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Oksana Baiul , born November 16, 1977 in Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine (then the Soviet Union), is a professional figure skater and Olympic gold medalist.

Biography

Oksana Baiul was only 14 when her mother, Marina, died. The next year, at the age of 15, Baiul won the 1993 World Figure Skating Championship in her first senior competitive season. She then won the gold medal at the 1994 Winter Olympics, defeating Nancy Kerrigan from the US. Baiul nearly missed competing in the free skate altogether, having been injured after a collision with Tanja Szewczenko of Germany during a warm-up session following the ladies' short program. She received two Olympic-approved pain-killing injections in her lower back which enabled her to perform and complete her free skate.

Baiul turned professional after the 1994 Winter Olympics, even though she was only 16 years old at the time and had only competed in four major international events (winning the two highest ranked -- World Figure Skating and the Olympics -- and finishing second in the European competition in 1993 and 1994). Following her win at the 1994 Winter Olympics, some skating commentators and critics praised Baiul's balletic style and performance ability. Following the Olympics, however, Baiul was plagued by two physical ailments that affected her skating ability. The first was arthroscopic knee surgery in the summer of 1994, after which she was advised by her doctor to not return to the ice for two months. Due to the million dollar contract signed by her coach/manager/surrogate mother, Galina Zmievskaya, Baiul ignored doctor's wishes (at Zmievskaya's behest) and returned to the ice in two weeks and was competing in six. This, as well as the changes in her maturing body, hindered her jumping ability drastically.

In response to her increasing professional and personal problems, Baiul turned to alcohol. In 1997, she was arrested after intoxication caused her to crash her car. She eventually entered a rehab program. Since then, Baiul has continued to skate professionally from time to time, including an engagement with the touring show "Broadway on Ice".

Baiul lived in Richmond, Virginia for awhile before moving to her current residence in New Jersey. She recently amicably ended an engagement with long-time boyfriend, Gene Sunik. She has her own line of clothing and jewelry. In November 2005, she appeared on the Bravo program Celebrity Poker. She also is part of the celebrity panel of judges (along with Steve Garvey and Jonny Moseley) on the American Broadcasting Company show Master of Champions.

Recently, Baiul discovered her previously unknown Jewish heritage when talking with her paternal grandmother. Due in part to this, she supports the Tikva Children's Home Charity offering help for the Jewish Children of Odessa, Ukraine. In addition, Baiul also supports and is a member of the International Museum of Women, a world-class cultural and educational institution whose mission is to value the lives of women around the world.

Trivia

Baiul is mentioned in the Family Guy episode, "Wasted Talent" (season 2, episode 20), during brewmaster Pawtucket Pat's song about his brewery: Pat: "When you drink enough of my beer/ you'll find this magic rule/ make every joke a jewel/ you'll drive drunker than Oksana Baiul."

Although an Olympic and World champion, Baiul never won a gold medal at the European Figure Skating Championships.

Her long program at the 1993 World Championships contained no combination jumps.

Competitive history

• 1992 Nation's Cup, 4th
• 1993 Skate America, 1st
• 1993 Nation's Cup, 2nd

References

• Baiul, Oksana. (1997). Oksana: My Own Story. Random House Books. ISBN 0-679-88382-7
• Baiul, Oksana. (1997). Secrets of Skating. Universe / Rizzoli. ISBN 0-7893-0104-0.

See also

• List of Olympic medalists in figure skating
• Featured Athlete on Fox Sports Net's Beyond the Glory

External links

• OksanaStyle.com Official Website
• Golden Skate - Interview
• View Zone - Interview

Navigation

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