UpDate - Vol. 15, No. 40, Page 3
August 29, 1996
In top 25; Ice skating coach Natalia Linitchuk recognized

     A major ice skating publication has named a University ice
skating coach as one of the Top 25 most influential forces in the
world of figure skating.
     Natalia Linitchuk, who-with her husband and partner Gennadi
Karponosov-won the ice dance crown at the 1980 Olympic Games, was
named to the prestigious list by International Figure Skating (IFS) in
its July issue.
     Those on the list were recognized by the publication as
individuals and entities "commanding power, prestige, effect,
authority and respect, who drive the sport and art of figure skating
in its multiple capacities and who influence the public perception."
     "It was a big surprise for me," Linitchuk said. "When I am
working, I never think about the results."
     Other notables on the list include Dick Button, president of
Candid Productions and figure skating analyst for ABC Sports, who was
described by IFS as "the man who got it all started."
     One of the pioneers in obtaining media coverage and recognition
of the sport, Button is joined on the list by Katarina Witt of
Germany, two-time Olympic Ladies' gold medalist (in 1984 and 1988),
and American skater Michelle Kwan, winner of 1996 World Championships.
The list also includes ABC Sports, CBS Sports, Fox Sports, and Turner
Sports.
     The selection did not surprise Ron Ludington, director of the
UD's Ice Skating Science and Development Center and a former Olympian.
     "One of the reasons that Natalia Linitchuk has received this
recognition" Ludington said, "is that she is carrying in her stable of
skaters many of the top performers in the world."
     Among this elite group are four of the top six ice dance teams in
the world, including Oksana Grischuk and Evgeny Platov, the reigning
Olympic dance champions.
     Fellow Russian skaters paired under the guidance of Linitchuk and
Karponosov also include Irina Romanova and Igor Yaroshenko, Irina
Lobacheva and Ilia Averbukh, and this year's silver medal winners at
the Russian, European and World Championships: Angelika Krylova and
Oleg Ovsiannikov.
     "Natalia is the most successful ice dancing coach in the world,"
Ludington said. "She is important because she will have a lot to do
about the direction in which ice dancing goes."
     Although Linitchuk appreciates being included among such stellar
company, she also makes it clear that there are many others
responsible for any recognition that she has received.
     "It is not only my results, but those of my husband also," she
said. "Gennadi and I work together."
     Linitchuk also credits the help given by many individuals at the
Ice Skating Science Development Center as playing an important part in
the success of her efforts. Since making the move to Newark from their
native Russia in 1994, Linitchuk and her team have taken advantage of
the increased practice time available at the University facilities.
     "In Russia, we were only able to get about four hours of practice
time each day," she said. "There, the ice hockey clubs control the
amount of time available for using the rinks, and this is only now
beginning to change a little."
     The increased practice afforded by training at the University
will be crucial to Linitchuk and Karponosov as they prepare their team
for the upcoming Grand Prix competitions in Canada.
     "Last year, so many of our people did well," Linichuk said. "Now
we will have to work 10 times harder than we did last year."
     In addition to her Russian skaters, Linitchuk and Karponosov also
coach couples from the Czech Republic, Italy, Switzerland, Japan,
Poland and the United States.
     Ludington, who described Linitchuk as both a friend and a
competing coach, said he feels the Russian presence at the University
has a positive influence on American skaters.
     "One of the great things about having Natalia here is that what
she is doing will rub off on some of our skaters," Ludington said.
"Her influence has certainly helped."
                                                         -Jerry Rhodes