Aljona Savchenko

2.1. Career for Ukraine

Savchenko began her competitive career representing Ukraine. Her first partner was Dmytro Boyenko, with whom she was coached by Olexander Artychenko under the Dynamo Kyiv club. The pair competed at the 1998 World Junior Figure Skating Championships, placing 13th, before dissolving their partnership.

Her next partner was Stanislav Morozov, also from Dynamo Kyiv, and they were coached by Halyna Kukhar. This partnership proved more successful, as they won the 2000 World Junior Figure Skating Championships and the 1999-2000 ISU Junior Grand Prix Final. They also secured two Ukrainian National titles in the senior category (2000, 2001) and placed 15th at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. Despite their achievements, the partnership with Morozov ended in 2002 due to his health issues. Savchenko considered partnering with Anton Nimenko from Russia, but the Ukrainian skating federation would not fund his relocation to Kyiv. She expressed frustration with the lack of support for skaters in Ukraine, which ultimately led her to seek opportunities abroad.

3.1. Formation and Training

In May 2003, after Savchenko expressed her desire to find a new partner to a German journalist, she was introduced to Robin Szolkowy, whom she recognized from a previous competition. They had a successful tryout in Chemnitz, Germany. Three months later, she relocated to Germany, and the new team began intensive training under the guidance of former World Champion and her coach, Ingo Steuer. Initially, they had to adapt to their differing fundamental techniques.

Savchenko and Szolkowy primarily trained in Chemnitz, adhering to a rigorous schedule of two sessions a day, six days a week. Steuer played a multifaceted role, serving not only as their coach but also as their choreographer, skate sharpener, and music editor. Savchenko herself was involved in designing the pair's costumes. During periods when the Chemnitz ice rink was melted, typically from early April to mid-May, they would train in Dresden if ice time was necessary.

3.2. Competitive Achievements

Savchenko and Szolkowy quickly rose to prominence, becoming one of the most dominant pairs in figure skating history.

In their first season, 2003-2004, they won the German national title. They made their international debut in the 2004-2005 season, again winning the German national title, and placing fourth at the 2005 European Figure Skating Championships and sixth at the 2005 World Figure Skating Championships.

The 2005-2006 season saw them earn their first Grand Prix gold medal at the 2005 Skate Canada International, where they finished first in both programs. They followed this by winning a bronze medal in their first appearance at the 2005-06 Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final. After securing their third national title, they claimed the silver medal at the 2006 European Figure Skating Championships, finishing behind Tatiana Totmianina and Maxim Marinin. Savchenko obtained German citizenship on December 29, 2005, enabling them to compete at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, where they finished sixth. Their coach, Ingo Steuer, faced controversy due to his past association with the Stasi, leading to initial exclusion from the Olympic team, though he was later granted accreditation after a court battle. They also placed sixth at the 2006 World Figure Skating Championships.

In the 2006-2007 season, despite continued pressure from the German Ministry of Interior Affairs regarding Steuer, which led to Szolkowy losing his German army sponsorship, the pair continued to thrive with support from private sponsors and fans. They won gold at the 2006 Cup of Russia and bronze at the 2006 Cup of China, qualifying for the 2006-07 Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final where they won silver. In January 2007, they secured their fourth German national title. They then won their first European Championship, becoming the first German pair in 12 years to do so. They earned a bronze medal at the 2007 World Figure Skating Championships, their first World medal.

The 2007-2008 season was highly successful. They won gold at the 2007 Skate Canada International and 2007 NHK Trophy, and silver at the 2007 Cup of Russia. At the 2007-08 Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final, they set a new world record in the short program and won the gold medal. They successfully defended their European title and then claimed their first World Championship title in Gothenburg, Sweden, becoming the first German pair to win the title since Steuer himself in 1997.

During the 2008-2009 season, Savchenko and Szolkowy continued their dominance, winning both their Grand Prix assignments, the 2008 Skate America and the 2008 Trophée Eric Bompard. They earned a bronze medal at the 2008-09 Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final. In January 2009, they secured their third consecutive European title. Despite Savchenko battling the flu, they successfully defended their World Championship title, setting new personal bests in both the short program and free skate, and finishing almost 17 points ahead of the silver medalists. They were the first German pair since Marika Kilius and Hans-Jürgen Bäumler (1963 and 1964) to achieve this feat.

