Albena Denkova

Albena Denkova
Albena Denkova & Maxim Staviski at the 2004 Worlds.
Personal information
Country represented	Bulgaria
Born	(1974-12-03) 3 December 1974 (age 37)
Height	1.65 m (5 ft 5 in)
Partner	Maxim Staviski
Former partner	Hristo Nikolov
Coach	Natalia Linichuk Gennadi Karpanosov
Former coach	Alexei Gorshkov
Former choreographer	Sergei Petukhov Natalia Linichuk
Skating club	SC Ice Dance Denkova/Staviski
Retired	2007
ISU personal best scores
Combined total	210.44 2003 Trophée Lalique
Comp. dance	41.05 2004 Skate Canada
Original dance	62.79 2005 Worlds
Free dance	108.03 2003 Trophée Lalique
Medal record Figure skating Ice dancing Competitor for  Bulgaria World Championships Gold 2007 Tokyo Ice dancing Gold 2006 Calgary Ice dancing Silver 2004 Dortmund Ice dancing Bronze 2003 Washington, D.C. Ice dancing European Championships Bronze 2007 Warsaw Ice dancing Silver 2004 Budapest Ice dancing Silver 2003 Malmö Ice dancing Grand Prix Final Gold 2006-2007 St. Petersburg Ice dancing Bronze 2004-2005 Beijing Ice dancing Silver 2003-2004 Colorado Springs Ice dancing Bronze 2002-2003 St. Petersburg Ice dancing

Albena Denkova (Bulgarian: Албена Денкова) (born 3 December 1974 in Sofia) is a Bulgarian ice dancer. With partner and fiance Maxim Staviski, she is the 2006 & 2007 World Champion, the 2003 & 2004 European silver medalist, and the 2006 Grand Prix Final champion. Denkova & Staviski are the first Bulgarian figure skaters to medal at the World Figure Skating Championships.

Career

Albena Denkova with Maxim Staviski at the 2007 European Championships in Warsaw.

Denkova began her athletic career as a gymnast at the age of four, and switched to figure skating at about 8 or 9.^[1] She took up ice dancing when she was 12.^[1] Her first ice dance partner was Hristo Nikolov but they split up due to different ambitions.^[1] In 1996, Denkova had a successful tryout with Maxim Staviski in Moscow and he moved to Sofia to compete with her for Bulgaria.^[1] They soon became a couple off-ice, as well. In 2000, Denkova/Staviski began dividing their time between Sofia and Odintsovo, near Moscow, Russia where they worked with coach Alexei Gorshkov and choreographer Sergei Petukhov.^[1][2]

Denkova and Staviski at the 2004 Worlds medal ceremony in Dortmund.

They withdrew from the 2000 European Championships after Staviski fell ill with pneumonia.^[1] At the 2000 World Championships, Denkova was seriously injured in the practice before the free dance; Peter Tchernyshev's blade slashed her leg above her boot, severing two tendons and a muscle.^[1] She eventually returned to training but suffered swelling in her leg. After she asked the U.S. Figure Skating Association if Tchernyshev had insurance to help cover her medical expenses, the organizers withdrew Denkova/Staviski's invitation to 2000 Skate America.^[1] Both Denkova and Staviski fell ill with the flu before the 2001 European Championships and she suffered more swelling but they competed at the event and finished 8th, their best result to that date.^[1]

After the 2005 World Championships, Denkova and Staviski parted ways with Gorshkov and moved to Delaware, U.S., to train with Natalia Linichuk and Gennadi Karponossov.^[3] In October 2006, it was announced that Denkova had been elected President of the Bulgarian Skating Federation.^[3][4]

On 5 August 2007, Maxim Staviski caused a car accident while driving drunk in Bulgaria that left 24-year-old Petar Petrov dead and Petrov's fiancee, 18-year-old Manuela Gorsova, in a coma.^[5] In October 2007, he announced his retirement from competitive skating and Denkova was thus forced to retire, as well.^[6]

In 2004, Denkova noted that Bulgaria did not have many skating facilities and coaches and said she and Staviski were considering opening a school.^[2] Together, they now have a skating school in Sofia called SC Ice Dance Denkova/Staviski.^[7] They continued to skate in shows around the world and have also done choreography, working with Brian Joubert in 2009.^[4]

Personal life

Denkova and Staviski are engaged to marry.^[8] Their son Daniel was born on January 30, 2011.^[9] Denkova has a younger sister, Ina Demireva, who also competed in ice dancing.^[10] Her brother-in-law is single skater Andrei Lutai.^[11] Denkova holds a degree in economics from Sofia University.

Awards

On April 10, 2007, Denkova and Staviski were awarded the Stara Planina Order, the highest Bulgarian award.^[12] On April 19, 2007, they received a star on Bulgaria's Walk of Fame.^[13]

Programs

Competitive highlights

With Staviski

With Nikolov

References

External links

• Albena Denkova and Maxim Staviski at the International Skating Union
• Denkova & Staviski official web site

Navigation