Alexei Nikolaevich Ulanov (Russian: Алексей Николаевич Уланов; born 4 November 1947^[1]) is a retired pair skater who represented the Soviet Union. With Irina Rodnina, he is the 1972 Olympic champion and a four-time (1969–1972) world champion. With his then-wife Lyudmila Smirnova, he is a two-time world silver medalist.^[2]

Quick Facts Full name, Born ...

Alexei Ulanov
Alexei Ulanov in 1970
Full name	Alexei Nikolaevich Ulanov
Born	(1947-11-04) 4 November 1947 (age 76) Moscow, Russia
Height	176 cm (5 ft 9 in)
Figure skating career
Country	Soviet Union
Skating club	Soviet Army Moscow
Retired	1980
Medal record Representing  Soviet Union Olympic Games 1972 Sapporo Pairs World Championships 1974 Munich Pairs 1973 Bratislava Pairs 1972 Calgary Pairs 1971 Lyon Pairs 1970 Ljubljana Pairs 1969 Colorado Springs Pairs European Championships 1974 Zagreb Pairs 1973 Cologne Pairs 1972 Gothenburg Pairs 1971 Zürich Pairs 1970 Leningrad Pairs 1969 Garmisch-Partenkirchen Pairs

Close

Ulanov began figure skating in 1954 and became a member of the USSR National Team in 1964.^[1] Rodnina / Ulanov began skating together in the 1960s and won several World and European Championships. They were coached by Stanislav Zhuk and trained at the Armed Forces sports society in Moscow.^[3] The culmination of their career was their 1972 Olympics win. By this point Ulanov had fallen in love with fellow skater Lyudmila Smirnova. Rodnina and Ulanov separated, and Ulanov began skating with Smirnova.

Smirnova and Ulanov competed together for two seasons. They won silver medals at the 1973 World and European Championships. The next season, they won European bronze and world silver medals.

Ulanov was awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labour in 1972.^[3]

Ulanov and Smirnova married and later divorced after having two children, Nikolai Ulanov and Irina Ulanova.^[4] Irina became a pair skater, who skated with Alexander Smirnov^[5] and Maxim Trankov for about three years.^[6] Ulanov moved to the United States in 1995 and currently lives in South Florida.