The 2009-2010 season began with a gold medal at the 2009 Nebelhorn Trophy. At the 2009 Trophée Eric Bompard, they won bronze after a fall in the free skate. They then won the 2009 Skate Canada International with a new world record for combined total score, and notably, a judge awarded them the first 10.0 component score under the ISU Judging System. They earned a bronze medal at the 2009-10 Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final in Tokyo, after Savchenko developed the flu, which also forced them to withdraw from the German Nationals. At the 2010 European Figure Skating Championships, they won silver. At the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, they earned a bronze medal, despite setting a personal best in the short program. They concluded their season with a silver medal at the 2010 World Figure Skating Championships.

For the 2010-2011 season, Savchenko and Szolkowy aimed to continue through the 2014 Olympics. They won gold at the 2010 Skate America and 2010 Trophée Eric Bompard, qualifying as top contenders for the 2010-11 Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final, which they won. At the 2011 European Figure Skating Championships, they secured their fourth European title despite an error in the free skate. They continued their winning streak at the 2011 World Figure Skating Championships, claiming their third World title with a record-breaking free skate and total score, completing a season where they won every event they entered.

In the 2011-2012 season, they competed in three Grand Prix events. At 2011 Skate America, Savchenko fell on a throw triple Axel attempt in the short program but they still won gold. They placed third at the 2011 NHK Trophy and won the 2011 Rostelecom Cup. They then won the 2011-12 Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final with a narrow margin. Savchenko suffered a muscle fiber rupture in her left upper thigh in January 2012, forcing them to withdraw from the 2012 European Figure Skating Championships. Despite this setback, they competed at the 2012 World Figure Skating Championships in Nice, France, where Savchenko successfully landed the throw triple Axel (though her free foot touched the ice). They won their fourth World title, becoming the fifth pair in the post-World War II period to achieve this, with a margin of just 0.11 points.

The 2012-2013 season saw them win gold at the 2012 Skate Canada International, though Savchenko withdrew from the exhibition due to flu. A severe sinus infection forced them to withdraw from the 2012 Trophée Eric Bompard, preventing their qualification for the Grand Prix Final. They earned silver medals at both the 2013 European Figure Skating Championships and the 2013 World Figure Skating Championships, where they included a throw triple Axel as their final element in the free skate.

For their final season together, 2013-2014, they won the 2013 Cup of China, making them only the second pair to win all six Grand Prix events. They also won the 2013 Rostelecom Cup. At the 2013-14 Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final, they edged out Tatiana Volosozhar and Maxim Trankov for the gold medal, setting a new personal best total score of 227.03 points. They withdrew from the 2014 European Figure Skating Championships after the short program due to Savchenko's flu. At the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, they secured their second consecutive Olympic bronze medal. Despite placing second in the short program, falls by Szolkowy on a side-by-side triple jump and Savchenko on a throw triple Axel in the free skate dropped them to third overall. They decided to compete at the 2014 World Figure Skating Championships and won their fifth World title together, second only to Irina Rodnina and Alexander Zaitsev in total titles, and tied with Lyudmila Belousova and Oleg Protopopov for most titles with the same partner. Following this victory, Szolkowy retired from competition, leading to the end of their sponsorship with ThomasLloyd.

4.1. Formation and Nationality Issues

Savchenko decided to continue competing, a possibility she had considered since the 2013 Cup of China. On March 29, 2014, it was announced that she would team up with France's Bruno Massot. They began training together in April, working to adjust to each other's different techniques. Their first public appearance as a pair was at the 2014 All That Skate shows in South Korea. Due to Chemnitz melting its ice rink until late August, they trained in Coral Springs, Florida for two months starting in mid-July.

A significant challenge arose because ISU rules do not allow a pair to compete under two flags, meaning one partner had to change country and could not compete internationally until the previous country granted a release. In July 2014, Savchenko stated her preference to continue representing Germany, while Massot preferred France. On September 29, 2014, the Deutsche Eislauf-Union announced that the pair had decided to skate for Germany. In October 2014, Savchenko and Massot began training in Oberstdorf, coached by Alexander König. However, on June 9, 2015, Massot's mother announced that the French Figure Skating Federation (FFSG) had refused to release Massot to skate for Germany.

The FFSG reportedly demanded a release fee of 70.00 K EUR from Massot on August 31, 2015, although they later agreed to a reduced fee of 30.00 K EUR. Massot was finally released to skate for Germany on October 26, 2015.

