Natalia Lebedeva Soviet figure skater, coach Date of Birth: 16.12.1964 Country: Ukraine

1. Natalya Lebedeva: Soviet Figure Skater and Coach
2. Early Career
3. Triumph at Skate Canada
4. Continued Success
5. Style and Skills
6. Coaching Career

Natalya Lebedeva: Soviet Figure Skater and Coach

Natalya Lebedeva is a former Soviet figure skater and coach who was a two-time champion of the Soviet Union in ladies' singles. Born in Ukraine, she moved to Sverdlovsk in the 1970s. Lebedeva initially trained under Igor Ksenofontov, although she was later accompanied by V. Kovalyov, E. Pliner, and others in international competitions.

Early Career

One of Lebedeva's first major competitions was the Winter Spartakiad of the Peoples of the USSR in 1978 in Sverdlovsk, where she finished 15th among the girls. Her first adult competition was the USSR Cup in April 1981 in Sverdlovsk, where she placed 9th. In 1984, she became the champion of the USSR and joined the national team. Unfortunately, she had to miss the seasons of 1987-88 due to injury.

Triumph at Skate Canada

In October 1988, at the Skate Canada competition, Lebedeva delivered her best free program to the music of P. I. Tchaikovsky. With high speed and inspiration, she executed four triple jumps flawlessly, despite being accompanied by another coach, G. Ya. Zmievskaia. Her performance led her to victory, defeating American skater D. Traineri.

Continued Success

Lebedeva won the silver medal at the 1989 European Championships. In December 1990, she became the champion of the USSR for the second time. At the 1990 European Championships in Leningrad, she dominated both compulsory figures and the short program, positioning herself as the favorite to become the first Soviet European champion. Unfortunately, in the free program, she experienced three falls (on a triple loop and both triple salchows) and only managed to execute one clean triple jump (a loop), resulting in a second-place finish.

Style and Skills

Lebedeva's programs were primarily set to classical music and showcased a strict and restrained style. She possessed only two triple jumps, the loop and the salchow. She performed an original combination of seven jumps with steps: split jump, waltz jump, Euler, triple loop, Euler, and double salchow.

Coaching Career

In 1993, Lebedeva moved to Minsk, where she began working as a coach. In the 1994 Olympics, her students, the Belarusian pair Elena Grigoryeva and Sergey Sheiko, competed. Currently, she coaches in Odintsovo, Moscow Oblast. Lebedeva is an international level judge, officiating amateur and Russian level competitions.