Biography

Viktor Petrenko was born in Odessa in the Soviet Union on June 27, 1969. He was the first child of Tamara and Vassily. Their second son, Vladimir, was born one and a half year later. As Viktor was a sickly child, the doctor advised the Petrenkos to introduce him to some kind of sport to make him healthier.At that time a new ice rink had been built in the town of Odessa and at that place Viktor started skating at the age of 5. The other favorite sport of his youth was soccer, which he played on the streets with his friends.

Viktor was 10 years old when he was discovered by Galina Zmievskaya who was still an unknown coach at the relatively new training facility. During the following years she and Valentin Nikolaev became a coaching team that instructed not only Viktor but also Viktor's brother Vladimir and Viacheslav Zagorodniuk. At the age of 11 Viktor mastered his first triple jump. He won the Junior World Championships at the end of 1983 and earned a place in the Soviet Union's senior National team for the next season. Although he was still very young he had already developed some characteristic movements such as the layback spin or the beautiful landing of his jumps with rounded arms and upturned palms. His jumps continued to improve, he landed his first triple axel in competition at Skate America 1985.

In 1988 the skating world was introduced to a new Viktor Petrenko. Though he was still on the threshold between boy and man his skating showed a new maturity and self confidence. His powerful presence on the ice combined with beautiful jumps enabled him to win the bronze medal at the Calgary Olympics. It was a surprising success for Viktor and Galina, who kissed and hugged each other in the Kiss and cry even more emotionally than usual.

The World Championships was the first major international event where the Petrenko brothers competed against each other. Vladimir finished in 10th place. There seemed to be no real rivaly between them. When asked if he tried to help his brother, Viktor smiled and replied, "I give him advice all the time." Much to Viktor's dismay Vladimir's career was troubled by injuries and other problems, and his development stagnated.

After the 1988 season Viktor found himself in the position of being the number 1 ranked skater in the world. But Kurt Browning had improved dramatically, and therefore Viktor focussed his concentration on improving his quadruple toe loop which he was able to land occasionally. Shortly after Skate Canada 1988, while practicing this jump he pulled a muscle so badly that he wrenched a piece of bone from his pelvis. The injury forced him to stop skating for almost three months. During his recovery he couldn't even sit, his options were either to stand or lie down. Viktor was not able to compete at the Europeans and came to the Worlds ill prepared where he finished sixth..

The next season was a new beginning for him. He won his first major title at the European Championships in Leningrad, and finished second at Worlds. In 1991 he repeated those results, but his second place at the World Championships in Munich was heart-breaking for him. Three of the nine judges placed him first, the others prefered Kurt Browning's long program - a decision that was considered to be very controversial. But Viktor refrained from complaining about it. "The judges liked Kurt's skating better than mine", he says. "That's fine, you know: That's the sport."

The beginning of the Olympic season was like a nightmare. Viktor had boot problems and it took him one and a half month to find new ones. Therefore he was not able to complete the work on his new long program to the music from the Musical "Chess" and had to turn back to the old long program for the third consecutive year. He didn't skate at any competition prior to the Europeans except Nationals where he barely made the National team. The Europeans in Lausanne were Viktor's first competition for the Unified Team or the Commonwealth of Independent states that the former Soviet Union had become. As one of the few skaters who didn't live or train in Moscow or St.Petersburg Viktor seemed to feel a little lost and uncertain of his and his country's future. At a press conference it became obvious that he was not even sure of the name of his new "home country".

Being unsatisfied with his performances in Lausanne, he experimented again with his boots and at the Olympics he skated with a new boot on his left, and an old one on his right foot. He didn't skate his best yet it was enough to become Olympic Champion. But when Viktor stood on the podium with the gold medal around his neck while the Olympic anthem was played he looked more dazed than happy because he wasn't content with the way he skated.Yet behind the scenes there was a different picture. Later he recalled, "When I found out I won I couldn't believe it. I cried for maybe 15 seconds and then I started laughing and getting excited."

The time after the Olympics was a time of important decisions. Viktor chose to give up his amateur status and turned professional. It also became clear to him that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with his childhood sweetheart, Nina Melnik, the oldest daughter of his coach, and so he proposed to her. "She thought about it for a moment and then she said "yes", said a red faced Viktor about this important moment. The bethrothed had the opportunity to shop for a bridal gown in Oakland/San Francisco where the World Championships were held. At the exhibition of Champions, that at that point he believed to be his last performance as an eligible skater Viktor was deeply moved by the support of the American fans and close to tears. But he didn't have much time to think about his situation for his first pro competition took place only two weeks after the Worlds and afterwards he joined the Tour of Champions. Finally in June he returned to Odessa for his marriage on June 19. It was reported to be "one hell of a wedding" with parties that lasted an entire week. The couple spent its honeymoon in Israel.

As most of the pro competitions are held in North America Viktor and his family moved to Las Vegas which is, surprisingly enough, Viktor's favorite town in the US. They moved into a house on the outside of town and Viktor trained at the Santa Fe ice rink. For a short time Karin Doherty became his coach for Galina had to return to Odessa occasionally to look after her other pupils, among them a very special talent named Oksana Baiul. Viktor had convinced Galina to take Oksana who had lost her family and had been abandoned by her coach into her family. "She's such a little girl. How much can she eat? How much room can she take?" he had asked her. He supported Oksana and the other members of the Ukrainian team with money for costumes and other skating equipment.

