ATHLETES

Oksana Baiul

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Ukrainian figure skater who won Olympic gold in Lillehammer in 1994 at age 16, the first Olympic champion from independent Ukraine.

Background

Born in Dnipropetrovsk, Ukrainian SSR, Oksana Baiul lost both parents young and trained at the Dnipropetrovsk skating club before being adopted by coach Galina Zmievskaya in Odesa.

Career

She won the 1993 World Championship at age 15, then the 1994 Olympic gold medal in Lillehammer, narrowly beating American Nancy Kerrigan. She turned professional shortly afterwards.

Style of play

Known for expressive choreography and on-ice musicality, Baiul combined balletic upper-body lines with strong jumping technique for her era.

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