 Albena Denkova and Maxim Staviski at the2004 Worlds. | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1974-12-03)3 December 1974 (age 50) |
| Height | 1.65 m (5 ft 5 in) |
| Figure skating career | |
| Country | Bulgaria |
| Partner | Maxim Staviski Hristo Nikolov (formerly) |
| Coach | Natalia Linichuk,Gennadi Karponosov,Alexei Gorshkov (all formerly) Sergei Petukhov,Natalia Linichuk (choreographers, both formerly) |
| Skating club | SC Ice Dance Denkova/Staviski |
| Began skating | 1982 |
| Retired | 2007 |
Medal record | |
Albena Petrova Denkova (Bulgarian:Албена Петрова Денкова, born 3 December 1974) is aBulgarianice dancer. With partner andfianceMaxim Staviski, she is a two-time (2006–2007) World champion, a two-time (2003–2004) European silver medalist, and the2006 Grand Prix Final champion. Denkova and Staviski are the first Bulgarians to medal at theWorld Figure Skating Championships.
Denkova began her athletic career as agymnast at the age of four, and switched to figure skating at about 8 or 9.[1][2] She took upice dancing when she was 12.[1] Her first ice dance partner wasHristo Nikolov but they split up due to different ambitions.[1] In 1996,[3] Denkova had a successful tryout withMaxim Staviski in Moscow and he moved toSofia to compete with her for Bulgaria.[1] They soon became a couple off-ice, as well. In September 2000, Denkova / Staviski began dividing their time between Sofia andOdintsovo, near Moscow, Russia where they worked with coachAlexei Gorshkov and choreographer Sergei Petukhov.[3][1][4]
Denkova / Staviski withdrew from the2000 European Championships after Staviski fell ill with pneumonia.[1] During the last practice session before the free dance at the2000 World Championships,Peter Tchernyshev's blade slashed Denkova's leg above her boot, severing two tendons and a muscle and leaving her unable to walk for three months.[3][1] She eventually returned to training but suffered swelling in her leg. After she asked theU.S. Figure Skating Association if Tchernyshev had insurance to help cover her medical expenses, the organizers withdrew Denkova / Staviski's invitation to2000 Skate America.[1] Both Denkova and Staviski fell ill with the flu before the2001 European Championships and she suffered more swelling but they competed at the event and finished 8th, their best result to that date.[1]
Denkova / Staviski took the silver medal at the2003 European Championships, becoming the first skaters to medal for Bulgaria at an ISU Championships.[5] They then became the first Bulgarians to medal at Worlds, winning bronze at the2003 World Championships.[6] The following season, they repeated as silver medalists atEuropeans and went on to becomeWorld silver medalists.
In 2004–05, Denkova / Staviski withdrew from Europeans and finished 5th atWorlds. At the end of the season, they parted ways with Gorshkov and moved toNewark, Delaware, U.S., to train withNatalia Linichuk andGennadi Karponosov.[7][8] They finished 5th at their third Olympics. At the2006 World Championships, they became the first Bulgarians to win World gold in figure skating.
In October 2006, it was announced that Denkova had been elected President of the Bulgarian Skating Federation.[8][9]
In 2006–07, Denkova / Staviski won gold at theGrand Prix Final, bronze atEuropeans, and gold once again atWorlds. On 10 April 2007, they were awarded the Stara Planina Order, Bulgaria's highest award.[10] On 19 April 2007, they received a star on Bulgaria's Walk of Fame.[11]
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.[12] In October 2007, he announced his retirement from competitive skating and Denkova was thus forced to retire, as well.[13] They continued to skate in shows around the world and have also done choreography, working withBrian Joubert a few times.[9][14] Having said in 2004 that Bulgaria did not have many skating facilities and coaches,[4] Denkova opened a skating school with Staviski inSofia called SC Ice Dance Denkova/Staviski.[15] They have also participated in the Russian television showIce Age.[14]
Denkova and Staviski are engaged to marry.[16] Their son Daniel was born on 30 January 2011.[17] Denkova has a younger half-sister, Ina Demireva, who also competed in ice dancing.[18] Her brother-in-law is solo skaterAndrei Lutai.[19] Denkova holds a degree ineconomics fromSofia University.
| Season | Original dance | Free dance | Exhibition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–2007 [15] |
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| 2005–2006 [7] |
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| 2004–2005 [20] |
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| 2003–2004 [6] |
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| 2002–2003 [5] |
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| 2001–2002 [21] |
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| 2000–2001 [3] |
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| 1999–2000 |
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| 1998–1999 | |||
| 1997–1998 |
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| 1996–1997 |
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| Results[3][21][5][6][20][7][15] | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| International | |||||||||||
| Event | 1996–97 | 1997–98 | 1998–99 | 1999–00 | 2000–01 | 2001–02 | 2002–03 | 2003–04 | 2004–05 | 2005–06 | 2006–07 |
| Olympics | 18th | 7th | 5th | ||||||||
| Worlds | 19th | 17th | 11th | WD | 10th | 5th | 3rd | 2nd | 5th | 1st | 1st |
| Europeans | 17th | 16th | 9th | WD | 8th | 6th | 2nd | 2nd | WD | 3rd | |
| Grand Prix Final | 3rd | 2nd | 3rd | 1st | |||||||
| GPCup of Russia | 5th | 3rd | |||||||||
| GPLalique/Bompard | 4th | 1st | 2nd | 1st | |||||||
| GPNHK Trophy | 6th | 3rd | 1st | 1st | 2nd | ||||||
| GPSkate America | 1st | ||||||||||
| GPSkate Canada | 5th | 4th | 2nd | 1st | |||||||
| GPSpark./Bofrost | 6th | 3rd | 1st | ||||||||
| Bofrost | 1st | ||||||||||
| Finlandia Trophy | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | ||||||
| Golden Spin | 2nd | ||||||||||
| Karl Schäfer | 1st | ||||||||||
| Nebelhorn Trophy | 3rd | ||||||||||
| Skate Israel | 2nd | ||||||||||
| Polish FSA Trophy | 3rd | ||||||||||
| National | |||||||||||
| Bulgarian Champ. | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st |
| GP = Grand Prix; WD = Withdrew | |||||||||||
| Results[3] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| International | |||||
| Event | 1991–92 | 1992–93 | 1993–94 | 1994–95 | |
| Worlds | 21st | 26th | 27th | 24th | |
| Europeans | 18th | 22nd | 25th | 22nd | |
| National | |||||
| Bulgarian Champ. | 1st | 1st | |||
