sport.wikisort.org - Athlete

Denis Alexandrovich Petukhov (Russian: Денис Александрович Петухов; born October 6, 1978) is a retired Russian-American ice dancer. With his wife Melissa Gregory, he is the 2005 Four Continents silver medalist, a 2006 United States Olympic team member, and a four-time (2004–07) U.S. national silver medalist.

Denis Petukhov
Gregory and Petukhov at the 2004 Four Continents Championships.
Personal information
Country represented	United States
Former country(ies) represented	Russia
Born	(1978-10-06) October 6, 1978 (age 43) Kirov, Kirov Oblast, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Residence	Hartford, Connecticut
Height	1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Partner	Melissa Gregory
Former partner	Oksana Potdykova
Former coach	Shae-Lynn Bourne, Sandy Hess, Priscilla Hill, Natalia Linichuk, Gennadi Karpanosov, Nikolai Morozov,
Skating club	SC of New York
ISU personal best scores
Combined total	183.97 2005 4CC
Comp. dance	38.02 2005 4CC
Original dance	55.61 2006 Skate America
Free dance	92.74 2003 Skate America
Medal record Figure skating: Ice dancing Representing the  United States (with Gregory) Four Continents Championships 2005 Hamilton Ice dancing Representing  Russia (with Potdykova) World Junior Championships 1997 Seoul Ice dancing 1998 Saint John Ice dancing Junior Grand Prix Final 1997–98 Lausanne Ice dancing

Personal life

Petukhov was raised in Kirov by his mother, Lubov.[1] He has one younger sister, Natalia.[2]

Gregory and Petukhov were married in Las Vegas, Nevada on February 2, 2001.[3][4] The next month they flew to Kirov, Russia so that Petukhov's family could celebrate their marriage as well.[5] The couple's son, Daxton Dale Petukhov, was born on November 21, 2014.[6][7] They welcomed their 2nd son Lennox William Petukhov on June 14, 2017. Petukhov became a U.S. citizen on February 22, 2005.[8]

Career

Petukhov began skating at age eight, in ice dancing from the start.[9] He originally competed for Russia with partner Oksana Potdykova, with whom he was the 2000 Russian national bronze medalist and a two-time medalist at the World Junior Championships. That partnership ended in the spring of 2000 when she ruptured her achilles tendon and was forced to retire from skating.[10]

Petukhov met American ice dancer Melissa Gregory through an online partner search for pairs skaters.[11] He came to the United States on a tourist visa at the end of August 2000 to test with her and other prospective partners, but canceled his other tryouts after skating with Gregory first, and never used his return plane ticket to Russia.[12]

Gregory and Petukhov were originally coached by Oleg Epstein and Sandy Hess but made a change in 2003 to Nikolai Morozov and Shae-Lynn Bourne.[13] Following the 2005–06 season, they switched again to Natalia Linichuk and Gennadi Karpanosov[14] at the University of Delaware in Newark. On September 7, 2007, they announced another coaching change, this time to Priscilla Hill at The Pond Ice Arena, also in Newark.[15]

Gregory and Petukhov won four silver medals and two bronze medals at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships and competed in the 2006 Winter Olympics.[2] Petukhov is one of the few skaters to have competed at both the European and Four Continents Championships.[2]

Gregory and Petukhov both suffered injuries in a fall during the warmup before the free dance at 2007 Skate Canada International on November 4, 2007. Petukhov lost his footing while practicing a one-handed rotational lift, dropping Gregory onto the ice and injuring her ribs and hip and skidding into the boards himself, hurting his own knee and neck. Gregory was taken to a hospital following the fall but released that night.[16] They were then forced to withdraw from competition for the rest of the season while they healed from their injuries.[17]

Gregory and Petukhov did not return to competition, partially due to financial difficulties. In 2008, they moved to Connecticut and began coaching and choreographing for other skaters at the International Skating Center of Connecticut. They also launched their own YouTube channel, OlympianUncut, which focuses on a behind-the-scenes look at the skating world.[18] They continue to skate in shows such as the Stars, Stripes and Skates show in September 2009.

Petukhov choreographed the majority of his and Gregory's programs himself and has also choreographed programs for other skaters such as singles skaters Johnny Weir and Evgeni Plushenko.[19] In 2010, Petukhov was cast on Skating with the Stars as a partner for celebrity contestant Sean Young.[20]

In 2016, Gregory & Petukhov opened a luxury ice rink by The World Trade Center in New York City named The Rink at Brookfield Place with Gregory & Petukhov. They also coach at various rinks in Connecticut.[21]

Programs

(with Gregory)

Season	Original dance	Free dance	Exhibition
2007–08 [22]	Lord of the Dance (Irish Jig)	Proud Nation by Yoav Goren
2006–07 [23][2]	La cumparsita Tanguera	Adam and Eve by Yoav Goren (Preliator and Sarabande)
2005–06 [24][2]	Cha Cha: Que Color by the Mambo Kings Rhumba: Beautiful Maria of My Soul by the Mambo Kings Mambo	Romeo and Juliet by Prokofiev Art of War by Vanessa-Mae
2004–05 [25]	Charleston: Chicago Slow foxtrot: Razzle Dazzle from Chicago Charleston: Chicago	Shine on You Crazy Diamond by Pink Floyd Money by Pink Floyd Sandstorm
2003–04 [26][2]	Rock Around the Clock Harlem Nocturne Great Balls of Fire	Toccata Fugue Air on a G String	God Bless America by Celine Dion
2002–03 [27][3]	Polka by Andre Kiew	Snow by Craig Armstrong

Competitive highlights

GP: Grand Prix; JGP: Junior Series (Junior Grand Prix)

With Gregory

International[28]
Event	01–02	02–03	03–04	04–05	05–06	06–07	07–08
Olympics					14th
Worlds			12th	11th	9th	10th
Four Continents		6th	4th	2nd
GP Final						6th
GP Bompard				4th
GP Cup of China			4th
GP Cup of Russia					4th
GP NHK Trophy				4th		3rd
GP Skate America		5th	5th			2nd
GP Skate Canada		8th			3rd		WD
Nebelhorn Trophy		2nd
National[2]
U.S. Champ.	3rd	3rd	2nd	2nd	2nd	2nd
WD = Withdrew

With Potdykova

International[29]
Event	1996–97	1997–98	1998–99	99–2000
European Champ.				12th
GP Cup of Russia				7th
Finlandia Trophy			2nd	3rd
Golden Spin			1st
Lysiane Lauret		WD
Skate Israel			5th
International: Junior[29]
World Junior Champ.	2nd	3rd
JGP Final		2nd
JGP Germany		1st
JGP Hungary		3rd
Autumn Trophy	1st J
International[30]
Russian Champ.			7th	3rd
J = Junior level; WD = Withdrew

References

External links

• Official site
• Gregory & Petukhov fansite^{[permanent dead link]}
• Denis Petukhov at the International Skating Union
• Denis Petukhov's U.S. Olympic Team bio

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