Elena Ilinykh and Nikita Katsalapov brought Russia another bronze medal. Elena Ilyinykh: “Seven years ago Katsalapov already left me” Nikita Gennadyevich Katsalapov personal life
... “And there is no one to tell my melancholy and grief how sad it is for me and Sinitsina to play programs,” Nikita Katsalapov could say. And we have someone to collect the broken cups - everyone can see what we have lost. So Alla Shekhovtsova has already expressed that we should return to the issue of the composition of couples.
Ilinykh-Katsalapov should skate together again. This conclusion clearly arises when comparing almost any of their performances with those that we saw performed by Russian couples last season, including the temporarily first Ilinykh-Zhiganshin - until the return of the Bobrova-Soloviev couple and the possible, desired reunion of Elena and Nikita.
Ilinykh-Katsalapov is, first of all, speed. This is the drive. These are not student attempts to roll out the fourth levels at low speed - the attempts are also unsuccessful, often. And when an element is done dashingly, with deep edges and high speed, then the impression is completely different, which is reflected in the judges’ assessments for the quality of execution.
Possibly my favorite short dance. Ilinykh-Katsalapov - this is an incredible “chemistry”. The burning brunette Ilinykh and the blue-eyed blond Nikita are such opposites... who are so attracted by their brightest individuality. Both are very good, there is no need to hide anyone behind a partner, which distinguishes the pair very favorably from the first four of the last world championship.
For an encore, my favorite part of the parallel step track:
Dashingly, on deep ribs and high speed.
The skating of Ilinykh-Katsalapov is a thrill, it is bright artistry, and not dull attempts to roll out technique. They often say that Lena, paired with Nikita, allegedly overacted - I don’t see that at all. She played - brightly, magnificently, talentedly. With Ruslan she became boring.
And "Swan Lake"? This is real drama! I don’t need ballet, and I don’t like it - I’d rather watch the free dance of Ilinykh and Katsalapov:
These are the kind of dances I can watch forever. Speed, skate, complex lifts (and not broken ones, as in a pair with Zhiganshin). A magnificent production, perfectly shown by the guys. Why, even with errors it looks good! Outstanding master of production - Nikolai Morozov.
Lena is replaying now. What are those scary grimaces in Carmen?
Lena is bored, bored with maintaining speed on twizzles, for example. So he makes a face. What Nikita was thinking about when he decided to change his partner is completely unclear. Rolling him up with Sinitsina, who is not very fast, is a useless endeavor; there will never be any results.
But everything can still be fixed, right? It’s not too late to bring back a couple with whom we are able to fight for leadership in world dancing. A couple of unique ones that can meet the highest world standards. The guys have already separated once and got together for a big goal. We need it again, for even more. For Olympic gold. Train with Igor Shpilband or again with Nikolai Morozov. Forward.
Ilinykh and Katsalapov have been skating together since childhood, having finished with singles skating. It is their destiny to ride together. And win the Olympics. You can't escape fate.
Nikita Katsalapov could not stand the treachery of his partner
Figure skating fans were struck by unpleasant news: the 2014 Olympic bronze medalists in ice dancing Elena ILINYKH and Nikita KATSALAPOV announced that they would no longer perform together. The guys did not talk about the reasons for the separation and secretly found new partners from each other - next season Lena will begin skating with Ruslan ZHIGANSHIN, and Nikita will skate with Victoria SINITSINA. The figure skaters' coach Nikolai MOROZOV did not comment on the situation. However, people familiar with the underbelly of the most beautiful sport blame him for the breakup of the couple.
The separation between the Ilins and Katsalapov is not the first. Those who, due to the nature of their work, have access to the backstage of figure skating, unanimously repeat: the Ilins are such a thing!
