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Maria Viktorovna Butyrskaya (Russian: Мария Викторовна Бутырская') (born June 28, 1972 in Moscow) is a Russian figure skater. She is the 1999 World champion, becoming the oldest lady to win that title and the first Russian lady to become a World champion. She is a three-time European champion and in 2002, at age 29, became the oldest lady to win that title. She is a six-time Russian national champion. She placed fourth at the 1998 Winter Olympics and sixth at the 2002 Winter Olympics.
[edit] Personal lifeButyrskaya was born in Moscow in 1972. In 1998, she posed for the Russian edition of Playboy magazine. In 2006, she married a hockey player, Vadim Khomitski, who currently is signed by the NHL team Dallas Stars (in October 2006 he was assigned to their farm club, Iowa Stars of the AHL, and in December re-assigned to the Russian Super League team Khimik Moscow Oblast). He is 10 years younger than her. [1] On the morning of April 16, 2007, Butyrskaya and Khomitski welcomed their first child, a son named Vladislav (Vlad for short.) At his birth, he weighed-in at 7.7 pounds and was 20 inches long. In May 2009 their second child, a daughter, was born. Butyrskaya currently coaches at the Olympic Reserve Skating School in Moscow.[2] [edit] CareerButyrskaya originally competed for the Soviet Union. After its dissolution, she began representing Russia. As a teen, she was replaced by the Soviet Figure Skating Federation, and then lost coach after coach while struggling to finance her skating following the breakup of the Soviet Union. Her persistence paid off when she defeated defending world champion Michelle Kwan at the 1999 World Championships. She received all first place ordinals in both the short and the long programs at the 1999 worlds, dominating the competition in an upset victory. She was never able to win a second world title, or an olympic medal, although she did win the short program at the 2000 Worlds, and captured her second bronze medal. She ended her amateur career at the 2002 World Championships, withdrawing from the competition after skating poorly in the qualifying round. Butyrskaya was known for the beauty of her triple loop and true, inside-edge triple lutz. She was also known for a combination spin that involved clasping her arms and hands behind her back while transitioning to back camel, sit and scratch spins. She often participated in choreographing her programs and in designing her costumes. She often skated better in practice sessions than in competitive events, however, as she frequently succumbed to nervous tension when competing. In particular, Butyrskaya's car was blown up by the Russian mafia in December 1999, and speculation followed that the ensuing emotional distress caused her to lose the 1999 Russian Championships. Besides the technical elements of figure skating, Butyrskaya won adulation for her artistry and ubridled femininity, which, especially toward the end of her professional career, was often in stark contrast to competitors half her age. She herself described her skating style as "a Woman on the ice". In 2000, the New York Times described her short program (Sarah Brightman's Scene d'Amour) as "flowing, lyrical skating...a performance of rare elegance and beauty." [edit] Competitive highlights[edit] Post-1996
[edit] Pre-1996
[edit] References[edit] External links
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