Russia and the Soviet Union have won 25 Olympic figure skating gold medals since 1964. This includes 51 total medals when counting silver and bronze. The dominance has been particularly strong in pairs skating.
Ludmila Belousova and Oleg Protopopov won the first Soviet pairs gold in 1964. Irina Rodnina followed with three consecutive pairs golds from 1972 to 1980.
Ekaterina Gordeeva and Sergei Grinkov dominated across two eras, winning for both the USSR and Russia. These legendary skaters defined Olympic excellence across five decades.
This guide lists every individual Russian gold medalist by Olympic year, event, and partnership.
Russia/Soviet Union Figure Skating: Gold Medal Overview
| Era | Status | Gold Medals | Win Rate | Key Achievement | Dominant Event |
| 1964-1980 (Soviet Foundation) | Pioneering | 8-10 | 40%+ | Pairs dominance begins; Rodnina era | Pairs (6+ golds) |
| 1980-1992 (Soviet Peak) | Dominant | 6-8 | 35-40% | Ice dance emergence; Grinkov/Gordeeva | Pairs + Ice Dance |
| 1992-2006 (Russian Transition) | Competitive | 5-7 | 25-30% | Pairs 42-year streak continues | Pairs (all golds) |
| 2006-2022 (Modern Era) | Declining | 1-3 | 10-15% | Plushenko men’s gold (2006); Valieva doping | Mixed events |
| TOTALS 1964-2022 | 25 | ~20% | 42-year pairs gold streak (1964-2006) | Pairs dominance |
Russia alone (post-1991): 15 gold medals Soviet Union (1964-1991): 10 gold medals Combined USSR + Russia: 25 gold medals
Most Decorated Russian Figure Skaters: Individual Gold Medalists
Russian/Soviet skaters with 2+ Olympic gold medals:
| Athlete | Partnership | Olympics | Total Golds | Silver | Bronze | Years | Notable Achievement |
| Irina Rodnina | Alexei Ulanov (1972) Alexander Zaitsev (1976, 1980) | Pairs | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1972-1980 | Three consecutive pairs golds (unprecedented); dominated 1970s-80s |
| Alexander Zaitsev | Irina Rodnina (1976, 1980) | Pairs | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1976-1980 | 2x pairs gold with Rodnina; won in consecutive Olympics |
| Ludmila Belousova | Oleg Protopopov (1964, 1968) | Pairs | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1964-1968 | First Soviet pairs gold (1964); back-to-back golds; launched Soviet era |
| Oleg Protopopov | Ludmila Belousova (1964, 1968) | Pairs | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1964-1968 | 2x pairs gold; artistic innovation; 50+ year career |
| Ekaterina Gordeeva | Sergei Grinkov (1988, 1994) | Pairs | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1988-1994 | Won gold for USSR (1988) + Russia (1994); iconic partnership; widowed 1995 |
| Sergei Grinkov | Ekaterina Gordeeva (1988, 1994) | Pairs | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1988-1994 | 2x pairs gold; tragic death in 1995 during Stars on Ice tour |
| Tatiana Volosozhar | Maxim Trankov (2014) | Pairs + Team Event | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2014 | Multiple medals same Olympics (pairs + team); rare achievement |
| Maxim Trankov | Tatiana Volosozhar (2014) | Pairs + Team Event | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2014 | Won pairs and team golds in same Olympics (2014 Sochi) |
| Evgeni Plushenko | Solo (Men’s Singles) + Team (2006, 2014) | Men’s Singles + Team | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2006, 2014 | 4x Olympic medals (2G, 2S); most decorated male figure skater; quads pioneer |
| Lyudmila Pakhomova | Aleksandr Gorshkov (1976) | Ice Dance | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1976 | First ice dance gold (1976); only once gold in discipline |
| Aleksandr Gorshkov | Lyudmila Pakhomova (1976) | Ice Dance | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1976 | 1st ice dance Olympic gold; 6x world champion |
| Oksana Grishuk | Evgeny Platov (1994, 1998) | Ice Dance | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1994-1998 | Back-to-back ice dance golds; won 4x world titles |
| Evgeny Platov | Oksana Grishuk (1994, 1998) | Ice Dance | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1994-1998 | 2x ice dance gold with Grishuk |
Soviet/Russian Dominance: The 42-Year Pairs Gold Streak (1964-2006)
From 1964 to 2006, every Olympic pairs gold medal was won by a Soviet or Russian skater; an unprecedented 12-13 consecutive gold medals across 11 Olympic Games.
This dominance in a single event across multiple generations is unmatched.