Lena has been capricious and showing her character since childhood: having paired up with Nikita in 2005, the girl could not accept that from now on she would have to share the palm with her partner. As a result, due to constant quarrels and reproaches, their then still young, but already promising duo broke up. In 2006, Ilinykh left for the USA to train in the group of Marina Zueva and Igor Shpilband. But she failed to find a partner overseas. Two years later, the athlete flew to Moscow, where she encountered Katsalapov at the skating rink. Standing in front of Nikita was not a small, angular girl, but a 14-year-old dark-eyed beauty with attractive curves. The guy did not resist the raging hormones and invited Lenochka to become a couple again. They say that from this moment not only the history of the dance duet Ilinyh - Katsalapov began, but also their close relationship. For Nikita, Lena became the first serious love: they trained from morning to evening and often did not part at night. This didn’t shock anyone: in figure skating people grow up early. In addition, by this time the Ilins already had little experience - in the USA, they say, she had an “adult” affair.
Despite the love affair, quarrels began again. The instigator was often the temperamental Elena - she could declare that her partner was boring her to hell and leave the training without any explanation. She screamed that it was all over between them and began having affairs with other athletes. Katsalapov was worried, but every time he forgave his friend. Many noticed that the girl was trying to flirt with Alexander Zhulin, who trained the couple. However, the mentor’s heart was occupied by Natalya Mikhailova, and Lena decided to seek happiness with another teacher. Soon Katsalapov and the Ilyins moved from Zhulin to Nikolai Morozov.
Vicious Angel
The personal life of 38-year-old Nikolai Morozov has always provided rich food for gossip. From 1996 to 1998, he danced on ice together with Tatyana Navka and was even married to her - they say he got married in order to compete for Belarus at the 1998 Olympics and the World Championships. Nikolai's second wife was 19-year-old figure skater Caroline Duarin, who gave birth to his daughter Annabelle-Nicole. Now the girl is 13 years old, she lives in the USA and is engaged in figure skating. But the marriage with the French woman was short-lived - Morozov could not resist the charms of his student, Canadian Shay-Lynn Bourne, who performed in tandem with Viktor Kraatz. In 2005, they got married, but after two years they separated: Nikolai became interested in Elena Grushina, who skated with Ruslan Goncharov for Ukraine. Morozov prepared them for the Olympics in Turin, where they won bronze medals.
After several visits to the haven of family life, the successful trainer decided not to repeat the mistakes and from now on satisfied his own libido without any obligations. They talk about his tender relationship with Olga Orlova, who competed in ice dancing with Mathieu Jost for France, and with the Georgian single skater Elene Gedevanishvili...
To the questioning glances of his comrades, who did not understand why a mature man is almost always attracted to young girls, Morozov answered the same way every time: due to being too busy on the ice, he, they say, has no time to get to know someone, much less care for them, so he drags them to bed the one that turns up on its own.
For several years, Nikolai worked with figure skater Miki Ando, who became world champion in 2007 and 2011. Officials from the Figure Skating Federation of the Land of the Rising Sun were shocked by the uniqueness of Morozov's coaching method - he did not hesitate to cohabit with a Japanese beauty.
Having fallen head over heels for her mentor, 20-year-old Miki was ready to quit sports for his sake. But then 16-year-old Lena Ilyinykh appeared on Nikolai’s horizon, and Ando received her resignation.
When rumors spread that Morozov was coming from New Jersey to Moscow, everyone who knew the inclinations of the coach with the face of a vicious angel sarcastically: “Mothers, hide your daughters! Maybe he’ll at least wait until the Ilyins’ molars grow in before he starts giving her private lessons?” Someone naively believed that Morozov had finally lost his temper and this time would not seduce his young ward. In vain.
Confirmation that Lena Ilinykh and her coach are connected not only by work appear regularly. Either the figure skater ends up at the same resort with Morozov and posts sexy photos in a bikini on the Internet, then she has dinner with him in a restaurant by candlelight, or she kisses him “not like a child” in front of everyone. One of the witnesses managed to capture the passionate kiss of the Ilins and Morozov in the Olympic zone in Sochi on a mobile phone camera and posted the photo on the athlete’s page. But as soon as comments started pouring in, the photo instantly disappeared.
