Ilia Izyaslavich Averbukh (, correctly spelled "Ilya"; born 18 December 1973) is a Russian ice dancer. With his then-wife Irina Lobacheva, he is the 2002 Olympic silver medalist, the 2002 World champion and the 2003 European champion.
With Marina Anissina, he is the 1990 and 1992 World Junior champion.
Career Averbukh started skating at the age of 5. He initially competed with Marina Anissina. They won two World Junior Championships (1990 and 1992). Averbukh teamed up with Irina Lobacheva in 1992. After the Goodwill Games in the summer of 1994 their coaches moved with many of their students to the United States to train at the University of Delaware. Lobacheva and Averbukh joined them the next year.
In September 2001, Lobacheva injured her knee in training, causing them to miss the Grand Prix season. They won the silver medal at the 2002 Olympics behind Marina Anissina / Gwendal Peizerat.
Lobacheva / Averbukh won gold at the 2002 World Championships and at the 2003 European Championships. They retired from competition at the end of the 2002–2003 season.
Post-competitive career Following his retirement from competitive skating, Averbukh became a producer of skating shows and tours. Among his projects are Ice Symphony/Ice Age; City Lights; Bolero (a television show pairing skaters with prima ballerinas); and Small Stories of a Big City, an ice show during the 2012 Olympics in London. In January 2013, Averbukh was named an ambassador for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.
Averbukh works as a choreographer. His past and current clients include:
Yulia Lipnitskaya Ksenia Makarova Evgenia Medvedeva Niina Petrõkinahttp://www.isuresults.com/bios/isufs00104482.htm Biography Elena Radionova Sofia Samodurova Elizaveta Tuktamysheva Dmitri Aliev Mikhail Kolyada Maxim Kovtun Evgeni Semenenko Sergei Voronov Elena Ilinykh/Ruslan Zhiganshin Alexandra Stepanova/Ivan Bukin Nelli Zhiganshina/Alexander Gazsi Sofia Dzepka
Programs (with Lobacheva)
Season Original dance Free dance Exhibition 2002–2003 The Blue Danube Unter Donner und Blitz by Johann Strauss II Baby Face version by Little Richard Fever version by Elvis Presley Jumpin' Jack performed by Big Bad Voodoo Daddy 2001–2002 Tanguera by M. Mores Bulerias Magna Mafa by Thomas Espanner To Everything There is a Season Time for Peace by Rita Ronde de Vigo (Cembalo beginning and end) 2000–2001 Foxtrot: Come into my house Quickstep: Dancing Fool Toccata from Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV 565 Johann Sebastian Bach The Same Sun by Chris de Burgh
Hava Nagila performed by Russian Jewish Choir 1999–2000 Ritmo de Bom Bom by Vimi Rhumba de le more Jesus Christ Superstar by Andrew Lloyd Webber
Alegría (Cirque du Soleil) Release (from Afro-Celt 2) by Sinéad O'Connor 1998–1999 Die Fledermaus The Gypsy Baron by Johann Strauss II Diablo Tutti Frutti by Little Richard 1997–1998 Tutti Frutti by Little Richard Jesus Christ Superstar by Andrew Lloyd Webber 1996–1997 Argentine Tango: The Mask This Business of Love (from The Mask) by Domino 1995–1996 Malagueña by Ernesto Lecuona O Sole Mio Santa Lucia Tarantella Malagueña 1994–1995 Sing, Sing, Sing Hava Nagila 1993–1994 Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps Hungarian Dances by Johannes Brahms
Results
With Lobacheva Results International Event 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–00 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 Olympics 5th 2nd Worlds 13th 15th 6th 7th 4th 4th 4th 3rd 1st 2nd Europeans 9th 5th 5th 4th 3rd 4th 3rd 3rd 1st Grand Prix Final 5th 4th 3rd 4th 2nd 1st GP Cup of Russia 2nd 2nd 2nd 2nd 1st GP Int. Paris/Lalique 1st 2nd GP Nations Cup 3rd 4th GP NHK Trophy 8th 2nd 2nd 1st GP Skate America 2nd 2nd 2nd 2nd GP Skate Canada 4th 3rd Goodwill Games 2nd 2nd National Russian Champ. 2nd 3rd 3rd 1st 2nd 2nd 1st 1st 1st
With Anissina Results International Event 1989–1990 1990–1991 1991–1992 World Junior Championships 1st 4th 1st
Hall of Fame Averbukh is Jewish and elected to the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame's induction class of 2015.
Other sports Averbukh will play a role in the opening ceremony of the 2016 Bandy World Championship.Илья Авербух посетит Ульяновск - Архив новостей - Федерация хоккея с мячом РоссииИлья Авербух устроит в Ульяновске грандиозное шоу на ЧМ-2016 по хоккею с мячом
Personal life Lobacheva and Averbukh married in 1995. Their son, Martin, was born in 2004. They divorced in 2007.
Since December 20, 2020, he has been married to the Russian actress Elizaveta Arzamasova.
On August 14, 2021, the couple had a son.
Politics In February 2023, he stated that Russian athletes should boycott the Olympics if the pre-requisite for their participation is the condemnation of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In April, Averbukh was sanctioned by the Ukrainian government, with all his assets in Ukraine frozen and a 50-year ban on entering the country, due to his support for the invasion.
See also List of select Jewish figure skaters
References
External links
Official website of Lobacheva and Averbukh Jews in Sports bio Irina Lobacheva and Ilia Averbukh divorce