Rafael Arutyunyan

Rafael Arutyunyan
Arutyunyan in 2019
Full name	Rafael Gurgenovich( Vladimirovich) Arutyunyan
Other names	Arutunian or Harutyunyan
Born	(1957-07-05) July 5, 1957 (age 67) Tbilisi, Georgian SSR, Soviet Union

Rafael Arutyunyan^[1][2] (Armenian: Ռաֆայել Հարությունյան, Harutyunyan; Russian: Рафаэль Владимирович (Гургенович) Арутюнян; born July 5, 1957)^[3] is an Armenian-American^[4] figure skating coach. He has coached in Armenia, Russia and the United States.

Personal life

Arutyunyan was born on July 5, 1957, in Armenia , and studied in Yerevan, Armenian SSR at the Armenian State Institute of Physical Culture.^[3] Arutyunyan's mother brought him to an ice rink after watching figure skating on television; he was skating regularly in Tbilisi by the age of seven.^[5] He is married to a skating coach, Vera, and moved to the United States in 2000.^[6][7] They have a son – a pianist born in the mid-1980s, and a daughter, who is an artist.^[8] On July 23, 2019, Arutyunyan and his wife became U.S. citizens.^[9][10]

Coaching career

He coached young skaters in Y from 1976.^[11] In the 1980–1981 season, one of his students, Saak Mkhitarian, became the Soviet junior champion and placed 6th at the World Junior Championships. Soviet officials then invited Arutyunyan to Mo, where he worked on his teaching certification and became an assistant to Tatiana Tarasova.^[5]

Around 2000 or 2001, Arutyunyan joined the Ice Castle International Training Center, in Lake Arrowhead, California.^[5][2][4] In August 2013, he relocated to the East West Ice Palace in Artesia, California.^[6][12] He collaborates with his first wife, Vera Arutyunyan, and his second wife Nadezda Kanaeva]].^[6] He moved to Lakewood ICE in Lakewood, California on June 25, 2016.^[13] In 2019, he took on the role of Head Coach for Higher Performance Team at Great Park Ice & Fivepoint Arena in Irvine, California.^[14]

His current students include:

• Nathan Chen (2011 – present), 2022 Olympic Champion, 2018, 2019 and 2021 World champion, 2022 Olympic team gold medalist, 2018 Olympic team bronze medalist, 2017–2022 U.S. National Champion, 2017–2019 Grand Prix Final champion and 2017 4CC champion.
• Mandy Chiang
• Hiu Ching Kwong
• Stephen Gogolev (June 2019 – present), 2019 Junior Grand Prix Final Champion
• Ilia Malinin 2024 world champion, 2023 world bronze medalist, 2022 Junior World Champion, 2023-2024 U.S. national champion, 2022 Grand Prix Final bronze medalist, 2023 Grand Prix Final champion
• Andrea Montesinos Cantú (2017 – present)^[15]
• Eric Sjoberg
• Matthew Nielsen
• Andrew Torgashev (2020 - present), 2023 U.S. national bronze medalist
• Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier , 2022 World Champions, 2022 Grand Prix Final silver medalists
• Camden Pulkinen (May 2022 - present), 2018 U.S. Junior National Champion, 2017 Junior Grand Prix Final silver medalist, 2024 U.S. National Bronze medalist
• Petr Gumennik (2021 - present),^[16] 2023 Russian silver medalist

His former students include:

Arutyunyan with Tatiana Tarasova (center) and Mao Asada (right) at the 2007–08 Grand Prix Final

• Mariah Bell (August 2016 – October 2022),^[17] 2022 U.S. national champion.
• Michal Březina (June 2016 – March 2022)^[18]
• Romain Ponsart (August 2016 – March 2022)^[17]
• Taichi Honda (March 2018 – 2021)
• Adam Rippon (September 2012 – March 2018),^[19] 2016 U.S. national champion. 2018 Winter Olympics U.S. Team bronze medalist.
• Ashley Wagner (June 2013 – March 2018),^[20] 2016 World silver medalist, 2014 Winter Olympics U.S. Team bronze medalist, and three-time U.S. national champion.
• Lim Eun-soo (April 2018 – September 2019)
• Alexander Abt (13 years).^[21] 2003 Russian National Champion, 2002 European silver medalist, 1998 European bronze medalist
• Mao Asada (summer 2006 to January 2008),^[22] 2010 Olympic silver medalist, 2008 World Champion, 2010 World Champion, 2014 World Champion, 4 x Grand Prix Final Champion (2006, 2009, 2013, 2014), 3x Four Continents Champion (2008, 2010, 2013), 6 x Japanese National Champion
• Marin Honda (March 2018 – 2019), 2016 Junior World Champion, 2017 Junior World silver medalist
• Yudong Chen
• Jeffrey Buttle (2004-2008),^[23] 2006 Olympic bronze medalist, 2008 World Champion, 2004-2007 Canadian National Champion
• Sasha Cohen (2009), 2006 Olympic silver medalist, 2004-2005 World silver medalist, 2006 US national champion
• Ivan Dinev
• Kiira Korpi (August 2013 – end of season)^[24]
• Michelle Kwan (2003-2006),^[4] 5 x World Champion (1996, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2003), 1998 Olympic silver medalist, 2002 Olympic bronze medalist, 9 x U.S. National Champion (1996, 1998-2005)
• Vivian Le (June 2016 – December 2017)
• Hannah Miller (June 2015 – August 2016).^[25][26]
• Hovhannes Mkrtchyan
• Audrey Shin
• Alexander Shubin
• Amy Lin
• Sergei Voronov (unknown – 2000)^[7]
• Ishkhan kirakosian
• Alexandra Ievleva (1996 - 2000) (2008 - 2010)