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In Lena's archive... Photo: goldenskate.com |
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Lots of spicy pictures with the mentor. Photo: red-blade.tumblr.com |
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But also reverent feelings for each other. Photo: |
Nikita Gennadievich Katsalapov(July 10, 1991, Moscow, USSR) - Russian ice dance figure skater. Olympic champion 2014. Honored Master of Sports of Russia.
Since the second half of 2014, she has been paired with Victoria Sinitsina.
Katsalapov achieved his greatest success in 2010-2014 in tandem with Elena Ilinykh. Nikita is the 2014 Olympic champion in team competitions, bronze medalist in ice dancing at the 2014 Winter Olympics, bronze medalist at the 2012 European Championships, silver medalist at the 2013 European Championships, three-time silver medalist at the Russian Championships 2012, 2013, 2014; world junior champion 2010. As of February 2014, the Ilinykh-Katsalapov pair took 7th place in the ranking.
As of April 26, 2015, the Sinitsina/Katsalapov pair ranks 62nd in the International Skating Union (ISU) rankings.
Nikita began figure skating at the age of 4 at the Aleko children's ice theater. While participating in various theater productions, he simultaneously studied various elements on ice under the guidance of his mother, who was seriously involved in figure skating with the Kudryavtsevs, but was injured and ended her career. When the question of choice arose - sports or theater, Nikita chose sports. Then he started studying at Sokolniki in Marina Druzik’s group. And after 1.5 years he began training at the school of Viktor Nikolaevich Kudryavtsev in the group of Natalya Petrovna Dubinskaya. In single skating, Nikita achieved good results among boys of his age: in 2001 he was the winner of the Russian championship in a special program. At the age of 13, at the insistence of his mother, he switched to ice dancing. His partner was also former singles skater Elena Ilinykh, with whom he began training under the guidance of Irina Lobacheva, who had completed her career in amateur sports. But various disagreements and a lack of ability to find a common language ultimately led to the breakup of the couple. Elena went to the USA for 2 years in the Zueva/Shpilbanda group, and Nikita spent the first year after breaking up with the Ilyins skating alone - doing choreography, dancing, general physical training under the guidance of Alla Yuryevna Belyaeva. In the summer of 2007, Alexander Zhulin, with whom Nikita was already familiar, came to Moscow: together with the Ilyins, they came to him for a master class in America. So Nikita began skating in a group with Zhulin, who paired him with Angelina Kabysheva. A year later, the couple broke up, and in 2008 Nikita again became a couple with Elena Ilyinykh, who returned from the USA to Moscow for the winter holidays.
Junior achievements
At the 2009 Russian Junior Championships, Elena Ilinykh/Nikita Katsalapov took fourth place. This was followed by a victory at the final of the Russian Cup in Tver, after which the skaters entered the country's junior team.
The duo began the 2009-2010 season with convincing victories at the Junior Grand Prix stages in Hungary and Poland. The couple immediately loudly declared themselves on the international stage. In the final of the Junior Grand Prix series in Tokyo, Ilinykh/Katsalapov won silver medals, losing only to another Russian pair - Ksenia Monko/Kirill Khalyavin. The students of Alexander Zhulin lost to the same pair, students of Svetlana Alekseeva, Elena Kustarova and Olga Ryabinina, at the national championship in February 2010 in Saransk. After the Russian Junior Championships, the athletes, along with their coaches and choreographer, fully concentrated on training. After analyzing the mistakes and setting priorities, we decided to focus on technology. At the World Championships in The Hague, the couple’s progress was obvious: the athletes, who had been performing together for only a year and a half, received fourth levels for all elements of the dances performed. The result was victory at the World Junior Championships with a lead of almost 16 points over the competitors.
First season at senior level
For the 2010-2011 season, Ilinykh/Katsalapov chose music from the ballet Don Quixote for their free dance. They made their senior Grand Prix debut at the 2010 NHK Trophy, where they finished fourth. The couple won their first medal at the Grand Prix stages at a stage in Moscow called “Cup of Russia”. At the 2011 Russian Championships, they were second after the short dance to the duet Ekaterina Bobrova/Dmitry Soloviev, but took fourth place in the free dance, and finished the competition in third place behind the duets Bobrova/Soloviev and Ryazanov/Tkachenko. However, their bronze medal was enough to earn them a spot in their first ever European Championships.
