17 Facts About Anton Sikharulidze

1.

Anton Tarielyevich Sikharulidze is a Russian former pair skater.

2.

Anton Sikharulidze began competing with Berezhnaya in 1996 after helping her recover from an accident with her previous partner.

3.

Anton Sikharulidze appeared only in archival footage and did not participate in the documentary, though his former partner Berezhnaya did.

4.

Anton Sikharulidze was born on 25 October 1976 in Leningrad, now known as Saint Petersburg, to a Russian mother and Georgian father.

5.

Anton Sikharulidze's sister, Marina, is an economist, and his brother, Alexander, is a businessman.

6.

Anton Sikharulidze asked his parents for skates after seeing a neighbor's boy with a pair.

7.

Anton Sikharulidze took up pair skating at age 15 when asked by a coach.

8.

Anton Sikharulidze wanted to work with Moskvina while Petrova preferred to remain with their old coaches.

9.

Anton Sikharulidze developed a friendship with Berezhnaya and Shliakhov began to perceive him as his rival.

10.

Anton Sikharulidze urged her to stay in Saint Petersburg but she believed she could manage a few weeks.

11.

On 15 March 1996, only two months after the accident, she began skating carefully with Anton Sikharulidze's help and Moskvina observing.

12.

Anton Sikharulidze had made a nearly full recovery, although her speech remained slurred requiring speech therapy.

13.

Moskvina would later admit Anton Sikharulidze had become distracted by life in a new country and was not as focused on training.

14.

Anton Sikharulidze stated that she had taken cold medication approved by a doctor but had failed to inform the ISU as required.

15.

Anton Sikharulidze allegedly said that she had been intimidated by the head of the French skating organization into voting for the Russian pair in exchange for an advantage for the French couple in the ice dancing competition, which was to follow a few days later.

16.

Anton Sikharulidze is the Chairman of the Russian State Duma Committee for Physical Culture and Sport.

17.

Anton Sikharulidze was married to Yana Lebedeva from 2011 to 2013.