Juri Kurakin (born 3 August 1987) is a former competitive ice dancer who is best known for his partnership with Barbora Silná for Austria. Together, they won three Austrian national titles and reached the final segment at three ISU Championships. Earlier in his career, Kurakin competed for Estonia and Bulgaria.

Juri Kurakin
Silná/Kurakin in 2012
Born (1987-08-03) 3 August 1987 (age 37)
Tallinn, Estonia
Height1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)
Figure skating career
CountryAustria
PartnerBarbora Silná
Skating clubEKE Vienna
Grazer Eislaufverein
Began skating1992
RetiredAugust 3, 2016

Personal life

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Kurakin was born 3 August 1987 in Tallinn, Estonia. He is the younger brother of Dmitri Kurakin, an ice dancer who competed internationally for Estonia and Germany.[1]

Career

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Early career

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Kurakin began learning to skate in 1992.[1] Early in his career, he competed with Alexandra Baurina for Estonia.[2]

In 2005, Kurakin began skating with Ina Demireva, with whom he represented Bulgaria. Initially coached by Oksana Potdykova, Demireva/Kurakin decided to train under Svetlana Alexeeva and Elena Kustarova in Moscow in the 2006–07 and 2007–08 seasons.[3][4] They switched to Oleg Volkov and Alexander Zhulin for their final season together, 2008–09.[5]

Partnership with Silná

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Kurakin teamed up with Czech-Austrian skater Barbora Silná in 2010.[6] The two decided to represent Austria. In the 2010–11 season, they were coached by Dmitri Sildoja and Vitali Schulz in Dortmund and Vienna.[6] The following season, training under Muriel Zazoui and Romain Haguenauer in Lyon and Graz, they won their first Austrian national title.[7] During the next two seasons, they finished second to Kira Geil / Tobias Eisenbauer at the Austrian Championships. In the 2013–14 season, they switched to Barbara Fusar-Poli in Milan.[8]

Having missed qualifying for the free dance at three ISU Championship, Silná/Kurakin were successful for the first time at the 2015 Europeans in Stockholm, where they finished 18th. At the 2015 Worlds in Shanghai, they ranked 21st in the short and did not advance further.

Stefano Caruso joined Fusar-Poli as the duo's coach in the 2015–16 season.[1] Silná/Kurakin reached the final segment at the 2016 Europeans in Bratislava and at the 2016 Worlds in Boston, where they placed 17th and 20th, respectively. They announced their retirement on 3 August 2016 due to Silná's back problems.[9]

Programs

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With Silná

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Season Short dance Free dance
2015–16
[1]
2014–15
[10]
2013–14
[8]
  • Slow foxtrot: Just One Dance
    by Caro Emerald
  • Quickstep: That Man
    by Caro Emerald
  • Lost Generation
    (from "Chronicles")
    by Audiomachine
  • Cerebral Beauty
    by Audiomachine
2011–12
[7]
2010–11
[6]

With Demireva

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Season Original dance Free dance
2008–09
[5]
  • Slow foxtrot: Selection
    by Louis Armstrong
  • Quickstep: Selection
    by Louis Armstrong
  • Kill Bill
2007–08
[4]
2006–07
[3]
  • Harem
    by Sarah Brightman

Results

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CS: Challenger Series; JGP: Junior Grand Prix

With Silná for Austria

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International[11]
Event 10–11 11–12 12–13 13–14 14–15 15–16
Worlds 36th 21st 20th
Europeans 24th 25th 18th 17th
CS DS Cup 5th
CS Finlandia Trophy 9th
CS Ice Challenge 4th
CS Nepela Trophy 7th 5th
Cup of Nice 11th
Ice Challenge 5th
Mont Blanc 8th
Nebelhorn Trophy 16th
NRW Trophy 2nd
Pavel Roman 8th
Trophy of Lyon 5th 2nd
National[11]
Austrian Champ. 2nd 1st 2nd 2nd 1st 1st

With Demireva for Bulgaria

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International[12]
Event 05–06 06–07 07–08 08–09
Worlds 30th 29th
Europeans 25th
Golden Spin 8th
Nepela Memorial 8th
International: Junior[12]
Junior Worlds 25th 24th
JGP Bulgaria 13th
JGP Czech Rep. 15th
JGP Romania 15th 13th
National[12]
Bulgarian Champ. 2nd 1st

With Baurina for Estonia

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International[13]
Event 2004–05
ISU Junior Grand Prix in Germany 17th

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Barbora SILNA / Juri KURAKIN: 2015/2016". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 27 May 2016.
  2. ^ "Alexandra BAURINA / Juri KURAKIN: 2004/2005". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 5 January 2007.
  3. ^ a b "Ina DEMIREVA / Juri KURAKIN: 2006/2007". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 9 June 2007.
  4. ^ a b "Ina DEMIREVA / Juri KURAKIN: 2007/2008". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 9 June 2008.
  5. ^ a b "Ina DEMIREVA / Juri KURAKIN: 2008/2009". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 31 May 2009.
  6. ^ a b c "Barbora SILNA / Juri KURAKIN: 2010/2011". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 15 March 2011.
  7. ^ a b "Barbora SILNA / Juri KURAKIN: 2011/2012". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 31 May 2012.
  8. ^ a b "Barbora SILNA / Juri KURAKIN: 2013/2014". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 21 June 2014.
  9. ^ Silna, Barbora; Kurakin, Juri (3 August 2016). "We have to announce, that we decided to finish our active sport career..." Facebook.
  10. ^ "Barbora SILNA / Juri KURAKIN: 2014/2015". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 20 May 2015.
  11. ^ a b "Competition Results: Barbora SILNA / Juri KURAKIN". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 4 July 2016.
  12. ^ a b c "Competition Results: Ina DEMIREVA / Juri KURAKIN". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 1 October 2012.
  13. ^ "Alexandra BAURINA / Juri KURAKIN". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 2016-08-06. Retrieved 2016-08-06.
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