At the 2011 European Championships, Ilinykh/Katsalapov set new personal records in the short dance (60.93), free dance (92.55) and total (153.48), this result allowed them to take fourth place in their debut continental championship. They fought with the Ryazanov/Tkachenko duo for a second ticket to the 2011 World Championship. As a result, Ilinykh/Katsalapov won the right to represent the country at the World Championship for the first time in their lives. They finished seventh in this competition. After the end of the season, they ended their collaboration with Alexander Zhulin and Oleg Volkov to begin working with new coach Nikolai Morozov. During the off-season, they spent some time in the United States in preparation for the new season.
2011-2012 season
In the new season, Ilinykh/Katsalapov were assigned to two stages of the Grand Prix 2011 NHK Trophy and 2011 Trophée Eric Bompard. At the NHK Trophy, despite the injury of their partner, the couple took third place. At the Trophee Eric Bompard stage, Elena and Nikita came fourth. In 2012, at the Russian Championship the couple won silver medals. At the 2012 European Championships, Ilinykh/Katsalapov finished in seventh place after the short dance, but set a personal best in the free dance, resulting in a score of 153.12 points, thereby becoming medalists at the European Championships for the first time. At the World Championships, the couple took 5th place, becoming the best Russian couple in the tournament. At the end of the season, they took part in the World Team Trophy 2012 tournament.
2012-2013 season
Ilinykh/Katsalapov won silver at the home stage of the Grand Prix 2012-2013. In 2012 at the NHK Trophy tournament, Ilinykh and Katsalapov came third after a short dance. Ilinykh fell ill before the free dance due to food poisoning, but the couple did not withdraw from the competition and continued to fight for high positions. They finished second at this stage and won a silver medal, which helped them qualify for the 2012 Grand Prix Final, which took place in Sochi. In the final they took sixth place. At the 2013 Russian Championship, Ilinykh/Katsalapov won the silver medal behind the duet Ekaterina Bobrova/Dmitry Soloviev. At the 2013 European Championships, they took second place in the short dance and first place in the free dance, but this was only enough for a silver medal. They lost only 0.11 in the fight for gold medals, losing to the same Bobrova and Solovyov. Ilinykh/Katsalapov finished in 9th position at the 2013 World Championships.
Olympic season
Ilinykh/Katsalapov participated in the NHK Trophy Grand Prix tournament, where they took fourth place. At their next event, Trophee Eric Bompard, they skated remarkably well in both routines and broke personal bests in both dances, scoring 171.89 points to win the silver medal ahead of hosts Nathalie Pechalat/Fabian Bourzat.
At the 2014 Russian Championships, Lena and Nikita, having made a gross mistake in the free dance, again took second place, again losing to Bobrova and Solovyov, and then, due to an error on twizzles, they missed the gold medal at the 2014 European Championships, scoring 1.1 points less than gold medalists Cappellini/Lanotte. At the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Elena and Nikita were entered into the free dance team competition. The teammates performed excellently, becoming contenders for the gold medal. Ilinykh/Katsalapov skated their program brilliantly, updating not only their personal record, which was now 103.48 points, but also became Olympic Champions in team competitions. In the individual competitions, Ilinykh/Katsalapov won a bronze medal, losing only to the two best duos of recent years, Meryl Davis/Charlie White and Tessa Virtue/Scott Moir. They showed their best results in the short dance, scoring 73.04 points, and in the free dance, scoring 110.44 points. The overall result was 183.48 points. At the World Championships in Japan, which took place from March 24 to March 30, in the absence of Meryl Davis/Charlie White and Tessa Virtue/Scott Moir, Ilinykh and Katsalapov were the main favorites of the competition, but due to an error in the short program, Lena and Nikita took only fourth line.
