Inna Volyanskaya
| Inna Volyanskaya | |
|---|---|
_-_Volyanskaya.jpg) Volyanskaya at the 1980 Blue Swords | |
| Native name | Инна Волянская |
| Born | 5 July 1965 Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union |
| Died | 29 January 2025 (aged 59) Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Figure skating career | |
| Country | Soviet Union |
| Partner | Valery Spiridonov |
| Coach | Tatiana Tarasova |
| Retired | 1983 |
Inna Volyanskaya (Russian: Инна Витальевна Волянская; 5 July 1965 – 29 January 2025) was a Russian pair skater who competed for the Soviet Union. With Valery Spiridonov, she won six international medals, including gold at the 1982 Nebelhorn Trophy.
Career
Volyanskaya/Spiridonov won silver at the 1980 St. Ivel International,[1] gold at the 1980 Blue Swords,[2] silver at the 1981 Prague Skate,[1] gold at the 1982 Grand Prix International St. Gervais,[3] and gold at the 1982 Nebelhorn Trophy.[4] After retiring from competition, they skated together in ice shows, including Torvill & Dean and the Russian Allstars.[5]
From 2017 until her death in 2025, Volyanskaya worked as a skating coach at the Ashburn Ice House in Ashburn, Virginia, United States.[6][7]
Personal life and death
Volyanskaya was born on 5 July 1965.[5] She was at one-time married to Spiridonov, and was at the time of her death married to Jeremy Wilson.[5] Volyanskaya also had a daughter, Maria, whose godmother was Volyanskaya's former coach, Tatiana Tarasova.[8][9]
On 29 January 2025, Volyanskaya died when the passenger jet she was onboard collided with an U.S. Army helicopter above the Potomac River in Washington, D.C., leaving no survivors. She was 59.[10][11] On March 2, 2025, U.S. Figure Skating held the ice show Legacy on Ice, which paid tribute to Volyanskaya and the other victims that were killed aboard American Eagle Flight 5342.[12] Volyanskaya's former students paid tribute to their coach by skating to "You'll Be in My Heart" by Phil Collins.[13]
Competitive highlights
- with Spiridonov
| International | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Event | 1979–80 | 1980–81 | 1981–82 | 1982–83 |
| Blue Swords | 1st | 2nd | ||
| Nebelhorn Trophy | 1st | |||
| NHK Trophy | 4th | |||
| Prague Skate | 2nd | |||
| St. Gervais International | 1st | |||
| St. Ivel International | 2nd | |||
| National[14][15] | ||||
| Soviet Championships | 3rd | 6th | 4th | |
References
- ^ a b "Results Book, Volume 2: 1974–current" (PDF). Skate Canada. pp. 80–83, 123–125. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 September 2009.
- ^ "Blue Swords (Pokal der Blauen Schwerter) – Gold Medalists". Figure Skating Corner. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015.
- ^ "Results Book, Volume 1: 1896–1973" (PDF). Skate Canada. pp. 22–28. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 November 2010.
- ^ "Nebelhorn Trophy gold medalists since 1969". Deutsche Eislauf-Union (German Ice Skating Union). Archived from the original on 20 July 2011.
- ^ a b c "Torvill & Dean, Russian Allstars skating into S.L." Deseret News. 12 January 1990. Archived from the original on 29 March 2017.
- ^ "Figure Skating Coaches". Ashburn Ice House. Archived from the original on 31 December 2018.
- ^ "2016 – 2017 Coach Compliance" (PDF). U.S. Figure Skating. p. 319. Archived (PDF) from the original on 27 March 2017.
- ^ "'The world of sports has suffered a great loss' A look back at the lives of the Russian figure skaters killed in the D.C. plane crash". Meduza. Retrieved 1 February 2025.
- ^ "Inna Volyanskaya, 59, is remembered as a tiny woman with a fierce heart of gold". Instagram. Retrieved 1 February 2025.
- ^ Ward, Jasper (30 January 2025). "US Figure Skaters Were on Board Flight That Crashed Into Potomac". reuters.com. Retrieved 30 January 2025.
- ^ "Washington DC plane crash: World champion figure skaters and coaches among victims". The Independent. 30 January 2025. Archived from the original on 30 January 2025. Retrieved 30 January 2025.
- ^ "Legacy on Ice". U.S. Figure Skating. Retrieved 4 March 2025.
- ^ "Legacy on Ice a Powerful Showcase of Community". IceDance.com. Retrieved 8 March 2025.
- ^ "Инна Волянская". fskate.ru (in Russian). Archived from the original on 18 April 2018.
- ^ "Волянская Инна". solovieff.ru (in Russian). Archived from the original on 6 April 2016.