ISU Lifetime Achievement Award recipients revealed

: 10 July 2021

Lausanne, Switzerland

Living legends Jayne Torvill/Christopher Dean (GBR), Tamara Moskvina (RUS) and Alexei Mishin (RUS) received the ISU Lifetime Achievement Award.

Presented by Olympic Ice Dance Champion Charlie White and Olympic Ice Dance silver medalist Tanith White, the digital show on Saturday, July 10, united Figure Skating of the present, past and future.

British Ice Dancers Torvill and Dean revolutionized the sport with their immortal “Bolero” that won them Olympic gold in 1984. But there is so much more to them than the “Bolero”. Torvill and Dean brought Ice Dance to another level. Their passionate Rhumba Original Set Pattern Dance from 1994 has been developed into a Compulsory Dance, for example. They continued to create unique programs in shows and tours and as choreographers.

“From our point of view it has been a life giving exercise. We didn’t know that we would still be involved/a part of [Figure Skating], this far into our lives and that was over 30 years ago, and we’re still doing it, maybe we shouldn’t be doing it but we are doing it and still enjoying it as well.”

Tamara Moskvina and Alexei Mishin were successful Pair Skaters end of the 1960s, winning medals at the ISU World and European Championships. While they were technically ahead of their time as skaters, they created their true legend as coaches. They have been coaching for more than 50 years and educated generations of Figure Skaters.

Moskvina’s Pairs have won a total of 63 medals at Olympic Games, ISU World and European Championships, which makes her the most successful Pair Skating coach in the World. She coached four couples to Olympic gold: Elena Valova/Oleg Vasiliev (1984), Natalia Mishkutenok/Artur Dmitriev (1992), Oksana Kazakova/Artur Dmitriev (1998) and Elena Berezhnaia/Anton Sihkarulidze (2002). Most recently, her students Anastasia Mishina/Alexander Galliamov and Aleksandra Boikova/Dmitrii Kozlovskii claimed gold and bronze at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships 2021.

“I have been involved in Figure Skating for a very long time and I am doing it with great pleasure and I love to make the audience happy not only in my country, but in the world,” Moskvina said. “I think the fact that I received this award shows that fans and sports leaders around the world appreciate this contribution.“

Mishin’s students such as Alexei Urmanov, Evgeni Plushenko and Lisa Tuktamysheva have won Olympic, World and European titles and medals. The professor of the Lesgaft University in St. Petersburg has developed many training tools and methods that are used worldwide today. Most recently, his student Lisa Tuktamysheva earned the silver medal at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships 2021.

“In my life I have received prizes and awards and this ISU award on the eve of my 80th birthday is especially pleasant for me. It reflects not only my life in Figure Skating, but also the life of my students, my colleagues, my old friends - those with whom I have lived this great and long life in our favorite sport,” Mishin commented.

Tamara Moskvina and Alexei Mishin both celebrated their 80^th birthday earlier this year and are still actively coaching and preparing their skaters for the Olympic season.

The show that was produced by Art on Ice featured many additional highlights such as performances from some of the World’s best skaters such as 2021 ISU World Champion Anna Shcherbakova (RUS), 2021 ISU World Pair Skating Champions Anastasia Mishina/Aleksandr Galliamov (RUS), two-time ISU Four Continents Ice Dance Champions Madison Chock/Evan Bates (USA), Starr Andrews (USA) as well as exclusive interviews with three-time World Champion Nathan Chen (USA), two-time ISU Four Continents Champion Rika Kihira (JPN) and 2021 ISU World Figure Skating silver medalist Yuma Kagiyama (JPN). Singer and songwriter James Morrison performed one of his greatest hits, “Wonderful World”.

This was the second edition of the ISU Skating Awards. However, as many events were cancelled and skaters had limited options to compete, this year only the lifetime achievement award was awarded.

Re-watch the show on demand and relive the excitement on the ISU Skating Awards page.