Start of performances with Victoria Sinitsina
During the World Championships in Japan, news appeared that Katsalapov would be skating with Victoria Sinitsina from the new season. At first, the message was denied, but on April 11, the information was confirmed; on this day, Katsalapov submitted an application to the Figure Skating Federation to create a pair with another partner, Victoria Sinitsina. The new duet is training in the USA with Marina Zueva. In a short dance (flamenco and paso doble), Vika and Nikita used music by Manolo Carasol and Michel Legrand. The free dance is set to the music of rock guitarist Gary Moore - “Did you ever feel Lonely” and “The Messiah will come again”. The couple made their debut at the Russian Grand Prix stage and stopped one step away from the podium. At the NHK Trophy, the couple performed unsuccessfully, Nikita dropped Victoria from the support, and then the skaters tore off the support. As a result, Sinitsina/Katsalapov took seventh place. At the Russian Championship the couple took only fourth place.
2015/2016 season
At the Skate America Grand Prix series stage, Victoria and Nikita took second place, updating personal records in both the Short and Free Dance. The guys received 62.76 points for the Short Dance. And in the Free Dance 99.45, while they were deducted one point in the Short Dance, and two points in the Free Dance for overexposed lifts. This is the first joint medal for Victoria and Nikita.
Programs
(with E. Ilinykh)
| Season | Original/Short dance | Free dance | Demonstration performances |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013-2014 | "Bei Mir Bist Du Schön" "Sixteen Tons" "Sing, Sing, Sing" |
"Swan Lake" Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky |
"Snow" Philip Kirkorov |
| 2012-2013 | Andijan polka | Ghost (musical) Dave Stewart and Glen Ballard |
Horses are picky Vladimir Vysotsky |
| 2011-2012 | HipHip ChinChin Club des Belugas Mas Que Nada Sergio Mendez Mujer Latina Kike Satander |
Ave Maria Spanish Thomas Spencer-Wortley |
Black Velvet Alanna Miles, Someone like you Adele |
| 2010-2011 | Waltz from the soundtrack for the film "Agony" Alfred Schnittke, Red Tango Bayan-Mix |
Music from the ballet "Don Quixote" Ludwig Minkus |
"I Put a Spell on You" Nina Simone Petite Fleur & Rock Around the Clock |
| 2009-2010 | Andean Folklore: Spells | Soundtrack from the film "Schindler's list" John Williams and the musical Fiddler on the Roof |
Petite Fleur & Rock Around the Clock |
| 2008-2009 | Selections & Sing, Sing, Sing (with lyrics) |
Selections Globus |
Sports achivments
(with V. Sinitsina)
| Competitions | 2014-2015 | 2015-2016 |
|---|---|---|
| Grand Prix Stages:NHK Trophy | 7 | |
| Grand Prix stages:Cup of Russia | 4 | |
| Grand Prix Stages: Skate America | 2 | |
| Russian Championships | 4 |
(with E. Ilinykh)
| Competitions | 2008-2009 | 2009-2010 | 2010-2011 | 2011-2012 | 2012-2013 | 2013-2014 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Olympic Games | 3 | |||||
| Winter Olympic Games. Team competition | 1 | |||||
| World Championships | 7 | 5 | 9 | 4 | ||
| European Championships | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | ||
| World Junior Championships | 1 | |||||
| Russian Championships | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | ||
| Russian Championship among juniors | 4 | 2 | ||||
| Grand Prix Finals | 6 | |||||
| Trophée Eric Bompard | 4 | 2 | ||||
| NHK Trophy | 4 | 3 | 2 | 4 | ||
| Cup of Russia | 3 | 2 | ||||
| Junior Grand Prix finals | 2 | |||||
| Stages of the Junior Grand Prix, Hungary | 1 | |||||
| Stages of the Junior Grand Prix, Poland | 1 |
Awards and sports titles
- Order of Friendship (February 24, 2014) - for his great contribution to the development of physical culture and sports, high sporting achievements at the XXII Olympic Winter Games 2014 in Sochi.
- Medal "For Military Valor" II degree (Ministry of Defense, 2014) - for his great contribution to the development of physical culture and sports, high sporting achievements at the XXII Olympic Winter Games in 2014
- Honored Master of Sports of Russia (February 10, 2014)
- Master of Sports of Russia of international class (May 23, 2011).