Viktor's first year as a pro was not an easy one. He didn't seem to be sure which programs to skate at which event, brilliant performances were followed by disastrous ones. The consistency of his jumps was gone. It was difficult for him to find the right attitude. So when the ISU allowed pros to return to the amateur ranks, Viktor couldn't resist. "I am an athlete. The Olympics say I can come back, so I must go back", he explained his decision. He returned to Odessa to prepare for the Olympic season but again encountered some problems. Although he won Skate America and the Nations Cup, he decided to give up his "Bolero" short program and instead skated to "Carmen" again. Either he just didnn't feel comfortable with this routine or he got the impression that the judges disliked it. This was no time for taking chances because the Ukraine could send only one man to Lillehammer. Viktor got this spot by winning the Europeans in 1994 but agreed to withdraw from the Worlds so that his long time friend Viacheslav Zagorodniuk who finished second at the Europeans could compete there.

Even though Viktor didnn't win a medal at the 1994 Olympics he didn't regret his decision to reinstate. "I don't care about the place", he said shortly after his wonderful long program. "I wanted to skate better than in Albertville. I did that and I'm so happy about it."

In the fall of 1994 Viktor and the rest of his "clan" moved to Simsbury, Connecticut. There, a new rink, the International Skating Center of Connecticut, had been built by Bob Young. Bob became Viktor's friend back in 1990 when Viktor and Galina helped Bob's pupil, pair skater Katie Wood. After Katie had been injured during a skating competition in Odessa, Viktor and his coach had provided her with medical supplies that weren't available in the Ukrainian hospital. So it was out of question that Bob Young invited Viktor and Oksana to skate in Simsbury. As the coaching team of Zmievskaya and Nikolaev had split up because of personal difficulties, there was no reason for Galina and her family to stay behind.They all moved in a condominion where they were soon joined by Russian pair skaters Ekaterina Gordeeva and Sergei Grinkov with their daughter Daria. The ISCC is a two rink facility with one NHL size and one Olympic size rink, it also has a dancing studio that is run by Nina Petrenko. Viktor's brother Vladimir was also invited to coach and live in Simsbury.

From the 1994/1995 season on Viktor established himself as one of the pro skaters who does the most competitions and the most different programs. His schedule can almost be called brutal. It not only included competitions but also the "Nutcracker on Ice" tour where he was joined by Oksana Baiul and Brian Boitano. Viktor's wife and brother were also among the cast and Viktor clearly enjoyed to be on tour with his family. Afterwards he was plagued by an injury. A slipped disk in his back prevented him from practicing any jumps for two months. He flew to Odessa to be treated by a Ukrainian doctor who was able to help him so that he returned in time for the TOC.

On November 20, 1995 Sergei Grinkov died of a heart attack at the "Stars on Ice" rehearsals in Lake Placid. Viktor had known Sergei for more than 10 years, they had skated together on the Soviet Union's National team from 1985 until 1990 and became good friends during that time. Viktor had just reurned from the Gold Championships when he heard of his friend's death. He immideately flew to Lake Placid to support Sergei's wife, Ekaterina. One week later he attended the funeral in Moscow where he lead the funeral procession. Sergei was as Viktor said it "an honest man, kind man" and he will always be dearly missed, as will the excellence that he has brought to figure skating.

In June 1996 Viktor lost another beloved person when his grand mother died. He missed some shows of the TOC to attend the funeral in Odessa. After the tour he portrayed the Beast in the Disney production of "Beauty and the Beast" starring Ekaterina Gordeeva as Belle. His interpretation of the role received overall praise and he even managed to do some (simple) pair moves with Katia.

At the end of the year Viktor and Nina bought a house in Simsbury, a beautiful residence on a wooded hill close to the ISCC. When Nina was asked whether she and Viktor would soon fill this huge house with children she just replied, "We don't know about that yet." But the fact is that she was already pregnant at that time, but she and Viktor managed to keep this secret until the end of March.

While Viktor could look forward to soon having a new and very special member in his extended family he must fear to loose another. Oksana Baiul had problems with her attitude towards skating ever since becoming a pro after winning her Olympic title. She had also been plagued by knee and back injuries and had difficulties in adjusting to her growing body. Although Viktor, Nina and Galina tried to help and understand her she wasmore interested in shopping and going to bars. When she had a car accident under the influence of alcohol the gap between them, whose relationships had once been as close as if they were brother and sister, became apparent. "We have tried to give her some advise", commented a helpless Viktor. "But she doesn't listen. This is the result. Maybe it will be a lesson."

On July 21, 1997 Nina Petrenko gave birth to her first child. The little girl was named Viktoria and she was - as Viktor called it - "the best thing I have ever done in my life". Viktor was in the delivery room for his daughter's birth. "It was good to be there and see how your baby is born. It makes it not just that my wife Nina is there and I was trying to help her, but it felt like I was delivering too, so it makes me feel more as a father."

to be continued....

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