4.2. Major Achievements and Records

Savchenko and Massot made their competitive debut at the 2015 CS Tallinn Trophy, an ISU Challenger Series event, where they won the gold medal. This was followed by gold at the 2015 CS Warsaw Cup and the German Championships. In January 2016, they won a silver medal at the 2016 European Figure Skating Championships in Bratislava, Slovakia. In April, they secured a bronze medal at the 2016 World Figure Skating Championships in Boston, having placed fourth in the short program and third in the free skate, marking their first World Championship medal as a pair.

After winning gold at the 2016 CS Nebelhorn Trophy, Savchenko and Massot won both of their Grand Prix events, the 2016 Rostelecom Cup and 2016 Trophée de France. On November 12, Savchenko sustained a torn ligament in her right ankle upon landing a throw triple Axel during the free skate in France. Despite the injury, she chose to continue skating due to the partnership aspect, stating, "If you were alone you might just throw in the towel, but there is that other half of the pair, who is also competing." The injury, though not a complete rupture, required eight to twelve weeks to heal, leading them to withdraw from the 2016-17 Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final and German Championships in December. In January 2017, they won the silver medal at the 2017 European Figure Skating Championships in Ostrava, Czech Republic, behind Russia's Evgenia Tarasova and Vladimir Morozov. In April, they earned another silver medal at the 2017 World Figure Skating Championships in Helsinki, Finland, behind China's Sui Wenjing and Han Cong.

The 2017-2018 season began with a silver medal at the 2017 CS Nebelhorn Trophy. In the Grand Prix series, they took silver at the 2017 Skate Canada International and gold at the 2017 Skate America. Their results qualified them for the 2017-18 Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final in December, which they won with a world record score. In November 2017, Massot received German citizenship, clearing their path to compete for Germany at the 2018 Winter Olympics. They withdrew from the 2018 European Figure Skating Championships on January 12 to focus on Olympic preparations.

5.1. Ice Show Appearances

Throughout her competitive years, Savchenko frequently participated in professional ice shows and exhibition galas. She was part of "Art on Ice" in Switzerland 12 times. She also performed in "All That Skate" in Korea, "Emotions on Ice" in Germany, "Music on Ice" in Switzerland, "Plushenko and Friends," "Opera on Ice," and "Hit on Ice" in Italy, as well as several shows in Japan. In the 2018-2019 season, she and Bruno Massot were the star guests of "Holiday on Ice: Showtime" and ambassadors for the newly established "Holiday on Ice Academy." They opted not to perform in shows during the spring and summer of 2019 due to Savchenko's pregnancy.

She returned to performing in December 2019 at the "Saturn Eisgala" in Ingolstadt, where she skated a solo number to "Storm" by Eric Radford. In February 2020, Savchenko and Massot made a comeback together at "Holiday on Ice" in Hamburg. They continued their work with the "Holiday on Ice Academy," selecting talents and conducting seminars. In December 2019, some academy talents had the opportunity to perform live in the opening of "Dancing on Ice" alongside Savchenko.

5.2. Coaching Career

Even during her active competitive career, Savchenko dedicated time to coaching young German pairs during the off-season to contribute to the development of the sport. In 2018, she assisted coaches at Century Star Club Beijing, working with skaters such as Xiaoyu Yu and Hao Zhang, and Xiangyi An, teaching them and their coaches about skating skills and jump technique.

On May 14, 2018, it was announced that Savchenko would take on a coaching position overseeing American pair skaters Alexa Scimeca Knierim and Chris Knierim. At the time, she planned to divide her time between the United States and Oberstdorf, Germany. However, their collaboration concluded in October 2018. In March 2022, Savchenko signed a two-year contract to become a national coach at the National Training Center in Heerenveen, Netherlands. Her current and former students include:

• Alexa Scimeca Knierim / Chris Knierim (United States)
• Aya Hatakawa (Germany)
• Hanna Keiß (Germany)
• Greta Crafoord / John Crafoord (Sweden)
• Daria Danilova / Michel Tsiba (Netherlands)
• Nika Osipova / Dmitry Epstein (Netherlands)

Savchenko has also choreographed several of her and Massot's exhibition programs. She has also choreographed for other skaters, including Annika Hocke / Ruben Blommaert (Germany) and Annika Hocke / Robert Kunkel (Germany), as well as Greta Crafoord / John Crafoord (Sweden).

