Maria Viktorovna Butyrskaya

Maria Butyrskaya
Full name	Maria Viktorovna Butyrskaya
nation	Russia
birthday	June 28, 1972
place of birth	Moscow
size	160 cm
Weight	49 kg
Career
society	Dynamo Moscow
Trainer	Jelena Tchaikovskaya, Vladimir Kotin
status	resigned
Medal table
World Cup medals 1 × 0 × 2 × EM medals 3 × 2 × 1 ×
World figure skating championships bronze Minneapolis 1998 Ladies gold Helsinki 1999 Ladies bronze Nice 2000 Ladies  European figure skating championships bronze Sofia 1996 Ladies gold Milan 1998 Ladies gold Prague 1999 Ladies silver Vienna 2000 Ladies silver Bratislava 2001 Ladies gold Lausanne 2002 Ladies

Marija Wiktorowna Butyrskaja ( Russian Мария Викторовна Бутырская ; born June 28, 1972 in Moscow ) is a former Russian figure skater who started in a single run . She is the world champion of 1999 and the European Championships of 1998 , 1999 and 2002 .

Career

Marija Butyrskaja started figure skating at the age of four. Her trainer was Galina Titkow. She soon joined a support group at CSKA Moscow and trained there with Jelena Wodoresowa, among others . When she had to pause as a trainer because of a pregnancy, Butyrskaja came back to Galina Titkow. After a year of cooperation, she confirmed that she had no prospects. So Butyrskaja had to leave the club and finish training at the age of 15. Three months later, she was looking for a new coach. She phoned Vladimir Kovalev , the world champion in 1977 and 1979 , who invited her to a trial training session in the Ukraine. Two hours after that phone call she was already on her way to see Kovalyov. With him she learned the compulsory figures that were still mandatory at the time, her greatest weakness up to that point. However, when the training was successful, the obligation was abolished by the International Skating Union . After two years of working with Kovalyov, he went to Greece. So she moved in 1991 to Viktor Kudrjawzew at SC Dynamo Moscow. She stayed with him for six years. In training, she even jumped the triple Axel with him . In 1997 she changed coach again and went to Jelena Tchaikovskaya .

Butyrskaja became Russian champion in 1993 and from 1995 to 1999 and with these six championship titles she holds the record for the most victories in Russian championships in women's competition. In the period from 1993 to 2002 she took part in all European championships . In 1998 , 1999 and 2002 she was European Champion, in 2000 and 2001 Vice-European Champion and in 1996 she won the bronze medal. In 1993 Butyrskaya also played their first world championship and finished them in 29th place. Then she took part in all world championships from 1996 to 2002 and never placed worse than fifth, with the exception of her last world championship, when she withdrew. In 1998 and 2000 she won the bronze medal and in 1999 in Helsinki she was world champion ahead of Michelle Kwan and Julija Soldatowa . Butyrskaja became the first Russian world champion in the women's competition. At the age of 26 she was also the oldest female world champion in history, although Madge Syers (1881-1917) was hardly any younger when she won the title in 1907. Butyrskaya was denied an Olympic medal, in 1998 in Nagano she finished fourth and in 2002 in Salt Lake City she was sixth.

Butyrskaya has been very involved in her choreographies and costumes throughout her career. She was often admired for her craftsmanship, as well as for her femininity, which was particularly eye-catching since many of her competitors were only half her age, especially at the end of her career. But she was also known for the beauty of her triple Rittberger and triple Lutz jump. However, she was considered a bit nervous in competitions.

In 1999, during the Russian championships, her BMW parked in front of her house exploded. This event was part of a series of crimes committed by the Russian Mafia against well-known Russian athletes.

Marija Butyrskaja studied sports with a specialization in figure skating. In 2002 she ended her amateur career and turned pro. She also worked as a television commentator, had her own television show, and also starred in several television series.

Private

Butyrskaja is married to the Russian ice hockey player Vadim Khomitsky and has two children with him.

Results

Competition / season	1991/92	1992/93	1993/94	1994/95	1995/96	1996/97	1997/98	1998/99	1999/00	2000/01	2001/02
winter Olympics							4th				6th
World championships		29			4th	5.	3.	1.	3.	4th	Z
European championships		5.	4th	7th	3.	4th	1.	1.	2.	2.	1.
Grand Prix Final					7th	4th	3.	2.	3.	4th	4th
Soviet championships	3.
Russian championships		1.	2.	1.	1.	1.	1.	1.	2.	3.	2.

• Z = withdrawn

Web links

• Maria Butyrskaya in the database of the International Skating Union (English)
• Marija Viktorovna Butyrskaya in the Sports-Reference database (English; archived from the original )
• Official website of Maria Butyrskaja (English)