References

1. "Coaching Staff". Ice Castle International Training Center. Archived from the original on May 18, 2013.
2. "2013 - 2014 Coach/Instructor Compliance" (PDF). U.S. Figure Skating. April 25, 2014. p. 9. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 25, 2014. Retrieved April 26, 2014.
3. Арутюнян Рафаэл Владимирович [Rafael Vladimirovich Arutyunyan] (in Russian). solovieff.ru. Archived from the original on April 26, 2014.
4. Hersh, Philip (December 25, 2003). "New coach helps energize Kwan". Chicago Tribune.
5. Pinchevsky, Tal (February 23, 2018). "A Soviet Figure Skating Coach and His Unlikely Path to U.S. Olympic Glory". ozy.com.
6. Rutherford, Lynn (March 17, 2015). "Arutunian making up for lost time with Wagner". IceNetwork.com. Archived from the original on July 3, 2018. Retrieved March 17, 2015.
7. "Sergei VORONOV: 2009/2010". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on November 2, 2009.
8. Brunn, Larry (4 September 2003). "Top Russian Figure Skating Coach at Ice Castle". Mountain News (Lake Arrowhead, California). Archived from the original on 19 December 2016.
9. KABC (2019-07-23). "World famous figure skating coach Rafael Arutyunyan to become U.S. citizen at L.A. Convention Center". ABC7 Los Angeles. Retrieved 2022-02-09.
10. McCarvel, Nick (2019-08-05). "With Congrats from a Global Team of Skaters, Rafael Arutunian Becomes U.S. Citizen". U.S. Figure Skating Fan Zone. Retrieved 2022-02-09.
11. Mkrtchyan, Vadim (March 25, 2008). Армянский тренер готовит чемпионов мира [Armenian coach prepares World champions]. Golos Armenii (in Russian). Archived from the original on January 14, 2013.
12. "Staff Coaches". East West Ice Palace. Archived from the original on April 14, 2016.
13. "Renowned Figure Skating Coach Rafael Arutyunyan to Make The Rinks – Lakewood Ice Main Training Facility Leading Into the 2018 Olympic Games". Anaheim Ducks / NHL. June 13, 2016. Archived from the original on June 14, 2016.
14. "Rafael Arutyunyan, Coach to the Reigning Figure Skating World Champion and Olympic Medalist Nathan Chen, Becomes Head Coach for High Performance Team at Great Park Ice & FivePoint Arena - News - Great Park Ice & FivePoint Arena". www.greatparkice.com. Retrieved 2022-02-13.
15. "Biography". www.isuresults.com. Retrieved 2018-09-16.
16. "Petr Gumennik: "We worked on my quad technique with Rafael Arutyunyan. Of course, he could not attend the training personally, but he advised and helped."". FS Gossips - blog about figure skating. Retrieved 2023-01-07.
17. The Skating Lesson [@SkatingLesson] (August 23, 2016). "Mariah Bell and Romain Ponsart have moved to Rafael" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
18. Ilina, Alexandra (June 20, 2016). "Michal Brezina wechselt zu Rafael Arutyunyan". Long Program.
19. "Rippon Announces Coaching Change". U.S. Figure Skating. September 11, 2012.
20. "Ashley Wagner Announces Coaching Team". U.S. Figure Skating. June 25, 2013.
21. Simonenko, Andrei; Vorobieva, Maria (January 5, 2014). "Rafael Arutyunyan: Gaishniku skazal: "Ya ne pil, ya yedu Mishel Kvan trenirovat"" Рафаэл Арутюнян: Гаишнику сказал: "Я не пил, я еду Мишель Кван тренировать" [Rafael Arutyunyan told traffic cop: "I didn't drink, I'm driving to train Michelle Kwan"]. rsport.ru (in Russian).
22. Gallagher, Jack (May 10, 2016). "Mao mystery finally solved eight years later". The Japan Times.
23. Mittan, Barry (2008-05-31). "Buttle Bounces Back". Golden Skate. Retrieved 2023-01-07.
24. "Korpi to train with Arutunian in Lake Arrowhead". IceNetwork.com. August 23, 2013.
25. Solari, Chris (June 15, 2015). "Olympics on mind, ice skater Hannah Miller off to California". Lansing State Journal. Lansing State Journal.
26. Brannen, Sarah S. (August 3, 2016). "The Inside Edge: Aaron, Settlage announce split U.S. pair parts ways after seven years together; Hicks changes coaches". IceNetwork.com. Archived from the original on August 14, 2016. Retrieved September 15, 2016.