Artur Gachinski

Artur Gachinski
Gachinski at the 2012 European Championships.
Full name Artur Andreyevich Gachinski
Other names Artur Khil
Born 13 August 1993
Moscow, Russia
Height 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Figure skating career
Country Russia
Skating club CSKA Moscow
Began skating 2000
Retired December 24, 2015
Medal record
Representing Russia
Figure skating: Men's singles
World Championships
Bronze medal – third place 2011 Moscow Men's singles
European Championships
Silver medal – second place 2012 Sheffield Men's singles
Winter Universiade
Bronze medal – third place 2015 Granada Men's singles
World Junior Championships
Bronze medal – third place 2010 The Hague Men's singles

Artur Andreyevich Gachinski (Russian: Артур Андреевич Гачинский; born 13 August 1993) is a Russian former figure skater. He is the 2011 World bronze medalist, the 2012 European silver medalist, the 2010 World Junior bronze medalist, and a two-time Russian national silver medalist (2011, 2012). He announced his retirement from competitive skating in December 2015, citing injuries.

Personal life

Artur Andreyevich Gachinski was born on 13 August 1993 in Moscow. He received roller skates at age six but soon switched to ice skating. At age nine, Gachinski moved with his family to Saint Petersburg for training. Initially, he competed under his mother's surname Хиль, which was romanized as Khil or Hill. After a discussion with his family, he decided to take his father's surname, Gachinski. His mother is a painter.

Career

Early career

Gachinski's parents brought him to a rink when he was six years old. At age nine, he was accepted as a pupil by Alexei Mishin in Saint Petersburg but was coached mainly by his wife, Tatiana Mishina, for the first few years.

In the 2005–2006 season, Gachinski won the junior bronze medal at the Russian Championships. In the 2006–2007 season, he was placed 8th on the junior level and 14th on the senior level at the Russian Championships.

2007–2008 season

The 2007–2008 season was the first season in which Gachinski was old enough to compete in the ISU Junior Grand Prix series. He competed in two events, and was placed 4th in his debut in Romania and winning silver in Estonia. Gachinski qualified for the Junior Grand Prix Final, where he was placed 8th. He won the gold medal at the junior level at the 2007 Coupe de Nice and was placed 9th at the 2008 Russian Championships.

2008–2009 season

Competing in the 2008–2009 ISU Junior Grand Prix, Gachinski won silver at the Spanish event and was placed fourth in Great Britain, thus qualifying for the 2008–2009 ISU Junior Grand Prix Final, where he finished 8th again. He made his senior international debut at the 2008 Golden Spin of Zagreb, where he was placed 8th. At the 2009 Russian Championships, Gachinski was placed 10th at the senior level and won the silver medal at the junior level. Although he was originally named to the team for the 2009 World Junior Championships, he withdrew from the event before the event began due to illness.

2009–2010 season

The 2009–2010 season was Gachinski's third on the ISU Junior Grand Prix circuit. He won gold in Belarus and silver in Germany, qualifying him for the 2009–2010 ISU Junior Grand Prix Final, in which he was placed 6th. Gachinski won senior gold at the 2009 Coupe de Nice. At the 2010 Russian Championships, he was placed 13th in the senior level and the gold medalist in the junior level. In 6th after the short program at the 2010 World Junior Championships, Gachinski earned enough points in the free skate to take the bronze, despite popping his planned quad.

2010–2011 season

Gachinski competed solely in the senior level in the 2010-2011 season. He began with wins at 2010 Finlandia Trophy and Coupe de Nice. He picked up a viral infection a week before 2010 Skate Canada. Gachinski finished 7th at the event, his debut on the senior Grand Prix. He was placed 6th in his second GP assignment, the 2010 Rostelecom Cup.

Gachinski won his first senior national medal, silver, at the 2011 Russian Championships behind Konstantin Menshov. Gachinski was assigned to his first European Championships where he finished fifth, ahead of Menshov, and was given Russia's sole berth to the men's event at the World Championships. He won the bronze in his first appearance at the event.

2011–2012 season

In preparation for the 2011–2012 season, Gachinski took part in Mishin's training camps in Jaca (Spain), Tartu (Estonia), and Pinzolo (Italy) and worked with Stéphane Lambiel. Gachinski was assigned to 2011 Cup of China and 2011 Rostelecom Cup for the Grand Prix season. He won the short program but finished 5th overall at Cup of China, and also finished 5th at the Rostelecom Cup.

Gachinski won silver at the 2012 Russian Championships. At the 2012 European Championships, he was first in the short program and second in the long program, finishing with an overall score of 246.27 points. Gachinski won the silver medal behind teammate Evgeni Plushenko, who is also coached in Saint Petersburg by Alexei Mishin.

