Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Alexander Smirnov (figure skater)

From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Alexander Smirnov (figure skater) made an impact.

Alexander Smirnov is a retired Russian pair skater, best known for his partnership with Yuko Kavaguti. Together, they achieved significant success, including two European championships and two World bronze medals. They also earned two bronze medals at the ISU Grand Prix Final and secured three Russian national titles. Smirnov and Kavaguti were pioneers in pair skating, notably becoming the first pair to execute two quadruple throw jumps in a single program and the first to successfully land a quadruple throw loop, marking a significant achievement in the sport's history.

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Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

May 2006: Teams up with Yuko Kavaguti

In May 2006, Alexander Smirnov teamed up with Yuko Kavaguti to compete for Russia. Smirnov admired Kavaguti's work ethic and dedication, which led to their partnership. They began training at the Yubileyny Sports Palace in Saint Petersburg.

September 2006: Training with Tamara Moskvina

In September 2006, Alexander Smirnov and Yuko Kavaguti began training with Tamara Moskvina. Kavaguti had been training with Moskvina since 1998 and preferred to stay with her, marking a change in their coaching arrangement.

2006: Russian Junior Champion

In 2006, Alexander Smirnov and his partner Ekaterina Vasilieva became the Russian Junior Champions. They also placed 6th at the 2006 World Junior Championships. The couple broke up after one season together.

2007: Competed at the 2007 World Championships

In 2007, Alexander Smirnov and Yuko Kavaguti competed at the World Championships in Tokyo, Japan. They finished 9th overall, marking their first appearance at the World Championships as a pair.

January 2008: European Championships bronze medal

In January 2008, Alexander Smirnov and Yuko Kavaguti competed at the European Championships in Zagreb, Croatia, where they won a bronze medal. Despite landing the throw quad Salchow, a fall on a triple jump affected their overall score.

2008: Russian National Champions

In 2008, Alexander Smirnov and Yuko Kavaguti secured their first Russian national championship title. This victory marked a significant achievement in their career and a step towards dominating the national skating scene.

2008: Won first Russian Championship

In 2008, Alexander Smirnov and Yuko Kavaguti won their first Russian Championship. Kavaguti fell and dislocated her shoulder after a throw quadruple Salchow. She attempted to continue the program despite the pain, however Smirnov, seeing that she had trouble raising her arm, stopped the program. After the two-minute pause permitted by the rules, the pair completed the program and won their first national title

2009: Defended title at Russian National Championships

In 2009, Alexander Smirnov and Yuko Kavaguti defended their title at the Russian National Championships. The pair easily beat the second place team by over 15 points. At the 2009 European Championship the pair improved on the previous year's placement with a silver medal.

2009: World Bronze Medalists

In 2009, Alexander Smirnov and Yuko Kavaguti won their first World bronze medal, showcasing their capabilities on the global stage and solidifying their position as top contenders in pair skating.

2009: Won first world bronze medal

In 2009, at the World Championships in Los Angeles, California, Alexander Smirnov and Yuko Kavaguti won their first world bronze medal. Kavaguti fell hard on her cheek after a throw quad salchow but got up seconds later and the pair continued to skate. They were selected to compete on behalf of Russia in the ISU's first ever World Team Trophy in Japan.

2010: European Champions

In 2010, Alexander Smirnov and Yuko Kavaguti became the European champions, marking a significant triumph in their pair skating career. This achievement highlighted their skill, teamwork, and dedication to the sport.

2010: Competed at the 2010 Cup of Russia

In 2010, Alexander Smirnov and Yuko Kavaguti competed at the Cup of Russia where they won. Despite their win, they did not have enough points to compete at the Grand Prix Finals because of their withdrawal from Skate Canada.

2010: Won second consecutive world bronze medal

In 2010, Alexander Smirnov and Yuko Kavaguti won their second consecutive world bronze medal at the World Championships in Torino, Italy. They were in second place after the short program but dropped to third after a fall in the free skate.

2010: Won third consecutive championship and European Championship

In 2010, Alexander Smirnov and Yuko Kavaguti won their third consecutive Russian Championship. At the 2010 European Championships, despite Kavaguti dislocating her shoulder mid-program, the pair won the European Championship with a world record free skate score of 139.29.

