Ekaterina Bobrova

2.1. Early career and partnership formation

Bobrova started skating at the age of four. In 2000, she formed an ice dance partnership with Dmitri Soloviev. Their initial coaches were Elena Kustarova and Svetlana Alexeeva.

2.2. Junior career and senior debut (2005-2009)

Bobrova and Soloviev began competing on the ISU Junior Grand Prix series in the 2005-2006 season. They placed second at two Junior Grand Prix events in Canada and Poland, and finished seventh at the ISU Junior Grand Prix Final. In the 2006-2007 season, they secured two consecutive Junior Grand Prix victories and earned a bronze medal at their second Junior Grand Prix Final in Sofia, Bulgaria. Their junior career culminated in a gold medal at the 2007 World Junior Figure Skating Championships in Oberstdorf, Germany, where they won all three segments: the compulsory dance, original dance, and free dance.

For the 2007-2008 season, Bobrova and Soloviev transitioned to the senior level. They competed at their first Grand Prix events, placing fifth at Skate Canada and fourth at the Cup of Russia. They achieved their first senior medal, a bronze, at the Russian Championships. Their debut at the World Championships in 2008 saw them finish 13th. The following season, they were not selected for the World Championships but placed fourth at the NHK Trophy and sixth at Skate Canada, and fifth at the Winter Universiade.

During the 2009-2010 season, Bobrova and Soloviev won the silver medal at the 2010 Russian Nationals. This earned them a spot at the European Championships, where they placed ninth. They also qualified for their first Olympic Games in Vancouver, Canada, finishing 15th. They improved to eighth place at the World Championships later that season.

2.3. Rise to prominence and national titles (2009-2012)

The 2010-2011 season marked their ascent on the senior circuit. Bobrova and Soloviev earned their first Grand Prix medal, a silver, at the 2010 Cup of China. They then won their first senior Grand Prix title at the Cup of Russia, which qualified them for their first senior Grand Prix Final, where they finished fourth. At the 2011 Russian Championships, they won their first national title by placing first in both the short dance and free dance. After this, they changed their short dance program, debuting a new one to "Where I Want to Be" at the 2011 European Championships, where they secured their first European medal, a silver. They finished sixth at the 2011 World Championships.

In the 2011-2012 season, they won gold at their first Grand Prix event, the 2011 Cup of China, with a score of 163.52 points, winning both segments. They took bronze at their next event, the Cup of Russia, and finished sixth at the Grand Prix Final. They successfully defended their Russian national title and once again earned a European silver medal. Bobrova and Soloviev placed seventh at the 2012 World Championships.

2.4. World and European Champion (2012-2013)

On April 25, 2012, Bobrova and Soloviev announced a change in their coaching team, moving to Alexander Zhulin and Oleg Volkov. They noted that they were learning a different technique and significantly altering their style. For their 2012-2013 free dance, Soloviev portrayed an insane lover, while Bobrova's character gradually descended into insanity as his recovered. Their short dance was described by Soloviev as a story of meeting at a ball, with a playful polka leading to a serious waltz where they fall in love, ultimately realizing they cannot be together due to an age difference.

They started the 2012-2013 season with a gold medal at the 2012 Finlandia Trophy. They secured silver medals at both of their Grand Prix assignments, the 2012 Skate America and the 2012 Cup of China, qualifying for the 2012 Grand Prix Final in Sochi, Russia. Despite a fall by Soloviev in their free dance, they finished fifth overall. At the 2013 Russian Championships, they claimed their third national title.

Bobrova and Soloviev achieved a significant milestone by winning the gold medal at the European Championships for the first time, narrowly defeating their teammates Elena Ilinykh and Nikita Katsalapov. They then made their debut on the World Championships podium, earning a bronze medal at the 2013 World Championships in London, Ontario, Canada. They were named to the Russian team for the 2013 World Team Trophy, but withdrew after Soloviev aggravated a groin injury on April 1, requiring at least ten days of rest. During this period, Bobrova assisted Volkov in coaching young ice dancers.

2.5. Sochi Olympics and injury (2013-2014)

During the 2013-2014 ISU Grand Prix series, Bobrova and Soloviev won silver at the 2013 Cup of China and gold at the 2013 Rostelecom Cup. They finished fourth at the 2013 Grand Prix Final. They secured their fourth consecutive national title at the 2014 Russian Championships. Feeling their current free dance was not effective, they opted to return to their free dance from the previous season.

