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Inna Volyanskaya

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Inna Volyanskaya
Volyanskaya at the 1980 Blue Swords
Native nameИнна Волянская
Born(1965-07-05)5 July 1965
Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Died29 January 2025(2025-01-29) (aged 59)
Washington, D.C., U.S.
Figure skating career
CountrySoviet Union
PartnerValery Spiridonov
Retired1983

Inna Vitalyevna 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

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Volyanskaya/Spiridonov (centre) at the 1980 Blue Swords

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 in Virginia, United States at the Ashburn Ice House.[6][7]

Personal life and death

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Volyanskaya was born on 5 July 1965.[5] She was at one-time married to Spiridonov.[5] Volyanskaya also had a daughter, Maria, whose godmother was that of Volyanskaya's former coach, Tatiana Tarasova.[8][9]

On 29 January 2025, Volyanskaya died when she was onboard an American Eagle jet that collided with a U.S. Army helicopter above the Potomac River in Washington, D.C., leaving no survivors. She was 59.[10][11]

Competitive highlights

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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[12][13]
Soviet Championships 3rd 6th 4th

References

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  1. ^ 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.
  2. ^ "Blue Swords (Pokal der Blauen Schwerter) – Gold Medalists". Figure Skating Corner. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015.
  3. ^ "Results Book, Volume 1: 1896–1973" (PDF). Skate Canada. pp. 22–28. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 November 2010.
  4. ^ "Nebelhorn Trophy gold medalists since 1969". Deutsche Eislauf-Union (German Ice Skating Union). Archived from the original on 20 July 2011.
  5. ^ a b c "Torvill & Dean, Russian Allstars skating into S.L." Deseret News. 12 January 1990. Archived from the original on 29 March 2017.
  6. ^ "Figure Skating Coaches". Ashburn Ice House. Archived from the original on 31 December 2018.
  7. ^ "2016 – 2017 Coach Compliance" (PDF). U.S. Figure Skating. p. 319. Archived (PDF) from the original on 27 March 2017.
  8. ^ "'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. Meduza. Retrieved 1 February 2025.
  9. ^ "Inna Volyanskaya, 59, is remembered as a tiny woman with a fierce heart of gold". Instagram. Instagram. Retrieved 1 February 2025.
  10. ^ Ward, Jasper (30 January 2025). "US Figure Skaters Were on Board Flight That Crashed Into Potomac". reuters.com. Retrieved 30 January 2025.
  11. ^ "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.
  12. ^ "Инна Волянская". fskate.ru (in Russian). Archived from the original on 18 April 2018.
  13. ^ "Волянская Инна". solovieff.ru (in Russian). Archived from the original on 6 April 2016.