Alexei Ulanov Figure skater

Alexei Nikolaevich Ulanov (Russian: Алексе́й Никола́евич Ула́нов) (born November 4, 1947 in Moscow) 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. They were coached by Stanislav Zhuk and trained at the Armed Forces sports society in Moscow. He later competed with wife Lyudmila Smirnova. They are two-time World silver medalists. Ulanov began figure skating in 1954 and became a member of the USSR National Team in 1964. Rodnina and Ulanov competed together from 1968 to 1972, winning several World and European championships. 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 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. They married and later divorced after having two children, Nikolai Ulanov and Irina Ulanova. Their daughter, Irina Ulanova, is a former pair skater who skated with Alexander Smirnov, and Maxim Trankov for about three years. Ulanov was awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labour in 1972. Ulanov moved to the United States in 1995 and is currently living and coaching in south Florida.