Andrei Bukin

Andrei Anatolyevich Bukin (Russian: Андрей Анатольевич Букин, born 10 June 1957) is a Soviet and Russian former ice dancer who represented the Soviet Union in his competitive career. With his partner Natalia Bestemianova, he is the 1988 Olympic Champion, 1984 Olympic silver medalist, four-time World champion, three-time World silver medalist, and five-time European champion.

Andrei Bukin

Personal information
Full name	Andrei Anatolyevich Bukin
Born	(1957-06-10) 10 June 1957 (age 68) Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Height	1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Figure skating career
Retired	1988
Medal record Figure skating Ice dancing Representing  Soviet Union Olympic Games 1988 Calgary Ice dancing 1984 Sarajevo Ice dancing World Championships 1988 Budapest Ice dancing 1987 Cincinnati Ice dancing 1986 Geneva Ice dancing 1985 Tokyo Ice dancing 1984 Ottawa Ice dancing 1983 Helsinki Ice dancing 1982 Copenhagen Ice dancing 1981 Hartford Ice dancing European Championships 1988 Prague Ice dancing 1987 Sarajevo Ice dancing 1986 Sarajevo Ice dancing 1985 Gothenburg Ice dancing 1984 Budapest Ice dancing 1983 Dortmund Ice dancing 1982 Lyon Ice dancing

Career

Bukin began figure skating at age seven, entering the Children and Youth Sports School of CSKA in Moscow. The group trained at a small stadium in Chapayevsky Park near Pesochnaya Square. At age ten, he joined Spartak and began ice dancing, originally training at the Small Sports Arena of the Central Lenin Stadium. In his early career, he was coached by Nadezhda Shirokova and his ice dancing partner was Olga Abankina, whom he married. In 1977, he joined the group of the famous coach Tatiana Tarasova,^[1] who paired him with Natalia Bestemianova. Bukin was the USSR Olympic Team Flag Bearer at the 1988 Winter Olympics. The duo capped their lengthy career by winning the gold medal there and at that year's World Championships.

Personal life

Bukin married former ice dancing partner, Olga Abankina, with whom he has a son Andrei (born 1983).^[2] With his current partner, Yelena Vasyukova, a former ice dancer, he has a son, Ivan Bukin, born in 1993, who is also a competitive ice dancer.^[3][2]

Competitive highlights

With Bestemianova

International
Event	77–78	78–79	79–80	80–81	81–82	82–83	83–84	84–85	85–86	86–87	87–88
Olympics			8th				2nd				1st
Worlds		10th		3rd	2nd	2nd	2nd	1st	1st	1st	1st
Europeans			6th	4th	2nd	1st	2nd	1st	1st	1st	1st
Skate America			2nd
NHK Trophy										1st	1st
Moscow News		4th	2nd	3rd	1st	1st	1st	2nd	1st
National[4]
Soviet Champ.	3rd	4th	2nd	3rd	1st	1st		2nd		1st

With Abankina

Event	1975–1976
Soviet Championships	5th

Programs

(With Bestemianova)

Season	Original set pattern	Free dance	Exhibition
1987–1988	Tango Hernando's Hideaway	Polovtsian Dances
1986–1987		Cabaret medley
1985–1986		Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini
1984–1985		Carmen
1983–1984	Pasodoble
1982–1983
1981–1982		FD: "Sabre Dance" by Aram Khatchaturian, "Romeo and Juliet" by Tchiakovsky, Finale from "William Tell" Overture by Rossini (modern piano version)
1980–1981
1979–1980