2011: Second at the 2011 Russian Championships

At the 2011 Russian Championships, Alexander Smirnov and Yuko Kavaguti were second. A mistake on the side by side jumps and an awkward lift left them almost 4.50 points out of first place. In the long program they skated last and held on to second place.

2011: Competed at three Grand Prix events

During the 2011-2012 season, Alexander Smirnov and Yuko Kavaguti competed at three Grand Prix events. They won gold at the 2011 Cup of China and the 2011 NHK Trophy, and won the bronze medal at the Grand Prix Final. At the 2011 Cup of Russia, the pair were second after the short program.

2011: Finished in fourth place at the World Championships

In 2011, Alexander Smirnov and Yuko Kavaguti finished in fourth place at the World Championships in Moscow. A fall by Smirnov on a step sequence in the short program left them in 5th place going into the free skate.

2012: Competed at the World Championships

In 2012, Alexander Smirnov and Yuko Kavaguti competed at the World Championships in Nice, France, placing 7th overall. Smirnov was recovering from surgery. A bad fall at the end of a lift put them in 11th place after the short program.

2012: Won silver at the 2012 Cup of China

In 2012, Alexander Smirnov and Yuko Kavaguti won silver at the 2012 Cup of China, placing second in both the short and long programs. This was their second consecutive medal at this event. At the 2012 Trophée Eric Bompard in France, they won gold. They placed 6th at the 2012 Grand Prix Final.

2012: Won bronze medal at Grand Prix Final

In 2012, Alexander Smirnov and Yuko Kavaguti won the bronze medal at the Grand Prix Final. This marked their first-ever medal at the Grand Prix Final.

October 2013: Smirnov Suffered a Ruptured Patellar Tendon

In October 2013, Alexander Smirnov suffered a ruptured patellar tendon from a fall at the Panin Memorial in Saint Petersburg. As a result, Kavaguti/Smirnov had to withdraw from the NHK Trophy and Skate Canada assignments and missed the entire 2013-2014 season.

2013: Competed at the 2013 Russian Championships

In 2013, Alexander Smirnov and Yuko Kavaguti competed at the Russian Championships in Sochi, Russia. They skated first in the short program and were in second place going into the free skate. They had a nearly flawless free skate and finished behind champions Tatiana Volosozhar / Maxim Trankov with a total score of 207.37.

April 2014: Planned to compete in 2014-15

In April 2014, Kavaguti/Smirnov announced their plans to return to competition for the 2014–15 season after Smirnov's injury recovery.

2014: Won gold at the 2014 Nebelhorn Trophy and 2014 Skate America

In 2014, Kavaguti/Smirnov won gold at the Nebelhorn Trophy and Skate America. At Skate America 2014, they successfully landed a quadruple Salchow throw, achieving a personal best score of 140.00 points in the free skate.

2015: European Champions

In 2015, Alexander Smirnov and Yuko Kavaguti secured their second European championship title. That same year, they also became the first pair in history to complete two quadruple throw jumps in one program and the first to land a quadruple throw loop, further solidifying their place in skating history.

2015: Placed third at the 2015 Russian Championships and won the 2015 European Championships

In 2015, Kavaguti/Smirnov placed third at the Russian Championships and won their second European title at the European Championships. They finished the 2015 season with a fifth-place finish at the World Championships.

2015: Won gold at the 2015 Mordovian Ornament and 2015 Cup of China

In 2015, Kavaguti/Smirnov secured gold at the Mordovian Ornament and the Cup of China. At the 2015 Cup of China, they set a personal best overall score of 216.00 points and landed two quadruple throws in the free skate.

January 2016: Kavaguti sustained a ruptured tendon

On January 20, 2016, Yuko Kavaguti sustained a ruptured tendon during practice, which led to Kavaguti/Smirnov withdrawing from the 2016 European Championships.

October 2016: Won Silver at the 2016 Ondrej Nepela Trophy

In October 2016, Kavaguti/Smirnov returned to international competition at the 2016 Ondrej Nepela Trophy, an ISU Challenger Series event, where they won the silver medal.