Julia Obertas Explained

Julia Obertas
Country:Russia (after 2000)
Ukraine (until 2000)
Fullname:Julia Nikolayevna Obertas (birth)
Also Known As:Julia Horak (married)
Birth Date:19 June 1984
Birth Place:Dnipropetrovsk, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union
Formercoach:Ludmila Velikova
Tamara Moskvina
Formerchoreographer:Alexander Stiopin
Irina Sharonova
Former Skating Club:Yubileyny
Beganskating:1989
Retired:2008
Combined Total:177.10
Combined Date:2005 Europeans
Sp Score:63.59
Sp Date:2005 Europeans
Fs Score:117.98
Fs Date:2005 Cup of Russia
Show-Medals:yes

Julia Nikolayevna Obertas, married name: Horak (Russian: Юлия Николаевна Обертас, Ukrainian: Юлія Обертас; born 19 June 1984) is a former pair skater who represented Ukraine until 2000 and then Russia until the end of her career. She is best known for her partnership with Sergei Slavnov, with whom she competed from 2003 to 2007. They are the 2005 European silver medalists. Earlier, she competed with Alexei Sokolov for Russia and Dmytro Palamarchuk for Ukraine. With Palamarchuk, she became a two-time (1998–1999) World Junior champion.

Career

Early career

Obertas began skating at age 5. She initially competed with Dmytro Palamarchuk representing Ukraine. They won the 1998 and 1999 World Junior Championships. They also won the 1997 and 1998 Junior Grand Prix Final. They then began competing on the senior level. At the 2000 World Championships, Obertas/Palamarchuk were 10th after the short program but during the free skate Palamarchuk caught an edge (right skate) while executing an overhead lift with Obertas – she was uninjured in the resulting fall but he hit his head on the ice. No medical attention was immediately offered at the event in Nice, France. Palamarchuk lay on the ice for several minutes before getting up and leaving the ice on his own but then lost consciousness and was taken to hospital – no damage was found but he was kept overnight for observation. The pair ended their partnership shortly afterward. Obertas moved to Russia as her mother had remarried and the family decided to settle in Saint Petersburg.

Partnership with Sokolov

In the summer of 2000, Obertas teamed up with Alexei Sokolov and began to represent Russia, coached by Ludmila Velikova and Nikolai Velikov. They trained at the Yubileyny rink in Saint Petersburg. After two fourth-place finishes at Russian Nationals, they won bronze in 2003. They earned a berth in the 2003 European Championships, where they placed fifth, and to the 2003 World Championships, where they finished eighth.

Partnership with Slavnov

Obertas had begun dating another one of the Velikovs' students, Sergei Slavnov, and in August 2003, they decided to skate together, switching coaches to Tamara Moskvina who also worked at Yubileyny.

At the 2004 Skate America, shortly after Tatiana Totmianina's accident, Obertas fell out of an overhead lift, a hand-to-hand lasso lift, but Slavnov managed to catch her to prevent her head hitting the ice. The pair won silver at the 2005 European Championships and were fifth at the World Championships. During the 2005-06 season, they were fourth at Europeans, and then finished eighth at both the Olympics and Worlds.

At the start of the 2006-07 season, Obertas/Slavnov decided to return to Ludmila Velikova. The pair won bronze at 2006 Trophée Eric Bompard and finished 6th at 2006 NHK Trophy. At the 2007 Russian Championships, they won the silver medal and were sent to the 2007 European Championships where they finished 4th. They did not compete at Worlds.

The pair announced they would miss the 2007-08 season as the result of an injury to Obertas. In summer 2008, they said they would miss the start of the 2008-09 season, but might compete at Russian Nationals. In autumn 2008, Obertas participated in the Russia 1 ice show Star Ice (Russian: Звёздный лёд), skating with the Russian actor Alexander Peskov. Obertas/Slavnov did not compete at Russian nationals and ended their career.

Obertas/Slavnov performed some quadruple twists in competition.

Personal life

Obertas and Slavnov dated from 2002 to 2008. In 2010, Obertas married Czech figure skater Radek Horák. After spending some time coaching in Italy, she and her husband now coach in Stockholm, Sweden.

Programs

With Slavnov

SeasonShort programFree skatingExhibition
2006–2007
2005–2006
  • Concert for the Voice
    Andante from the Concerto for Coloratura
    Soprano and Orchestra, opus 82
    written by Reinhold Glière
    performed by the Bolshoi Theatre Orchestra
    and Evgenia Miroshnichenko
  • Brindisi
  • Parigi o Cara
  • La Donna E Mobile
  • Anvil Chorus
    by Giuseppe Verdi
2004–2005
  • Les Rois du Tsigane
    by Joska Nemeth and Paul Toscano
  • Katiusha Under Moscow Skies
    (Russian folk music)

----

2003–2004
  • The Truman Show
    by Burkhard Dallwitz
  • Secret Garden
    by Rolf Løvland
  • Not Gonna Get Us
    by t.A.T.u.

With Sokolov

SeasonShort programFree skatingExhibition
2002–2003
2001–2002
  • Russian Dance from Swan Lake
    by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Results

With Slavnov for Russia

Results
International
Event2003–042004–052005–062006–07
align=left 8th
align=left 7th 5th 8th
align=left 4th bgcolor=silver 2nd 4th 4th
align=left 4th 5th
align=left bgcolor=cc9966 3rd
align=left 5th bgcolor=silver 2nd bgcolor=silver 2nd
align=left 6th
align=left bgcolor=silver 2nd bgcolor=cc9966 3rd
align=left 6th
align=left bgcolor=silver 2nd
National
align=left bgcolor=cc9966 3rd bgcolor=cc9966 3rd bgcolor=silver 2nd bgcolor=silver 2nd
GP = Grand Prix

With Sokolov for Russia

Results
International
Event2000–20012001–20022002–2003
align=left 8th
align=left 5th
align=left 4th
align=left 5th bgcolor=cc9966 3rd
align=left 4th
align=left 4th
align=left bgcolor=silver 2nd
align=left bgcolor=silver 2nd
National
align=left 4th 4th bgcolor=cc9966 3rd
GP = Grand Prix

With Palamarchuk for Ukraine

Results
International
Event1996–971997–981998–991999–00
align=left 11th WD
align=left 7th 6th 6th
align=left 7th
align=left 5th
align=left bgcolor=cc9966 3rd
align=left bgcolor=gold 1st
International: Junior
align=left bgcolor=gold 1st bgcolor=gold 1st bgcolor=silver 2nd
align=left bgcolor=gold 1st bgcolor=gold 1st
align=left bgcolor=gold 1st
align=left bgcolor=silver 2nd
align=left bgcolor=gold 1st bgcolor=gold 1st
National
align=left bgcolor=cc9966 3rd bgcolor=silver 2nd bgcolor=gold 1st bgcolor=silver 2nd
align=left Ukrainian Jr. Ch. 4th
GP = Grand Prix; JGP = Junior Grand Prix; WD = Withdrew

External links