Elena Berezhnaya
Elena Viktorovna Berezhnaya (Russian: Елена Викторовна Бережная, Latvian: Jeļena Berežnaja, born 11 October 1977) is a Russian former pair skater. With partner Anton Sikharulidze, she is the 1998 and 1999 World champion, 1998 Olympic silver medalist and 2002 Olympic champion.
| Elena Berezhnaya | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Berezhnaya and Sikharulidze compete in 2001 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Full name | Elena Viktorovna Berezhnaya | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 11 October 1977 Nevinnomyssk, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.54 m (5 ft 1 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Figure skating career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country | Russia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Partner | Anton Sikharulidze | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Skating club | Yubileiny Sport Club | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Began skating | 1983 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Retired | 2002 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Berezhnaya first competed with Oleg Shliakhov for Latvia and won gold at the 1995 Trophée de France. While training together in January 1996, she suffered a serious injury, leaving her partly paralyzed and unable to speak. She recovered rapidly and began competing again in November 1996 with new partner, Anton Sikharulidze. Within two years of the accident, Berezhnaya and Sikharulidze had established themselves as one of the best pair teams in the world. During their competitive career, they were coached by Tamara Moskvina at the Yubileyny Sports Palace in Saint Petersburg, Russia, and the Ice House in Hackensack, New Jersey.