The Pairs Dominance Timeline:
| Era | Gold Medalists | Years | Characteristic |
| Birth of Soviet Pairs | Belousova/Protopopov | 1964-1968 | Artistic innovation; elegance |
| Rodnina Dynasty | Rodnina/Ulanov, Rodnina/Zaitsev | 1972-1980 | Three consecutive golds; technical mastery |
| Late Soviet Era | Mishina/Mishine, Gordeeva/Grinkov (USSR) | 1984-1988 | Grinkov/Gordeeva transition to Russia |
| Unified Team/Russia | Mishkutenok/Dmitriev, Gordeeva/Grinkov (Russia), Kazakova/Dmitriev | 1992-1998 | Independent Russia’s early dominance |
| Modern Russia | Berezhnaya/Sikharulidze, Volosozhar/Trankov | 2002-2006 | End of 42-year streak; scandal at Salt Lake |
| Post-2006 | No Russian pairs golds | 2010-2022 | China (Sui/Han) takes over; era ends |
Complete Soviet/Russian Figure Skating Gold Medalists by Event (1964-2022)
Pairs Skating Gold Medals (Dominant: 12-14 Golds)
The absolute dominance: Soviet/Russian skaters won gold in pairs at 12 consecutive Olympics (1964-2006); a 42-year gold medal streak unprecedented in Olympic figure skating.
| Olympic Year | Location | Skaters | Event | Notes |
| 1964 | Innsbruck | Ludmila Belousova + Oleg Protopopov | Pairs | First Soviet pairs gold; launch of era |
| 1968 | Grenoble | Ludmila Belousova + Oleg Protopopov | Pairs | Back-to-back golds; artistic dominance |
| 1972 | Sapporo | Irina Rodnina + Alexei Ulanov | Pairs | Rodnina’s first of three golds; new generation |
| 1976 | Innsbruck | Irina Rodnina + Alexander Zaitsev | Pairs | Rodnina’s second gold; partnership change |
| 1980 | Lake Placid | Irina Rodnina + Alexander Zaitsev | Pairs | Rodnina’s third consecutive gold (unprecedented) |
| 1984 | Sarajevo | Yekaterina Mishina + Sergei Mishine | Pairs | Soviet dominance continues; 3rd consecutive |
| 1988 | Calgary | Ekaterina Gordeeva + Sergei Grinkov | Pairs | For USSR; young pair (17, 21); 4 golds total |
| 1992 | Albertville | Natalia Mishkutenok + Artur Dmitriev | Pairs | Unified Team; Mishkutenok/Dmitriev 1992 gold |
| 1994 | Lillehammer | Ekaterina Gordeeva + Sergei Grinkov | Pairs | For Russia (independent); 2nd gold for pair |
| 1998 | Nagano | Oksana Kazakova + Artur Dmitriev | Pairs | 1998 gold; Dmitriev 2x champion (different partners) |
| 2002 | Salt Lake City | Elena Berezhnaya + Anton Sikharulidze | Pairs | Controversial judging scandal; stripped then reinstated |
| 2006 | Turin | Tatiana Volosozhar + Maxim Trankov | Pairs | Won pairs + team same Olympics |
Soviet/Russian Pairs Gold Total: 12-13 medals (1964-2006, 42-year streak)
Ice Dance Gold Medals (4-6 Golds)
Ice dancing evolved as Soviet/Russian specialty, with multiple golds:
| Olympic Year | Location | Skaters | Event | Notes |
| 1976 | Innsbruck | Lyudmila Pakhomova + Aleksandr Gorshkov | Ice Dance | First ice dance gold (new event 1976) |
| 1988 | Calgary | Natalia Mishkutenok + Andrei Bukin | Ice Dance | Soviet dominance in ice dance begins |
| 1994 | Lillehammer | Oksana Grishuk + Evgeny Platov | Ice Dance | For Russia; beginning of back-to-back dominance |
| 1998 | Nagano | Oksana Grishuk + Evgeny Platov | Ice Dance | Back-to-back golds; 4x world champions |
Soviet/Russian Ice Dance Gold Total: 4-6 medals
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Men’s Singles Gold Medals (1-2 Golds)
Limited success in men’s singles until Plushenko:
| Olympic Year | Location | Skater | Event | Notes |
| 2006 | Turin | Evgeni Plushenko | Men’s Singles | Only men’s singles gold; 3x world champ |
| 2014 | Sochi | Team Event (Men’s component) | Team Gold | Contributed to Russia team gold (mixed event) |
Soviet/Russian Men’s Singles Gold Total: 1 documented gold
Women’s Singles Gold Medals (0 Golds)
Notably, Russia/Soviet Union never won Olympic gold in women’s singles figure skating; despite strong competitors like Irina Slutskaya (multiple silvers/bronzes). This contrasts with pairs/ice dance dominance.
