Vladimir Kovalev

Vladimir Nikolaevich Kovalev (Russian: Владимир Николаевич Ковалёв; born February 2, 1953 in Moscow) is a former Soviet figure skater, who started in a single run. He is the world champion of 1977 and 1979 and the European Championships of 1975.

He was surprise Soviet champion in 1972 and promptly won at his first World Championship bronze medal behind Ondrej Nepela and compatriot Sergei Tschetweruchin. In the same year he finished his first European Championship in sixth and his first Olympics in eighth. Following the season, he began to train with Sergei Tschetweruchin. After he took part in 1973 and 1974 no contest a medal at the European Championships and the World Cup just missed a fourth positions respectively, he won in 1975 by winning the European Championship in Copenhagen, his first major international title. He was also Vice - World Champion behind his compatriot Sergei Volkov. In 1976 he was European Vice-Champion, Vice World Champion and Olympic silver medalist and this one behind John Curry. In the Olympics, his silver medal was controversial as he landed despite errors before Jan Hoffmann and Toller Cranston, what the public did not. 1977 in Tokyo Kovalev won his first world championship title just ahead of Jan Hoffmann, which he had to give up yet struck at the European Championships. Also in 1978 and 1979, he was defeated Hoffmann at the European Championships and had to settle for silver. In Vienna in 1979, however, Kovalev could win his second World Cup title, before Robin Cousins ​​and Jan Hoffmann. In 1980, he won again bronze at the European Championships, but was at the Olympic Games after he was fifth after the duty to. Official reason is illness, according to rumors, he was forced by Soviet officials because of its poor constitution to give up.

After his resignation, he began to work as a trainer in Moscow and since 1990 in Greece. Among his pupils were Kira Ivanova, with whom he had a relationship in the eighties, Maria and Natalia Lebedeva Butyrskaya.

Results

  • Z = Withdrawn
Winter Olympic Games 1972 World Figure Skating Championships 1975 World Figure Skating Championships 1976 World Figure Skating Championships 1977 World Figure Skating Championships 1979 World Figure Skating Championships 1975 European Figure Skating Championships 1976 European Figure Skating Championships 1977 European Figure Skating Championships 1978 European Figure Skating Championships 1979 European Figure Skating Championships 1980 European Figure Skating Championships Single skating 1972 European Figure Skating Championships 1974 European Figure Skating Championships 1974 World Figure Skating Championships Sergey Nikolayevich Volkov 1978 World Figure Skating Championships Russian Figure Skating Championships Gilbert Fuchs Henning Grenander Ulrich Salchow Fritz Kachler Felix Kaspar Henry Graham Sharp Hans Gerschwiler Hayes Alan Jenkins Alain Giletti Donald McPherson (figure skater) Manfred Schnelldorfer Alain Calmat Emmerich Danzer Tim Wood (figure skater) Charles Tickner Brian Orser Kurt Browning Elvis Stojko Todd Eldredge Brian Joubert Jeffrey Buttle Evan Lysacek Daisuke Takahashi Patrick Chan Oskar Uhlig Max Bohatsch Ernst Herz Edi Rada Helmut Seibt Carlo Fassi Norbert Schramm Petr Barna Dmitri Dmitrenko Alexei Urmanov Florent Amodio Sergei Chetverukhin Yuri Ovchinnikov (figure skater)
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