Ilia Kulik

Ilia Alexandrovich Kulik (Russian: Илья Александрович Кулик​ ; born 23 May 1977) is a Russian figure skater. He is the 1998 Olympic Champion, the 1995 European Champion, the 1997–1998 Grand Prix Final champion, and the 1995 World Junior champion.

In this Eastern Slavic name, the patronymic is Alexandrovich and the family name is Kulik.
Ilia Kulik
Kulik in the 2008 Christmas On Ice show.
Personal information
Country represented Russia
Born (1977-05-23) 23 May 1977
Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
ResidenceHighland park, U.S.
Spouse(s)
​
​
(m. 2002; div. 2016)​
Height5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Former coachTatiana Tarasova
Viktor Kudriavtsev
Former choreographerTatiana Tarasova
Retired1998
Medal record
Representing  Russia
Men's Figure skating
Winter Olympic Games
1998 NaganoMen's singles
World Championships
1996 EdmontonMen's singles
European Championships
1995 DortmundMen's singles
1996 SofiaMen's singles
Grand Prix Final
1997–1998 KitchenerMen's singles
World Junior Championships
1995 BudapestMen's singles
1993 SeoulMen's singles

Career

Kulik began skating at the age of five. In November 1994, he won the 1995 World Junior title and then, a few months later, the 1995 European title, at the age of 17. He was ninth at his first senior World Championships. The next season, he won silver at the 1996 World Championships. During the 1997-98 season, Kulik won gold at the 1997 NHK Trophy and silver at the 1997 Skate Canada International to qualify for the Champion Series Final (now known as the Grand Prix Final) where he won the gold medal. He also won the Russian national title but missed the 1998 European Championships as a result of back problems.[1] At the 1998 Olympics, Kulik placed first in both the short and long programs and won the Olympic title at the age of 20 years and 267 days, became one of the youngest male figure skating Olympic champions.

Kulik withdrew from the 1998 World Championships due to his recurring back injury.[2] He retired from competitive skating and has focused on performing in shows.[3] Kulik has skated with the Stars on Ice tour, shows in Russia, the 2009 Ice All Stars, the 2010 Festa On Ice. In 1999, he skated a duet with his wife, Ekaterina Gordeeva.

Kulik also ventured briefly into acting, playing the role of Sergei, a Russian dancer, in the 2000 ballet-themed movie Center Stage.

In 2012, Kulik and Gordeeva opened a skating rink in Lake Forest, California.[4]

Kulik was the former coach of Michael Christian Martinez.[5]

Personal life

Kulik has one sibling, sister Svetlana, who also lives in California. His parents live in Russia.

Kulik married Ekaterina Gordeeva in San Francisco on 10 June 2002.[6] They have one daughter, Elizaveta Ilinichna Kulik (born 15 June 2001). Gordeeva has another daughter, Daria Sergeevna Grinkova (born 11 September 1992), from her first marriage to her late husband and skating partner, Sergei Grinkov. The family lived in California for several years before moving to Avon, Connecticut in 2003. They returned to the Los Angeles area in the summer of 2007 and currently reside in Newport Beach. According to People magazine's 2018 Special Edition "The Best of Olympic Figure Skating", Gordeeva and Kulik divorced in 2016,[7] which has been verified by public record.[8]

Programs

Post–1998
Click on show to view the post–1998 programs
Season Pro/Pro-am events Exhibition
2012–2013
[9][10]
2011–2012
[11]
2008–2009
[12]
2007–2008
[13]
2006–2007
[14]
2003–2004
[15]
2002–2003
[15]
2001–2002
[16][17][18]
2000–2001
[16][17][19][20]
1999–2000
[21]
1998–1999
[22][23][24][25]

(with Ekaterina Gordeeva)

Season Program
1999–2000
[21]

Pre–1998
Season Short program Free skating Exhibition
1997–1998 Revolutions
by Jean Michel Jarre		 Rhapsody in Blue
by George Gershwin		 Demon Warriors/Final Kombat
from Mortal Kombat
by George S. Clinton
Liebestraum
by Franz Liszt
1996–1997 Faust
by Henryk Wieniawski		 Romeo and Juliet
by Pyotr Tchaikovsky		 Liebestraum
by Franz Liszt
1995–1996 The Addams Family Aladdin Always
by Bon Jovi
The Addams Family
1994–1995 Rigoletto
by Giuseppe Verdi		 An American in Paris
by George Gershwin

Competitive highlights
International
Event 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98
Olympics1st
Worlds9th2nd5th
Europeans1st3rd4th
CS Final4th4th1st
CS NHK Trophy2nd1st
CS Skate America6th
CS Skate Canada2nd2nd
CS Trophée de France1st
Finlandia Trophy2nd
Karl Schäfer Memorial3rd
Nebelhorn Trophy1st
International: Junior
Junior Worlds3rd11th1st
National
Russian Champ.2nd2nd1st1st
CS = Became part of Champions Series in 1995–1996
(renamed Grand Prix in 1998–1999)

References
  1. "Olympic champion Kulik withdraws from worlds". Associated Press. Canoe.ca. 28 March 1998. Retrieved 26 June 2011.
  2. Longman, Jere (28 March 1998). "Kulik Withdraws With Back Injury". The New York Times. Retrieved 26 June 2011.
  3. "Ilia Kulik, Interview in Flims, July 2008". figureskating-online. 30 September 2008. Archived from the original on 16 March 2012. Retrieved 4 July 2011.
  4. Elfman, Lois (13 September 2012). "Figure skating only at Kulik, Gordeeva's new rink". Ice Network. Archived from the original on 22 October 2013. Retrieved 17 September 2012.
  5. "Martinez vying in skate America". SM Investments Corporation.
  6. Bangs, Kathleen (August 2007). "A Happy Ending: Katia Gordeeva and Ilia Kulik's Leap of Faith". ifsmagazine.com. Archived from the original on 5 May 2010. Retrieved 20 December 2010.
  7. The Editors of PEOPLE (19 January 2018). PEOPLE The Best of Olympic Figure Skating: Favorite Stars & Future Champions. People. ISBN 978-1547841356.
  8. "ILIA KULIK VS EKATERINA GORDEEVA | Court Records". UniCourt.com. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  9. 木下グループ メダル・ウィナーズ・オープン2012 [Kinoshita Group Medal Winners Open 2012] (Television production) (in Japanese). TV Tokyo. 8 October 2012.
  10. "2013 Tour Music" (PDF). Stars on Ice. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
  11. "2012 Tour Music" (PDF). Stars on Ice. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
  12. "2009 Tour Music" (PDF). Stars on Ice. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
  13. "2008 Tour Music" (PDF). Stars on Ice. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
  14. "2007 Tour Music" (PDF). Stars on Ice. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
  15. "Ice Wars – World Ice Figure Skating Challenge". Golden Skate. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
  16. "Figure Skating Professional Championships (2000-Present)". Golden Skate. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
  17. "Figure Skating Pro-AM Competitions (2000 – Present)". Golden Skate. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
  18. "2002 Tour Music" (PDF). Stars on Ice. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
  19. "World Professional Figure Skating Championships – Landover, MD". Golden Skate. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
  20. "2001 Tour Music" (PDF). Stars on Ice. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
  21. "2000 Tour Music" (PDF). Stars on Ice. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
  22. "Figure Skating Pro-AM Competitions (1995-1999)". Golden Skate. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
  23. "USFSA Pro-AM Figure Skating Competitions (1992-1999)". Golden Skate. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
  24. "Seisouso Tango". Official Fan Club. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
  25. "Pagliacci". Official Fan Club. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
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