| Competitor | Best Result | Years | Notes |
| Irina Slutskaya | Silver (2006) | 2002, 2006 | 2x world champion; no Olympic gold |
| Elizabet Tuktamyeva | Multiple world titles | 1970s-1980s | Soviet champion; never Olympic gold |
Soviet/Russian Women’s Singles Gold Total: 0 medals (major gap)
Individual Russian Gold Medalists by Name (Complete Roster)
All athletes who won Olympic figure skating gold medals for the Soviet Union or Russia:
Women (Singles)
- None; Russia never won women’s singles gold
Men (Singles)
- Evgeni Plushenko (2006 Turin, Men’s Singles)
Pairs (12-13 Medalists Across 6 Partnerships)
- Ludmila Belousova (1964, 1968)
- Oleg Protopopov (1964, 1968)
- Irina Rodnina (1972, 1976, 1980)
- Alexei Ulanov (1972)
- Alexander Zaitsev (1976, 1980)
- Yekaterina Mishina (1984)
- Sergei Mishine (1984)
- Ekaterina Gordeeva (1988 as USSR, 1994 as Russia)
- Sergei Grinkov (1988 as USSR, 1994 as Russia)
- Natalia Mishkutenok (1992 as Unified Team)
- Artur Dmitriev (1992, 1998)
- Oksana Kazakova (1998)
- Elena Berezhnaya (2002)
- Anton Sikharulidze (2002)
- Tatiana Volosozhar (2006)
- Maxim Trankov (2006)
Ice Dance (8 Medalists Across 4 Partnerships)
- Lyudmila Pakhomova (1976)
- Aleksandr Gorshkov (1976)
- Natalia Mishkutenok (1988)
- Andrei Bukin (1988)
- Oksana Grishuk (1994, 1998)
- Evgeny Platov (1994, 1998)
Team Events (Mixed, 2014-2022) Multiple contributors including Evgeni Plushenko (2014) and various team components
Total Named Gold Medalists: 25-30 individual skaters
FAQs
How many Olympic figure skating gold medals has Russia/USSR won?
Russia and the Soviet Union combined have won 25 Olympic figure skating gold medals. Soviet Union (1964-1991): 10 golds. Russia (1992-2022): 15 golds. This makes Russia/USSR second after the United States (17 golds).
Did Irina Rodnina win three Olympic gold medals?
Yes. Irina Rodnina won three consecutive Olympic pairs golds in 1972 Sapporo, 1976 Innsbruck, and 1980 Lake Placid with two different partners. This tied the all-time record with Sonja Henie (Norway) and Gillis Grafström (Sweden).
Did Soviet/Russian skaters dominate pairs skating?
Yes. From 1964 to 2006, Soviet and Russian pairs skaters won every Olympic pairs gold medal; a 42-year, 12-13 consecutive gold medal streak. This streak ended in 2010 when China’s Sui Wenjing and Han Cong won gold.
Who were the most famous Russian pairs skaters?
Irina Rodnina won three consecutive Olympic golds (1972-1980). Ekaterina Gordeeva and Sergei Grinkov won gold for both USSR (1988) and Russia (1994). Ludmila Belousova and Oleg Protopopov won the first Soviet pairs golds in 1964 and 1968.
Did Russia ever win gold in women’s singles figure skating?
No. Despite strong competitors like Irina Slutskaya (Olympic silver 2002, 2006), Russia has never won women’s singles gold; a notable gap given their pairs and ice dance dominance.
What happened to Evgeni Plushenko’s Olympic career?
Evgeni Plushenko won 4 Olympic medals total: silver in 2002 and 2010, gold in men’s singles 2006, and team gold in 2014. He was the only Russian to win men’s singles gold.
Who won ice dance gold for Russia?
Oksana Grishuk and Evgeny Platov won back-to-back ice dance golds in 1994 and 1998. Earlier, Lyudmila Pakhomova and Aleksandr Gorshkov won the first-ever ice dance Olympic gold in 1976 when the event was introduced.
What was the 2002 Salt Lake City pairs judging scandal?
At 2002 Salt Lake City, Russian skaters Elena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze won gold amid controversy. A French judge was found to have agreed to vote for the Russian pair in exchange for the Russian judge voting for a French ice dance pair. The ISU overhauled the judging system following this.
Why did Russia’s figure skating success decline after 2006?
Russia’s pairs streak ended in 2006. Doping scandals and the 2022 invasion of Ukraine led to Russia’s ban from international figure skating. China, USA, and other nations developed stronger programs. Russia has won zero golds in recent Olympics (2010-2022).
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