15 Facts About Irina Rodnina

Irina Rodnina was elected to the State Duma in the 2007 legislative election as a member of President Vladimir Putin's United Russia party.

Irina Rodnina is the first pair skater to win the Olympic title with two different partners, followed only by Artur Dmitriev.

Irina Rodnina's father was Russian Red Army officer Konstantin Rodnin, from a village named Yaminovo on the outskirts of Vologda.

Irina Rodnina's mother was Ukrainian Jewish paramedic Yulia Rodnina.

Irina Rodnina's parents met each other during the Second World War, and both took part in the Soviet invasion of Manchuria against the Empire of Japan as the war came to a close.

Irina Rodnina has an older sister, Valentina, who works as an engineer.

Irina Rodnina was one of the first female pair skaters to be known for her athleticism and ever-increasing dangerous tricks.

Irina Rodnina became a member of the Public Chamber of Russia in 2005.

On 17 December 2012, Irina Rodnina supported the Dima Yakovlev Law, the law in the Russian Parliament banning adoption of Russian orphans by citizens of the United States.

Irina Rodnina was sanctioned by the United Kingdom from 15 March 2022 in relation to Russia's actions in Ukraine.

Irina Rodnina's first marriage was to Alexander Zaitsev, with whom she has a son of the same name, born in 1979.

From her second marriage with the film producer Leonid Menkovsky, Irina Rodnina has a daughter, Alyona Minkovski, born in 1986.

Irina Rodnina spent a number of years living in the United States and then moved back to Russia.

On 13 September 2013, Irina Rodnina caused a stir when she tweeted a doctored photo of US President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle, with Obama's mouth full of food, with a photoshopped banana in the image's foreground.

Irina Rodnina said she was practicing her right to free expression, but critics claimed she was making a racist comment about the African-American president.