Also in The Hague:

Alexei Mishin – a remarkable coach

One of the trainers who will be in The Hague at the World Junior Figure Skating Championships is the well-known Russian, Alexei Mishin, the trainer of Evgeni Plushenko, Alexei Yagudin and Alexei Urmanov (the 2006, 2002 and 1994 Olympic champions, respectively).

Indeed, Mishin is not only a top-flight trainer, he is also the only figure-skating trainer who can claim the title of professor. He has written a thesis, on biomechanics, and thereby devised his own technique – very successfully, too, if the results of his pupils are anything to go by. Since 1992, Mishin has been coming to the Netherlands for six weeks every year with his best skaters (including Plushenko, Urmanov and Yagudin) in order to train with the national team. Dutch champion Karen Venhuizen also had many summers’ training with him, learning a great deal in the process. Last summer, she spent time with him as well, and was therefore able to watch Plushenko as he prepared for the Olympic Games, where he finished with a silver medal. Many top-level performers visited Alexei Mishin during the summers in order to learn as much from him as possible. Examples include Adrian Schultheiss (a figure skater from Sweden who finished 15th at the Olympics), Stephane Labiel (European and World Champion, and winner of Olympic silver in 2006), Kevin van der Perren (the top-class Belgian figure skater) and Javier Fernandez (an up-and-coming Spanish skater, who achieved 14th position at the Olympics). Carolina Kostner and Sarah Meier also spent two years with him, and this year Fumie Suguri was in his summer team as well. He has therefore more than earned his stripes, and is now in The Hague with his pupils.

More information about Mishin can be found on his personal website