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Alexander Abt

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Alexander Abt
Abt at the 2003 NHK Trophy
Born (1976-10-22) October 22, 1976 (age 48)
Moscow, Russia
Height1.79 m (5 ft 10+12 in)
Figure skating career
Country Russia
DisciplineMen's singles
Began skating1982
Retired2004
European Championships
Silver medal – second place 2002 Lausanne Singles
Bronze medal – third place 1998 Milan Singles
Russian Championships
Gold medal – first place 2003 Kazan Singles
Silver medal – second place 2002 Moscow Singles
Bronze medal – third place 2000 Moscow Singles
Bronze medal – third place 2001 Moscow Singles
World Junior Championships
Silver medal – second place 1991 Budapest Singles

Alexander "Sasha" Viktorovich Abt (Russian: Александр "Саша" Викторович Абт; born October 22, 1976) is a Russian figure skater and coach. He is a two-time European medalist and placed fifth at the 2002 Winter Olympics.

Career

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Abt's first experience with figure skating came at the age of six when his grandmother took him to a rink.[1] Sergei Volkov coached him early on but he began suffering from cancer and sent Abt to be trained by Rafael Arutyunyan before he died. Soon after, Abt began to make a name for himself on the junior circuit and won the silver medal at the 1991 World Junior Championships.

Abt underwent surgery for a knee problem early in his career.[1] Later, in the summer of 1996, he sustained a serious injury during an exhibition performance in Mexico – He crashed into the boards and cut into his right leg's quadriceps muscle with his left blade, keeping him in hospital for several weeks and off ice for six months.[1][2] He was a late replacement at the 1997 European Championships, where he won the bronze medal.[3]

Alexander placed fourth at the 1998 Russian Championships and was not named to the Olympic team. Later that year, he placed third at the European Championships, behind fellow countrymen Alexei Yagudin and Evgeni Plushenko and claimed the bronze medal. Abt underwent knee surgery in December 1998.[1]

Abt had a sinus infection at the 2001 European Championships and underwent surgery in spring 2001 to remove a cyst from his sinuses.[4] In June 2001, he moved to Lake Arrowhead, California, for training.[4] Abt won the silver medal at the 2002 European Championships, and came in fifth at the 2002 Winter Olympics. Abt intended to retire following that season, but instead elected to continue competing.[5] Having worked with Arutyunyan for eleven years, Abt decided to move to a new coach, Alexander Zhulin, in May 2002.[6]

Abt won three Grand Prix medals, as well as his first (and only) Russian Championship in the 2002-03 season.[5] He was forced to withdraw from the 2003 European Championships after injuring his landing ankle in practice a day before he was supposed to fly out,[5] and took several months to recover. His last competition was the 2004 Russian Championships. He withdrew after placing fourth in the short program.

Abt retired from competition and participated in the Russian TV show Ice Age (2008). He played one of the main roles in a Russian soap opera about figure skating, My Hot Ice (2008–2009). Abt has skated in Japan for Prince Ice World and in Russia on the Ice Symphony tour. He coaches in New Jersey.

Personal life

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In April 1999, Abt married former ice dancer Elena Pavlova,[7] who competed with her brother Alexander Pavlov.[8] They have one son, Makar, born in March 2000.[7] The family now resides in New Jersey, in the United States.

Programs

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Season Short program Free skating Exhibition
2003–2004
[7]
2002–2003
[6]
  • Yablochko
    by Reinhold Glière
2001–2002
[4]
  • Wonderful World
2000–2001
[1]
  • Artsakh
    by Ara Gevorgyan

Results

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Results[1][4][6][7]
International
Event 1990–91 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–00 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04
Olympics 5th
Worlds 6th 8th 4th
Europeans 3rd 4th 4th 2nd WD
Grand Prix Final 5th 4th 4th
GP Cup of Russia 3rd 2nd 3rd 6th
GP Nations Cup /
Sparkassen / Bofrost
3rd 2nd 4th 4th 2nd
GP NHK Trophy 8th 5th
GP Skate America 3rd 3rd 7th 5th 3rd 2nd
Nebelhorn 3rd 3rd
Winter Universiade 3rd
International: Junior
Junior Worlds 2nd 7th 8th
National
Russian Champ. 4th 4th 18th 7th 4th 3rd 3rd 2nd 1st WD
Soviet Junior 1st
GP = Grand Prix; WD = Withdrew

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f "Alexander ABT: 2000/2001". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on April 18, 2001.
  2. ^ Mittan, Barry (February 15, 2002). "Injuries Dog Abt's Career". Golden Skate.
  3. ^ Mittan, J. Barry (1998). "Alexander Abt". Archived from the original on May 14, 2012.
  4. ^ a b c d "Alexander ABT: 2001/2002". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on June 2, 2002.
  5. ^ a b c Bangs, Kathleen (November 17, 2003). "Alexander Abt: Sasha Debuts New Season on Hometown Moscow Ice". GoldenSkate. Archived from the original on May 1, 2010.
  6. ^ a b c "Alexander ABT: 2002/2003". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on February 17, 2003.
  7. ^ a b c d "Alexander ABT: 2003/2004". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on October 13, 2004.
  8. ^ "Danika BOURNE / Alexander PAVLOV: 2004/2005". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on November 25, 2005.
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