5.3. Attempts to Resume Competitive Career

In June 2021, only six weeks after her retirement announcement with Bruno Massot, the German Ice Skating Union confirmed that Savchenko had requested and been granted a release to U.S. Figure Skating, indicating an attempt to resume her competitive career in the United States. However, in September 2021, she announced that she would be focusing on coaching again due to difficulties in finding a suitable partner, reflecting her adaptability and continued engagement with the sport in a different capacity.

6.1. Family and Marriage

Aljona Savchenko was born in Obukhiv, near Kyiv, and grew up with three brothers. Her father, Valentyn, was a former weightlifter. In April 2010, Savchenko became the godmother to Galina Efremenko's daughter. In April 2015, she announced her engagement to Liam Cross, whom she had met at a poker game. The couple resided in Oberstdorf and married on August 18, 2016. They later divorced. Their daughter, Amilia Savchenko Cross, was born on September 7, 2019. Savchenko welcomed her second daughter, Naomi, on December 12, 2024, with a new partner.

6.2. Social Contributions

In 2014, Savchenko actively engaged in social causes, working with the German Red Cross on an aid project aimed at assisting eastern Ukraine, particularly in the context of the War in Donbas. This involvement demonstrated her commitment to humanitarian efforts beyond her athletic career.

7.1. Programs with Bruno Massot

7.2. Programs with Robin Szolkowy

7.3. Programs with Stanislav Morozov

8.1. Major Titles and Medals

Savchenko's career highlights include:

• Olympic Games:**
  • Gold: 2018 Pyeongchang (with Massot)
  • Bronze: 2010 Vancouver, 2014 Sochi (with Szolkowy)
• World Championships:**
  • Gold: 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2014 (with Szolkowy); 2018 (with Massot)
  • Silver: 2010, 2013 (with Szolkowy); 2017 (with Massot)
  • Bronze: 2007 (with Szolkowy); 2016 (with Massot)
• European Championships:**
  • Gold: 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011 (with Szolkowy)
  • Silver: 2006, 2010, 2013 (with Szolkowy); 2016, 2017 (with Massot)
• Grand Prix Final:**
  • Gold: 2007-08, 2010-11, 2011-12, 2013-14 (with Szolkowy); 2017-18 (with Massot)
  • Silver: 2006-07 (with Szolkowy)
  • Bronze: 2005-06, 2008-09, 2009-10 (with Szolkowy)
• World Junior Championships:**
  • Gold: 2000 (with Morozov)
• Junior Grand Prix Final:**
  • Gold: 1999-2000 (with Morozov)
• National Championships:**
  • German Champion: 10 times (8 with Szolkowy, 2 with Massot)
  • Ukrainian Champion: 2 times (with Morozov)

8.2. Personal Best Scores

Savchenko's personal best scores, reflecting her peak technical and artistic performances, are:

• Combined Total Score:** 245.84 points (set at the 2018 World Championships with Bruno Massot)
• Short Program Score:** 82.98 points (set at the 2018 World Championships with Bruno Massot)
• Free Skate Score:** 162.86 points (set at the 2018 World Championships with Bruno Massot)

9.1. Sporting Achievements and Recognition

Savchenko is widely regarded as one of the most decorated pair skaters of all time. Her six World Championship titles are a testament to her sustained excellence, placing her among an elite group of athletes. With Robin Szolkowy, she received the first 10.0 component scores ever awarded by a judge under the ISU Judging System, a significant milestone in the sport. Her partnership with Bruno Massot culminated in an Olympic gold medal, achieving a lifelong dream in her fifth Olympic appearance, a remarkable feat of perseverance. At 34, she became one of the oldest women to win Olympic gold in figure skating and the first female European figure skater to win gold at all major ISU championships. The pair also set multiple world records, notably becoming the first pair skaters to break 160 points in the free skate. These achievements underscore her exceptional skill, longevity, and ability to adapt and excel with different partners.

9.2. Influence on the Sport

Savchenko's influence extends beyond her medal count. She pushed the technical boundaries of pair skating, consistently attempting and landing difficult elements such as the throw triple Axel. Her dedication to innovation and her relentless pursuit of perfection inspired her peers and aspiring skaters alike. Her ability to form successful partnerships with different skaters, each requiring unique adjustments in technique and chemistry, highlights her versatility and deep understanding of the sport. Savchenko's career is a powerful narrative of determination and resilience, demonstrating that with unwavering commitment, even the most ambitious goals can be achieved. Her impact is seen not only in the records she broke but also in the higher standards she set for artistic expression and technical prowess in pair skating.