrie, Ontario
, where they trained at the Mariposa School of Skating
.
She competed on the national level with Mitchell Park through the junior level. Following that partnership, she competed in the 2002-2003 season with Danny Moir
.
cruise ships.
In November 2005 Lenko performed on ITV
in the United Kingdom
, on the television show Dancing on Ice
with celebrity partner Stefan Booth
, an actor from The Bill
. Lenko and Booth were runners up to Gaynor Faye and Daniel Whiston. She was also in the Australia
n version of Torvill and Dean's Dancing on Ice
, partnering Getaway
presenter Jules Lund
.
In the 2007 series, Kristina was partnered with Boyzone singer Stephen Gately
.
Kristina partnered former tennis player Greg Rusedski
in the 2008 series
and they placed 5th.
Kristina was partnered with former Chelsea F.C.
football player Graham Le Saux in the 2009 series
. The couple were eliminated first.
In 2009, Lenko performed on the Canadian figure skating reality television show Battle of the Blades
, partnering with former hockey player Bob Probert
.
In the UK Dancing on Ice tour, Lenko partnered professionally with American Matt Evers
, a combination suggested in season one by Torvill and Dean.
(with Mitchell Park)
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
professional ice dancer
Ice dancing
Ice dancing is a form of figure skating which draws from the world of ballroom dancing. It was first competed at the World Figure Skating Championships in 1952, but did not become a Winter Olympic Games medal sport until 1976....
. She competed internationally for Canada with Danny Moir
Danny Moir
Danny Moir is a Canadian ice dancer. He competed for most of his career with his cousin Sheri Moir. They are the 2001 Canadian national junior silver medalists and placed 15th at the 2001 World Junior Figure Skating Championships. They competed for two seasons on the Junior Grand Prix and placed...
before turning professional.
Biography
Lenko was born in Meadow Lake, SaskatchewanMeadow Lake, Saskatchewan
Meadow Lake is a city located in north west Saskatchewan, Canada about north east of Lloydminster and north of North Battleford. On November 9, 2009, it officially became Saskatchewan's 14th city....
, on the family grain farm with her three sisters - her sister Joanna
Joanna Lenko
Joanna Lenko is a Canadian ice dancer. She teamed up with Jason Cheperdak in 2009.-Personal life:Lenko was born in Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan. Her sister is fellow skater Kristina Lenko.-Career:...
is also an ice dancer, and sisters Katherine and Sarah are also former skaters.
A student of the piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, Lenko received First Class Honours from the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto for Grade Nine Piano.
She was married to eight time British Champion skater Steven Cousins
Steven Cousins
Steven Cousins is a British figure skater. He is the eight-time British national champion, the first Briton to land a triple axel in competition , and the youngest skater to win the British National Championships. He competed in eight World Figure Skating Championships and three Winter Olympics...
. They married on June 28, 2003 at their home in Barrie, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada. The couple separated in summer 2006 and later divorced.
Before Dancing on Ice, Lenko's hair was below her waist. Needing something shorter, she went to her stylist in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
and told him "Do whatever you like." The result was an asymmetric
Asymmetry
Asymmetry is the absence of, or a violation of, symmetry.-In organisms:Due to how cells divide in organisms, asymmetry in organisms is fairly usual in at least one dimension, with biological symmetry also being common in at least one dimension....
Bob cut
Bob cut
A "bob cut" is a short haircut for women in which the hair is typically cut straight around the head at about jaw-level, often with a fringe at the front.-The beginning:...
, which has been heavily copied, even by Victoria Beckham
Victoria Beckham
Victoria Caroline Beckham is an English singer-songwriter, dancer, model, actress, fashion designer and businesswoman. In the late 1990s, Beckham rose to fame with the all-female pop group Spice Girls and was dubbed Posh Spice by the July 1996 issue of the British pop music magazine Top of the Pops...
, as pointed out by Jayne Torvill on the Australian series of Dancing on Ice.
Eligible career
Lenko began skating at the age of nine, moving to Edmonton, Alberta to train as a competitive ice dancer aged 16.In 1999, Lenko and her partner moved to Barrie, Ontario
Barrie, Ontario
Barrie is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada, located on the western shore of Lake Simcoe, approximately 90 km north of Toronto. Although located in Simcoe County, the city is politically independent...
, where they trained at the Mariposa School of Skating
Mariposa School of Skating
The Mariposa School of Skating, located in Barrie, Ontario, is a major figure skating training center in Canada.-History:It was founded in Orillia, Ontario in 1973 by Doug Leigh and Tom Harrison...
.
She competed on the national level with Mitchell Park through the junior level. Following that partnership, she competed in the 2002-2003 season with Danny Moir
Danny Moir
Danny Moir is a Canadian ice dancer. He competed for most of his career with his cousin Sheri Moir. They are the 2001 Canadian national junior silver medalists and placed 15th at the 2001 World Junior Figure Skating Championships. They competed for two seasons on the Junior Grand Prix and placed...
.