Nikita Katsalapov - photo
Many people want to know about the personal life of Nikita Katsalapov and Victoria Sinitsina - one of the best Russian dance couples in the world of figure skating. How the guys achieved success, what kind of relationship they have, and what happened before they met - read about this and much more in the article.
Biography
Victoria was born on April 29, 1995 in Moscow. Starting at the age of 4, the figure skater’s mother began taking her to the skating rink in order to improve the girl’s health. At first she performed as a singles skater. But then Svetlana Alekseeva became her coach, who paired her with Ruslan Zhiganshin. The created couple lasted 10 years. After which their couple broke up, and the skater began performing with Nikita Katsalapov.
Her new partner was born in 1991. He first stepped on the ice when he was still 4 years old. Since then, skating has become his main activity in life. Initially, his coach was Marina Druzik, then Natalya Lubinskaya. Like many famous figure skaters, he began his career with singles competitions, but later his mother insisted that he try his hand at ice dancing. Then he began performing in tandem with Elena Ilinykh. He performed with her until 2014, after which Victoria Sinitsyna became his new partner, with whom, according to fans, he began a relationship.
Personal life
Nikita tries not to advertise her personal life to the public. But the latest news brought information that his first love was Elena Ilinykh, with whom he competed.
Victoria also does not talk about her personal life. Many fans of the skaters believe that they are dating. However, there was no official confirmation of this.
Figure skating career see you later
Before the creation of the presented pair, the skaters managed to take part in many competitions and achieved considerable success. For more information about the achievements of each member of the couple, see below.
Victoria Sinitsina
Since 2004, she trained together with Zhiganshin under the guidance of Svetlana Alekseeva. At first, their couple could not achieve much success, but after several years of training, real victories began:
- 2008 became members of the Russian national team;
- In 2010, their free program allowed them to get 2nd place in the Junior Grand Prix, and a year later they were able to win the same competition;
- 2012, victory at the Junior World Championships, which took place in Minsk, in the same year they received third place at the Grand Prix in Moscow;
- 2013, the couple is part of the Russian team for the Winter Universiade, held in Italy (received third place), also took bronze in the Czech Republic and 4th place in the European championship;
- 2014 were included in the Olympic team in Sochi, where they took only 16th place, in the same year the last competition of the pair took place in Japan (they took 7th place).
Initially he competed in single skating, where he achieved good results. So, in 2001 he became the winner of the Russian championship in a special program.
After which he began performing in tandem with Elena Ilinykh and achieved the following results:
- 2009 fourth place at the national junior championship, victory in the final of the Russian Cup, joining the national junior team;
- 2010 two victories in the Grand Prix of Hungary and Poland, a silver medal in the Tokyo Grand Prix, victory at the World Championships in The Hague, 4th place in the adult stage of the Grand Prix;
- 2011 third place in the Czech Republic, 4th place in the European Championship, 7th place in the World Championship, bronze in the NHK Trophy Grand Prix and 4th in the Trophee Eric Bompard Grand Prix;
- 2012 silver in the Czech Republic, bronze in the European Championship;
- 2014 silver in the Czech Republic, bronze at the Olympic Games in single competitions and gold in team competitions, silver in the European Championship and the Czech Republic.
Joint tournaments for athletes
A week after the World Championships, held in 2014, information about the breakup of the Sinitsyna/Zhiganshin couple was confirmed. At the same time, Katsalapov announced that he would perform with Victoria and submitted an official application to the Figure Skating Federation. The new duo began their training in the USA, coach Marina Zueva.
Achievements:
- 2014 7 m. Grand Prix NHK Trophy, 4 m. Russian Cup and 4 m. in the Czech Republic;
- 2015 9 m. in the World Championship, 4 m. in the European Championship, bronze in the Russian Cup, silver at Skate America and silver at the Czech Republic;
- In 2016, having completed all the test skates, we remained to train in Moscow and achieved the following results: 10 m. European Championship, 4 m. Chinese Cup, 5 m. Grand Prix NHK Trophy and bronze medals in the Czech Republic;
- 2017 bronze at Skate America and Ice Star 2017;
- 2018 received silver for the first time in Canada at the Skate Canada competition, and also won gold at the international Nepela Trophy competition.
