Elena Radionova

Elena Igorevna Radionova (Елена Игоревна Радионова; born 6 January 1999) is a Russian former competitive figure skater.

Radionova was born on 6 January 1999 in Moscow, Russia.

She is the only child in her family.

Her interests include writing lyrics, ballet, modern dancing, and singing.

She married football player Konstantin Kuchaev on 5 June 2023.

Radionova's father introduced her to skating when she was three years and nine months old, seeking to align her club foot.

Since the age of four, she has been coached by Inna Goncharenko at CSKA Moscow.

Her figure skating role models are Yuna Kim, Mao Asada, and Carolina Kostner.

In the 2010–11 season, Radionova finished 4th at the 2011 Russian Junior Championships.

She won the Zhuk Memorial kids' competition.

In the 2011–12 season, Radionova appeared at her first senior Russian Championships, finishing 5th, and went on to win the bronze medal at the Russian Junior Championships that same season.

Not yet age-eligible for junior ISU events, Radionova competed in the novice event at the 2012 Triglav Trophy, winning the gold medal.

In the 2012–13 season, Radionova made her ISU Junior Grand Prix debut and won her events in France and Austria.

She qualified for the JGP Final in Sochi, where she won the gold medal, finishing more than eleven points ahead of silver medalist, Hannah Miller, from the United States.

On the junior level, she is the first ladies skater to win two World Junior titles (2013 and 2014) and she won the 2012–13 JGP Final as well.

At the 2013 Russian Championships, Radionova won the silver medal in the senior event ahead of defending champion Adelina Sotnikova and then took the junior title.

Radionova placed fifth in the short program and first in the free skate at the 2013 World Junior Championships in Milan, Italy.

She was awarded the gold medal while defending champion Yulia Lipnitskaya took silver and Anna Pogorilaya the bronze — resulting in a Russian sweep of the podium.

Radionova then won the gold medal in the junior event at the 2013 Triglav Trophy.

In an interview before the 2013–14 season, Radionova said: "I don't think that I am such a great athlete that won a lot. I just won the smallest one, Junior Worlds. In reality, there are competitions that are much more serious and more difficult. I don't feel any pressure yet. I just think I have to work harder and more, because there is no limit to perfection."

Radionova made her senior international debut at the 2013 Nebelhorn Trophy.

Placing first in both programs, she won the gold medal by a margin of more than 25 points over two-time world champion Miki Ando from Japan.

The 2013 Skate America was Radionova's first senior Grand Prix event.

She was awarded the bronze medal at Skate America and then silver at the 2013 NHK Trophy, while gold at both events went to Japan's Mao Asada, whose skating Radionova admires.

Radionova's results qualified her to her first Grand Prix Final.

At the event in Fukuoka, Japan, she finished fourth overall.

Radionova won the bronze medal at the 2014 Russian Championships after placing third in both the short and long program.

Though an injury caused her to miss the Russian junior nationals, she was later added to the Russian team for the 2014 World Junior Championships.

At the event, Radionova became the first ladies' single skater to repeat as World Junior champion.

Scoring 66.90 points in the short program, 127.39 in the free skate, and 194.29 for the combined total, she broke junior-level ladies' records previously held by Mirai Nagasu and Yulia Lipnitskaya.

Radionova, Serafima Sakhanovich, and Evgenia Medvedeva produced Russia's second consecutive sweep of the World Junior ladies' podium.

During the off-season, Radionova performed in various Russian cities with Show of the Champions and in Korea with Igor Bobrin's Theatre on Ice.

Radionova made her season debut at the 2014 Japan Open where she placed first in the ladies' free skate and helped Team Europe win the gold medal.

Her Grand Prix assignments were the 2014 Skate America and 2014 Trophée Éric Bompard.

At Skate America, Radionova ranked second in the short program, first in the free skate, and won the gold medal by a margin of 5.85 points over compatriot Elizaveta Tuktamysheva.

At the Trophée Bompard, Radionova won the gold medal and set personal best scores.

She scored a total of 203.92 points, making her the first ladies' singles skater to score over 200 points this season.

The results qualified Radionova for the 2014–15 Grand Prix Final.

Although a fever prior to the event reduced her training time, she took the silver medal in Barcelona, finishing behind teammate Elizaveta Tuktamysheva.

She is the 2015 World bronze medalist, a two-time (2015–2016) European silver medalist, a two-time Grand Prix Final medalist, 2017 Winter Universiade champion and the 2015 Russian national champion.