Professional career
After retirement in 2004, she began performing professionally in a skating show for Royal CaribbeanRoyal Caribbean International
Royal Caribbean International is a Norwegian and American cruise line brand based in Miami, Florida and owned by Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.. With 42 ships in service under 5 different brands and one more under construction, it controls a 25.6% share of the world cruise market...
cruise ships.
In November 2005 Lenko performed on ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, on the television show Dancing on Ice
Dancing on Ice
Dancing on Ice is a British television show co-hosted by Christine Bleakley and Philip Schofield, in which celebrities and their professional partners figure skate in front of a panel of judges. The format, devised by LWT and Granada Television, has been a prime-time hit in eight different...
with celebrity partner Stefan Booth
Stefan Booth
Stefan Booth is an English actor and singer currently starring in the BBC soap opera EastEnders as Greg Jessop. He left the series in August 2011 and will return to the show.-Background:...
, an actor from The Bill
The Bill
The Bill is a police procedural television series that ran from October 1984 to August 2010. It focused on the lives and work of one shift of police officers, rather than on any particular aspect of police work...
. Lenko and Booth were runners up to Gaynor Faye and Daniel Whiston. She was also in the Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n version of Torvill and Dean's Dancing on Ice
Torvill and Dean's Dancing on Ice
Torvill and Dean's Dancing on Ice is an Australian reality television series which was based on the original British version, Dancing on Ice. The series premiered on the Nine Network on Tuesday, 11 July 2006 at , and involved celebrities ice dancing on a specially constructed ice rink located in...
, partnering Getaway
Getaway
Getaway is Australia's longest-running and most popular holiday and travel television programme. Debuting on 14 May 1992, it is currently broadcast on the Nine Network and TLC...
presenter Jules Lund
Jules Lund
Jules Lund is an Australian television presenter from Melbourne. He attended De La Salle College MalvernLund's career began when he won the FOX FM's "15 Minutes of Fame" competition on radio in the early 2000s...
.
In the 2007 series, Kristina was partnered with Boyzone singer Stephen Gately
Stephen Gately
Stephen Patrick David Gately was an Irish pop singer–songwriter, actor, dancer, musician and author, who, with Ronan Keating, was one of two lead singers of the pop group Boyzone. All of Boyzone's studio albums hit number one in the United Kingdom, their third being their most successful...
.
Kristina partnered former tennis player Greg Rusedski
Greg Rusedski
Gregory "Greg" Rusedski is a British Canadian former tennis player who turned professional in 1991 and played until his retirement on 7 April 2007, at the age of 33...
in the 2008 series
Dancing on Ice (Series 3)
The commissioning of the third series of Dancing on Ice was first confirmed by Phillip Schofield at the BAFTA awards.The third series began on 13 January, moving to Sunday nights in the process and ended on 16 March, when Suzanne Shaw was confirmed as the winner...
and they placed 5th.
Kristina was partnered with former Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
football player Graham Le Saux in the 2009 series
Dancing on Ice (Series 4)
The fourth series of Dancing on Ice began on ITV on Sunday 11 January 2009. The series features legendary skaters Christopher Dean and Jayne Torvill, presenters Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby, and judges Karen Barber, Nicky Slater, Jason Gardiner, Ruthie Henshall and Robin Cousins.The...
. The couple were eliminated first.
In 2009, Lenko performed on the Canadian figure skating reality television show Battle of the Blades
Battle of the Blades
Battle of the Blades is a Canadian figure skating reality show and competition that airs on CBC Television. It was first broadcast before a live audience at the historic Maple Leaf Gardens. With Maple Leaf Gardens under renovation however, the show was filmed at Pinewood Toronto Studios in season two...
, partnering with former hockey player Bob Probert
Bob Probert
Robert Alan Probert was a Canadian professional ice hockey forward. Probert played for the National Hockey League's Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks...
.
In the UK Dancing on Ice tour, Lenko partnered professionally with American Matt Evers
Matt Evers
Matt Evers is an American pair skater, model and TV personality.-Career:With his partner Heather Allebach, Evers won the Junior pairs title at the 1998 U.S. Championships. Evers is currently training as a professional actor, model and spokesperson for U.S...
, a combination suggested in season one by Torvill and Dean.
Competitive highlights
(with Moir)| Event | 2002-2003 |
|---|---|
| Canadian Championships Canadian Figure Skating Championships The Canadian Figure Skating Championships is a figure skating competition held annually to crown the national champions of Canada. It is organized by Skate Canada, the nation's figure skating governing body. The levels of the competition are senior and junior; in some years, the novice level has... |
8th |
| 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... |
7th |
(with Mitchell Park)
| Event | 1998-1999 | 1999-2000 | 2000-2001 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canadian Championships Canadian Figure Skating Championships The Canadian Figure Skating Championships is a figure skating competition held annually to crown the national champions of Canada. It is organized by Skate Canada, the nation's figure skating governing body. The levels of the competition are senior and junior; in some years, the novice level has... |
10th N. | 6th J. | 7th J. |
- N = Novice level; J = Junior level