At first, the newly created pair of skaters could not achieve outstanding results. However, this year they managed to get two prizes at once (gold and silver). After which they stayed to train together and prepare for new performances.
According to professionals. Although the hopes placed on the skater have not yet been particularly justified. But the athlete is still so young, especially for figure skating, so success is ahead.
Childhood and family of Nikita Katsalapov
Nikita Katsalapov is a native Muscovite. Born in 1991. He started figure skating at the age of 4 thanks to his mother, who was seriously interested in this sport in her youth. The athlete’s mother left the ice due to health problems.
In addition, as a child, Nikita Katsalapov tried himself as an actor in a children's theater called "Aleko". But the boy had to choose between figure skating and acting, and he chose the first.
For more than a year, the boy studied under the guidance of Druzik Marina at Sokolniki. Then Katsalapov studied diligently at Kudryatsev’s school under the supervision of Natalya Petrovna Dubinskaya.
Tandem of Katsalapov and Ilinykh
At first, Nikita Katsalapov skated alone and achieved significant success alone. At the age of ten, he took first place in a Russian competition among skaters of the same age. After this victory, Nikita began to master ice dancing. The boy's mother insisted on this. Katsalapov began skating in tandem with Elena Ilinykh. It was no coincidence that the young people reunited, because it was their parents who agreed on the children skating together.
But this tandem did not end well: the young people constantly argued and eventually broke up. Ilyinykh began training abroad, and Nikita continued performing solo.
Sports future of Katsalapov
In 2007, Nikita met coach Zhulin, under whose guidance Navka and Kostomarov danced. The guy began studying with Alexander Zhulin at the age of 16. Nikita Katsalapov danced with a new partner - Angelina Kabysheva. But the couple quickly broke up due to mutual claims.
Ilyinykh soon returned from the USA, which prompted Alexander Zhulin to rehabilitate the couple. And everything turned out very well.
From 2010 to 2011, Nikita Katsalapov, whose personal life is unknown to many, won the junior championship together with the Ilyins. Then the athletes began to actively conquer adult sports, winning bronze and then silver medals at the European Championships. The satisfied faces of the young people were captured in the photo. Nikita Katsalapov was still able to work together with his former partner.
Elena Ilinykh about her partner
For the last 5 years, Ilinykh has been speaking very flatteringly about the successes of his partner. Lena says that she values reliability and responsibility in a partner, and Nikita has all of this. After all, on the ice, partners must be one and support each other.
Elena attributes past unsuccessful performances and the breakup of the couple to the fact that both partners are good at singles skating, and in the pairs program each tried to take a leading position.
Nikita Katsalapov agrees with his partner. The young man claims that past feuds were due to mutual stupidity and youth. Of course, misunderstandings still happen now, but during the work process this is normal. Like a real man and an experienced skater, Nikita gives in to his partner and calms her down.
The young skater is sure that now both he and Lena have rethought the importance of skating together. Work goes towards results, and, as we know, success can only be achieved through flexibility and mutual compromise. Nikita takes responsibility for Elena Ilinykh, and he likes this role.
Sports difficulties
Both skaters said that the hardest part was the support. Although in dance skating it is not as important as in the pair program. It is worth noting that foreign couples are diligently supported by special trainers. Katsalapov and Ilyinykh could not afford this. Athletes liked French technology and tried to emulate it.
Nikita Katsalapov always said that it is necessary to work more on ballet and acrobatic training.
In the spring of 2014, the Katsalapov-Ilinykh tandem finally broke up, although the couple was considered the most promising in the world of dance figure skating.
Now Nikita is training with young figure skater Victoria Sinitsina. So far, the entire training process is going quite well, there are no clashes or disputes, even despite the difficulty of Nikita’s communication with his partners. But the personal life of Nikita Katsalapov is still unknown to the public.