In February 2014, Bobrova and Soloviev competed at the Winter Olympics in Sochi. In the team event, they placed third in their assigned short dance segment, contributing to Russia's gold medal victory. Following this achievement, Bobrova decided to sell the car she was awarded as a prize and donate the proceeds to a children's charity. In the separate ice dancing event, they ranked fifth. A month later, they traveled to Saitama, Japan, for the 2014 World Championships. However, on March 28, Soloviev sustained a groin injury during morning practice before the short dance, forcing their withdrawal from the competition. He began to return to the ice cautiously in the second week of April.

2.6. Hiatus and comeback (2014-2015)

For the 2014-2015 Grand Prix season, Bobrova and Soloviev were assigned to the 2014 Skate America and 2014 Trophee Eric Bompard. However, due to Soloviev's knee surgery, they withdrew from both events and decided to sit out the remainder of the season to allow him to recover fully.

2.7. Return to competition and meldonium controversy (22015-2016)

Bobrova and Soloviev returned to competition in the 2015-2016 Grand Prix series, winning the bronze medal at the 2015 Skate Canada International and then silver at the 2015 NHK Trophy. These placements secured them the final spot at the Grand Prix Final in Barcelona, Spain, where they finished fifth. In late December, they were awarded their fifth national title at the 2016 Russian Championships held in Yekaterinburg.

From January 27-30, Bobrova and Soloviev won the bronze medal at the 2016 European Championships with a personal best overall score of 176.50 points. On March 7, 2016, Bobrova announced that she had tested positive for meldonium. Expressing "shock" at the result, she stated that she had been aware of meldonium's addition to the banned list (effective January 1, 2016) and had been careful to avoid products containing prohibited substances. Consequently, they withdrew from the World Championships. On April 13, the WADA issued an amnesty for athletes with less than one microgram of meldonium in doping samples from tests conducted before March 1, 2016, citing uncertainties and a lack of studies on how long the substance remains in the body. Bobrova's suspension was subsequently lifted by the ISU, which stated it had decided "to stay the results management process and consequently not to disqualify any results at the present stage."

2.8. Final competitive seasons (2016-2018)

Bobrova and Soloviev commenced their 2016-2017 season by winning the gold medal at the 2016 CS Ondrej Nepela Memorial. On the Grand Prix series, they earned two medals: a bronze at the 2016 Skate America and a gold at the 2016 Rostelecom Cup. These results qualified them for the 2016-17 Grand Prix Final, where they placed fourth after finishing fifth in the short dance and fourth in the free dance. In December 2016, they secured their sixth national title at the 2017 Russian Championships. A month later, they claimed the bronze medal at the 2017 European Championships, having won the short dance and placed third in the free dance. They subsequently competed at the 2017 World Championships, finishing fifth, and earned a silver medal with the Russian team at the 2017 World Team Trophy.

For the 2017-2018 season, which was an Olympic season for many athletes and potentially their last, Bobrova and Soloviev again began by winning the gold medal at the 2017 CS Ondrej Nepela Trophy, their second consecutive victory at this event. On the Grand Prix series, they won two more medals: a silver at the 2017 Rostelecom Cup and a bronze at the 2017 Cup of China. In December 2017, they first won gold at the 2017 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb and then secured their seventh national title at the 2018 Russian Championships. A month later, they won the silver medal at the 2018 European Championships, placing fourth in the short dance and second in the free dance, achieving a personal best total score of 187.13 points. In February 2018, Bobrova and Soloviev placed fifth in the individual ice dancing event at the 2018 Winter Olympics, after finishing sixth in the short dance and fourth in the free dance. A week prior, they had earned an Olympic silver medal in the team event. They later withdrew from the 2018 World Championships.

2.9. Retirement

In July 2019, Bobrova announced on her Instagram account that she was concluding her competitive career. She later confirmed her retirement from competition in an interview held on December 26, 2019.

4.1. Summary of Major Competitions

4.2. Detailed Seasonal Results

Small medals for short and free programs awarded only at ISU Championships. At team events, medals awarded for team results only.