Veteran figure skaters show that they’ve still got skills in spectacular exhibition performance
It’s not uncommon for champion figure skaters to tour the world and dazzle audiences in exhibition performances without the pressure of competition and scoring. But it’s rare to see a pair of octogenarians strap on their skates for a show!
Ludmilla Belousova and Oleg Protopopov (also known in the skating world simply as “The Protopopovs”) were two-time Olympic champions (in 1964 and 1968) and four-time World champions (from 1965–1968) who represented the Soviet Union before they defected to Switzerland in 1979.
They were household names in the ’60s and ’70s in their home country after their victories and subsequent exhibition performances.
In September of 2015, just two years before Belousova’s death, she and her husband and skating partner took to the ice once more for “An Evening With Champions.” She was 79 at the time, while he was 83 (and had a stroke 4 years earlier)!
The skating icons might not be recognizable outside of Russia and the former Soviet Union these days, but their performances helped define pair skating and they even invented the now-common “death spiral” maneuver.
“I have always said that a great skater is one who not only reaches the top, either as a competitor or a performer, but more important also leaves the world of figure skating better and different just because they were in it,” said two-time Olympic champion Dick Button. “The Protopopovs are great skaters not only because they were the finest of Olympic champions, but also because their creative impact was extraordinary.”
The couple spent summers in Lake Placid in recent decades and helped teach the next generation of figure skaters who took lessons at the local facility, according to Lake Placid News.
When they took the ice in 2015, they still cut a striking figure.
Don’t expect to see any lifts or triple salchows, but this pair delivers a graceful and elegant performance to Liberace’s “Fascination.”
And they’re still more flexible (and balanced) than the vast majority of people half their age!
It’s incredible to see just how in sync these two are with one another, virtually moving as one unit throughout the balletic performance.
Apparently, it helps to be a romantic as well as professional couple for multiple decades.
By the time of this performance, the two had been skating together for over 50 years – and they were still eager to strap on their blades not only for the love of the sport but to encourage the next generation to pursue it as well.
Many Russian commenters on YouTube recalled watching the pair on television as children and could hardly believe they were still performing in 2015.
And many commented on just how romantic it all was, even if it wasn’t full of jumps and lifts.
“One of the most beautiful and moving things I have seen!”
“Thank you for posting this. I will say it was a wonderful treat to see them skate at their ages. Maybe there were no jumps or lifts but who cares. That was great classic skating at its best. Something for younger skaters to pay attention to. You [don’t] always have to be crazy jumping to create a moment that people will remember,” gushed one viewer.
It was a memorable performance to say that least and one that’s been viewed over 1.7 million times on YouTube.
Be sure to scroll down below to see one of the dynamic duo’s final performances.
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