2. Irina Konstantinovna Rodnina
(born September 12, 1949, Moscow, Russia,
U.S.S.R.) Soviet figure skater who, with her
partners, first Alexei Ulanov and later Alexander
Zaitsev, won 10 successive world championships
(1969–78) and three successive Olympic gold
medals.
Childhood and the start of the sport career
In her pre-school years, Irina Rodnina suffered
from pneumonia eleven times.
In 1954 her parents decided to enroll her in an
activity and brought her to her first skating rink,
in the Pryamikov Children Park in Moscow.
Since the sixth form of secondary school (age
13) she trained at Children and Youth Sports
School of CSKA on Leningradsky Prospekt.