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When 20-year-old Ilia Kulik stood at the top of the Olympic podium in Nagano, Japan in February 1998, he was only the second man in figure skating singles history to achieve a Gold Medal on his first trip to the Winter Games (the first being the United States’ Dick Button in 1948). 

Ilia’s “big dream” as he has called it, started when he was five-years-old in his hometown, Moscow.  His mother took him to a children’s skating class to see if skating might be his sport.  After watching her son fall and fall again at his first try on skates, Mrs. Kulik thought they should try out another sport right away.  She was surprised to hear the teacher ask her to bring little Ilia back. 

“But why?  He keeps falling.”   

“Yes,” said the teacher, “but he keeps getting up.”  

Fifteen years later, with days marked by the same determination, an Olympic champion emerged.  

Ilia’s talent in his formative years enabled him to work with the distinguished Russian coach, Viktor Kudriatsev.  Later in his eligible career, he also worked with Russian coach and choreographer, Tatiana Tarasova, who is well known to American skating audiences. 

Ilia’s first significant international win, at the age of 13, was a gold medal in the 1990 Piruetten Juniors competition in Norway.  Early competitive achievements included gold at 1994 Russian Junior Nationals (age 16), 1994 Nebelhorn Trophy, 1995 Junior Worlds (age 17), and most importantly, a gold medal at 1995 European Championships in Dortmund, Germany.  On his way to the gold medal in Nagano, Ilia won a wide variety of skating honors including two Russian national championships (1997, 1998).   

At the games Nagano Ilia placed first with both his short and long programs, “Revolutions” and “Rhapsody in Blue.” “Rhapsody in Blue,” one of the most ambitious Olympic programs ever successfully skated, included a flawlessly executed quadruple toe loop, 8 triple jumps, intricate footwork, multiple spins and sweeping connective choreography.  In total, Ilia achieved an “overpowering” Olympic performance according to Time magazine.  

As a professional skater, Ilia has distinguished himself as an innovative choreographer and as a mature performer who continues to stress technical excellence and classic elegance.  He has toured with both Champions on Ice and Stars on Ice in the U.S., Prince Ice World in Japan and performed with Stars on Ice and Art on Ice in Europe. Off ice, Ilia has explored other avenues, the most noticeable being a major role in the 2000 dance film, Center Stage. 

In the past several years, Ilia has become more active as a coach, working with promising young skaters and Olympic contenders.  He has often observed that he is committed to passing along the excellent coaching he received.  Ilia is married to Olympic and World champion, Ekaterina Gordeeva.  They live in California with their daughters, Daria (Dasha) Grinkova, 15 and Elizaveta (Liza) Kulik, 6.