15 Facts About Elena Ilinykh

Elena Ruslanovna Ilinykh is a Russian former competitive ice dancer.

Elena Ilinykh was born in Aktau, Kazakhstan and raised in Moscow, Russia.

Elena Ilinykh's parents divorced when she was two years old.

From around 2006 to 2008, Ilinykh lived in Michigan with her grandmother and became fluent in English.

Elena Ilinykh's mother adopted a two-year-old boy in around 2010.

Elena Ilinykh is a supporter of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine and performed on Russian TV in support of the invasion.

Elena Ilinykh was paired with Nikita Katsalapov, who had trained in the same singles group.

In 2010, Elena Ilinykh said that they were too young at the time to understand partnership.

Elena Ilinykh left Russia and trained in Marina Zueva and Igor Shpilband's group in Canton, Michigan for two years without a partner.

In spring 2008, Elena Ilinykh returned to Moscow after Katsalapov expressed interest in reuniting with her.

Elena Ilinykh organized tryouts with her and other skaters at around the same time before making a final decision.

At NHK Trophy, they placed first in the short dance but in the warm-up before the free dance Elena Ilinykh crashed into the boards and injured her knee.

Elena Ilinykh fell ill before the free dance due to food poisoning but went on to compete.

At 19 years of age, Elena Ilinykh is second youngest Olympic ice dance medalist in history after Marina Klimova.

Elena Ilinykh appeared in the seventh and ninth season of ice show contest Ice Age.