Galina Zmievskaya
Encyclopedia
Figure skating
Figure skating is an Olympic sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform spins, jumps, footwork and other intricate and challenging moves on ice skates. Figure skaters compete at various levels from beginner up to the Olympic level , and at local, national, and international competitions...
coach, formerly based in Odessa
Odessa
Odessa or Odesa is the administrative center of the Odessa Oblast located in southern Ukraine. The city is a major seaport located on the northwest shore of the Black Sea and the fourth largest city in Ukraine with a population of 1,029,000 .The predecessor of Odessa, a small Tatar settlement,...
, Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
. Her students have included Olympic champions Viktor Petrenko
Viktor Petrenko
Viktor Vasylovych Petrenko is a Ukrainian former competitive figure skater who represented the Soviet Union, the Unified Team, and Ukraine during his career. He is the 1992 Olympic Champion for the Unified Team...
and Oksana Baiul
Oksana Baiul
Oksana Serhiyivna Baiul is a Ukrainian professional figure skater. She is the 1994 Olympic Champion in Ladies' Singles and 1993 World Champion.-Early and personal life:...
, World Junior
World Junior Figure Skating Championships
The World Junior Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union in which younger figure skaters compete for the title of World Junior Champion...
champion Vladimir Petrenko
Vladimir Petrenko
Vladimir Petrenko is a former competitive figure skater from Odessa, Ukraine born in 1971. He was the 1986 World Junior Champion. He is the younger brother of Olympic gold medalist Viktor Petrenko, and the brothers were both coached by Ukrainian figure skating coach Galina Zmievskaya at Spartak in...
, U.S. national champion Scott Davis, and Italian champion Silvia Fontana
Silvia Fontana
Silvia Fontana is a figure skater who represented Italy at the two Olympics. She was born on Staten Island, New York, raised in Rome, and trained during her career in Hackensack, New Jersey.-Career:...
. She also worked with Viacheslav Zagorodniuk
Viacheslav Zagorodniuk
Viacheslav Zagorodniuk Viacheslav Zagorodniuk Viacheslav Zagorodniuk (born 11 August 1972 in Odessa, Ukraine (then USSR) is a former Ukrainian figure skater. He represented the USSR until its dissolution and then represented Ukraine. He is the 1994 World bronze medalist, 1996 European champion,...
and Takeshi Honda
Takeshi Honda
in Kōriyama, Fukushima is a Japanese retired competitive figure skater. He is a two-time World bronze medalist , two-time Four Continents champion , and six-time Japan national champion.-Biography:...
early in their careers, and briefly coached Georgian skater Elene Gedevanishvili
Elene Gedevanishvili
Elene Gedevanishvili is a Georgian figure skater. She is the 2010 European bronze medalist, becoming the first skater from Georgia to medal at an ISU Championships.-Career:...
in 2007 and
Swiss skater Stéphane Lambiel
Stéphane Lambiel
Stéphane Lambiel is a Swiss figure skater and a choreographer. He is a two-time World Champion, the 2006 Olympic silver medalist, a two-time Grand Prix Champion and a nine-time Swiss national champion...
in 2008.
She began coaching American skater and three-time U.S. national champion Johnny Weir
Johnny Weir
John Garvin "Johnny" Weir is an American figure skater. He is a three-time U.S. National Champion , the 2008 Worlds bronze medalist, a two-time Grand Prix Final bronze medalist, and the 2001 World Junior Champion....
in the summer of 2007.
Zmievskaya's older daughter, Nina, is married to Viktor Petrenko
Viktor Petrenko
Viktor Vasylovych Petrenko is a Ukrainian former competitive figure skater who represented the Soviet Union, the Unified Team, and Ukraine during his career. He is the 1992 Olympic Champion for the Unified Team...
and has choreographed for many of Zmievskaya's students. She has a second daughter, also named Galina and known as Galya. Zmievskaya's husband, Nikolai, was a building contractor in Odessa
Odessa
Odessa or Odesa is the administrative center of the Odessa Oblast located in southern Ukraine. The city is a major seaport located on the northwest shore of the Black Sea and the fourth largest city in Ukraine with a population of 1,029,000 .The predecessor of Odessa, a small Tatar settlement,...
. In addition to coaching Oksana Baiul
Oksana Baiul
Oksana Serhiyivna Baiul is a Ukrainian professional figure skater. She is the 1994 Olympic Champion in Ladies' Singles and 1993 World Champion.-Early and personal life:...
, Zmievskaya acted as her guardian following the death of her mother.
Following Baiul's win at the 1994 Winter Olympics
1994 Winter Olympics
The 1994 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 12 to 27 February 1994 in and around Lillehammer, Norway. Lillehammer failed to win the bid for the 1992 event. Lillehammer was awarded the games in 1988, after having beat...
, Zmievskaya moved to Simsbury, Connecticut
Simsbury, Connecticut
Simsbury is a suburban town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 23,234 at the 2000 census. The town was incorporated as Connecticut's twenty-first town in May 1670.-Early history:...
, where she coached for a decade at the International Skating Center of Connecticut before relocating to Wayne, New Jersey
Wayne, New Jersey
Wayne is a Township in Passaic County, New Jersey, United States, located less than from midtown Manhattan. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township had a total population of 54,069....
in 2005 along with her daughter Nina and son-in-law Viktor Petrenko
Viktor Petrenko
Viktor Vasylovych Petrenko is a Ukrainian former competitive figure skater who represented the Soviet Union, the Unified Team, and Ukraine during his career. He is the 1992 Olympic Champion for the Unified Team...
to coach at The Ice Vault Arena.