Maria Petrova & Alexei Tikhonov At 33, Alexei Tikhonov is one of skating’s most venerable and most consistent competitors. Having competed internationally since the 1980s, Tikhonov remains at the top of his game. He and his partner, Maria Petrova, have finished in the top four at both the European Championships and the World Championships every year since 1999. They have ... Read More »

Nobunari Oda Japan’s Nobunari Oda is a direct descendant of Nobuanaga Oda, a famous Japanese warlord during the sixteenth century. He showed his fighting spirit by dominating the men’s event at the 2005 World Junior Figure Skating Championships in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. Oda easily won his qualifying round, then finished a close second to France’s Yannick Ponsero in the short, ... Read More »

Mao Asada Japan’s Mao Asada, 14, carried on the tradition of Midori Ito, her role model, when she competed during the 2004-05 season. Coached by Ito’s coach, wearing Ito’s costume, using choreography similar to Ito’s, and landing Ito’s trademark jump, the triple axel, Asada breezed through the year undefeated in international competition, capping the season by winning the 2005 World ... Read More »

Tatiana Totmianina and Maxim Marinin Reigning World and European pairs champions Tatiana Totmianina and Maxim Marinin hope to continue their success through the 2006 Olympic Games in Torino, Italy. The three-time Russian National pairs champions just missed the podium in Salt Lake City in 2002, finishing fourth. But they won their first of four straight European Championships that year as ... Read More »

John Hamer Great Britain’s John Hamer exceeded all expectations when he finished 19th at the 2004 European Championships in Torino, Italy. It was even more surprising because before Europeans, Hamer had only competed internationally in three junior events with his best placement a fourth at the Mladost Trophy in Zagreb in 2002. “It beat all the goals the association had ... Read More »

Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy For the first time since the retirement of 1997 World pairs champions Mandy Wotzel and Ingo Steuer from competitive skating, Germany has a top pairs team which can compete for the medals at the European Championships. Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy reached fourth place at the 2004 European Championships in Torino, Italy in January. This ... Read More »

Trifun Zivanovic Trifun Zivanovic, who will turn 30 in April, has written himself into the history of skating in many ways. Born in California, Zivanovic skated for the United States until 2001, winning silver and bronze medals at the U.S. Nationals in 1999 and 2000. He also competed at the Four Continents Championships those years, finishing seventh and ninth respectively, ... Read More »

Fleur Maxwell Luxembourg’s Fleur Maxwell, 16, made her senior debut at the 2005 European Championships in Torino, Italy in January. Maxwell, who had previously won the novice and junior ladies championships in Luxembourg, won the senior ladies title for the first time in early January to qualify for the Europeans and Worlds in hopes of qualifying for the 2006 Olympic ... Read More »