Gachinski changed his boots two weeks before the 2012 World Championships, affecting his preparation. He finished 18th at the event. After the event, Mishin said that Gachinski was not entirely ready and perhaps should have withdrawn. Gachinski was named in the Russian team to the 2012 World Team Trophy but withdrew from the event and was replaced by Zhan Bush.

2012–2013 season

Gachinski struggled throughout the season both with physical and psychological issues. After he was placed ninth at the 2012 Skate Canada International and seventh at the 2012 Rostelecom Cup, he finished fourth at the 2013 Russian Championships and was not selected to compete at the 2013 European Championships. He finally won a gold medal in his final event of the season, the 2013 Triglav Trophy.

2013–2014 season

In 2013–14, Gachinski started his season with a bronze medal at the 2013 Finlandia Trophy. After being placed eighth at the 2013 Skate America and sixth at the 2013 Rostelecom Cup, he finished sixth at Russian nationals and was not included in the Russian team to the European Championships, Winter Olympics, or World Championships.

Gachinski moved to Moscow on 6 January 2014 and began working with Tatiana Tarasova, Alexander Uspenski and Maxim Zavozin.

Programs

Gachinski with his former coach Alexei Mishin
Gachinski at the 2011 World Championships
Season Short program Free skating Exhibition
2015–2016
2014–2015
2013–2014
    2012–2013
    • The Highlander
    2011–2012
    		"The Demon":
    2010–2011
    2009–2010
    2008–2009
    • Adagio in G minor
      by Remo Giazotto, Tomaso Albinoni
    2007–2008
    • Flamenco medley
      by unknown

    Competitive highlights

    Gachinski at the 2011 Cup of China

    2007–present

    International
    Event 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16
    Worlds 3rd 18th
    Europeans 5th 2nd
    GP Cup of China 5th
    GP Rostelecom 6th 5th 7th 6th 8th WD
    GP Skate America 6th 5th 8th 9th
    GP Skate Canada 7th 9th
    Universiade 3rd
    Finlandia 1st 3rd
    Cup of Nice 1st J. 1st 1st
    Golden Spin 8th 2nd
    Triglav Trophy 1st
    International: Junior
    Junior Worlds 3rd
    JGP Final 8th 8th 6th
    JGP Belarus 1st
    JGP Estonia 2nd
    JGP Germany 4th 2nd
    JGP Spain 2nd
    JGP U.K. 4th
    National
    Russian Champ. 9th 10th 13th 2nd 2nd 4th 6th 6th
    Russian Junior 2nd 1st
    Team events
    Japan Open 2nd T
    (2nd P)
    GP = Grand Prix; JGP = Junior Grand Prix; TBD = Assigned; WD = Withdrew
    T = Team result; P = Personal result; Medals awarded for team result only.

    2003–2007

    International
    Event 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07
    Cup of Nice 1st N. 2nd N.
    Triglav Trophy 4th N.
    Isar Pokal 2nd N.
    National
    Russian Champ. 14th
    Russian Junior Champ. 13th 3rd 8th
    N. = Novice level

    Detailed results

    Gachinski on the podium at the 2012 European Championships

    (Small medals for short and long programs are awarded only at ISU Championships.)

    2011–2012 season
    Date Event SP FS Total
    March 26 - April 1, 2012 2012 World Championships 16
    68.50     		18
    136.56     		18
    205.06
    January 23–29, 2012 2012 European Championships 1
    84.80     		2
    161.47     		2
    246.27
    December 25–29, 2011 2012 Russian Championships 2
    83.52     		2
    166.06     		2
    249.58
    November 18–21, 2011 2011 Cup of Russia 5
    74.73     		4
    146.70     		5
    221.43
    October 29–31, 2011 2011 Cup of China 1
    81.64     		6
    140.90     		5
    222.54
    2010–2011 season
    Date Event SP FS Total
    April 27-May 1, 2011 2011 World Championships 4
    78.34     		3
    163.52     		3
    241,86
    January 24–30, 2011 2011 European Championships 3
    73.76     		6
    142.31     		5
    216.07
    December 26–29, 2010 2011 Russian Championships 9
    64.75     		2
    146.53     		2
    211.28
    November 18–21, 2010 2010 Cup of Russia 4
    72.41     		7
    130.53     		6
    202.94
    October 29–31, 2010 2010 Skate Canada International 7
    66.57     		7
    137.51     		7
    204.08
    October 13–17, 2010 2010 Coupe de Nice 1
    77.91     		1
    156.25     		1
    234.16
    October 8–10, 2010 2010 Finlandia Trophy 3
    63.54     		1
    142.98     		1
    206.52