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Maxim NikitinUkrainian figure skater
Date of Birth: 05.10.1994
Country:  Ukraine |
Content:
Biography of Maxim Nikitin
Maxim Nikitin is a Ukrainian figure skater who specializes in ice dancing. He competes in pairs with Alexandra Nazarova. Together, they are the champions of the 2017 Winter Universiade and the bronze medalists of the Junior World Championships in 2015. They are also the vice-champions of the 1st Winter Youth Olympic Games, two-time champions of Ukraine in 2014 and 2016, and winners of the Ukrainian Junior Championships in 2012. As of November 14, 2017, the pair is ranked 20th in the International Skating Union (ISU) rankings.
Early Life
Maxim Nikitin was born on October 5, 1994, in Kharkiv, Ukraine. In 2012, he began his studies at the Kharkiv State Academy of Physical Culture.
Junior Period
At the start of his career, Maxim Nikitin practiced singles skating. Later, his coach Galina Churilova paired him with Alexandra Nazarova, whose previous ice dancing partner had split. They made their international debut in junior Grand Prix events in the fall of 2010. The pair's major achievement in the junior level was winning the silver medal at the inaugural Youth Olympic Games held in Innsbruck in 2012.
In the team event at the Innsbruck Games, together with French figure skater Timothee Novakine and Estonian figure skater Sindra Kriisa, they narrowly missed a bronze medal, but still finished first among the ice dancers.
The following season, the Ukrainian skaters resumed their performances in the junior Grand Prix. They had decent results in Croatia and Austria, finishing in fifth place. In early December, they won the junior tournament in Hungary and then went on to win the Ukrainian Junior Championships. This earned them a spot at the World Junior Championships in Italy. Their debut was difficult to evaluate as the pair failed to secure two spots for the Ukrainian federation. They finished in the top twenty.
At the end of that season, after the championship in Milan, Galina Churilova suggested they move under the guidance of Alexander Zhulin and Oleg Volkov in Moscow for further sporting development.
In the junior Grand Prix events of the following season, the Ukrainian skaters won two silver medals in Estonia and Poland, securing their place in the Junior Grand Prix Final in Fukuoka, Japan. In December, they finished in fifth place at the final. In March 2014, the Ukrainian skaters once again competed in the World Junior Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria, and finished in the top five, earning Ukraine a double quota for the next season.
In the fall of 2014, Maxim and Alexandra started competing at two junior Grand Prix events. They won the bronze medal in Estonia and finished near the podium in the Czech Republic. However, this was not enough to qualify for the Junior Grand Prix Final.
Senior Period
In late November 2014, the skaters made their debut at the senior level. They participated in the Warsaw Cup and won the silver medal after a tough competition. Two weeks later, they competed at the Golden Spin of Zagreb, where they narrowly missed the podium. Shortly after, they became the champions of Ukraine for the first time.
In January of the following year, the skaters made their debut at the European Championships in Stockholm, finishing near the top ten. In March, they competed at the World Junior Championships in Tallinn and won bronze medals. At the end of March, they made their debut at the World Championships in Shanghai, finishing in the middle of the second ten.
The new season began in Salt Lake City at the International Figure Skating Classic, where they finished in fourth place. In October, the pair made their debut in the senior Grand Prix series at the American stage in Milwaukee, where they finished second to last. They then competed in Estonia at the Tallinn Trophy, finishing in sixth place. However, they were unable to participate in the national championships due to injuries. They also missed the European Championships for the same reason. Nevertheless, they managed to recover by the end of March 2016 and competed at the World Championships in Boston.
Before the start of the 2016-17 season, they finished working with Alexander Zhulin and switched to being coached by Igor Shpilband. In Nice, at the Nice Trophy, they won the bronze medal under their new coaches. This was followed by their performance at the French stage of the Grand Prix series in Paris, where they finished in the middle of the standings. Two weeks later, they competed in Minsk at an international tournament and won it. They then finished in the top six at the Golden Spin of Zagreb after a fierce competition. In the Ukrainian Championships of 2016, they regained their title after a one-year hiatus. In January 2017, at the European Championships in Ostrava, they achieved their best results so far and earned two spots for the next championship, finishing in ninth place. A week later, at the 28th Winter Universiade in Almaty, the Ukrainian skaters confidently won the gold medal. In late March, the skaters had a successful performance at the World Championships in Helsinki, qualifying for the next Olympic Games and finishing strongly in the free dance. They improved on all their previous achievements.
In September, the Ukrainian pair started the Olympic season in Bergamo, winning the bronze medal at the Lombardia Trophy. Their performance in Nice at the Nice City Trophy in mid-October was not very successful, as they finished in the top five. Two weeks later, they competed at the Challenger series event in Minsk and finished near the podium. They were able to slightly improve their previous achievements in the short dance and free dance. Three weeks later, the skaters participated in the Japanese stage of the Grand Prix series, finishing in the middle of the standings. They also improved on their previous achievements in the short dance and free dance. In mid-November, the pair had a successful performance in Warsaw at the Warsaw Cup, finishing with a bronze medal.
