On June 5, Yulia Lipnitskaya, a Russian figure skater and Olympic champion, celebrates her 17th birthday. The breaking point in her career was the 2014 Olympic tournament in Sochi which turned the young athlete into an international sports star.
Lipnitskaya was part of the Russian team to win the 2014 Winter Olympics team trophy. Individually, she is the 2014 World silver medalist, the 2014 European champion, the 2013-14 Grand Prix Final silver winner, and a two-time Russian national silver medalist.
Above: Yulia Lipnitskaya during the awards ceremony at the 2014 World Figure Skating Championship in Saitama.
Above: Yulia Lipnitskaya during the awards ceremony at the 2014 World Figure Skating Championship in Saitama.
Yulia Lipnitskaya is the youngest Russian athlete to win a gold medal at the Winter Olympics. She was 15 years, 249 days old when the Russian team won the team trophy at the 2014 Olympics in Sochi.
Above: Yulia Lipnitskaya participating in the Paralympic torch relay in Moscow.
Above: Yulia Lipnitskaya participating in the Paralympic torch relay in Moscow.
Lipnitskay is the youngest gold medalist in the ladies' singles category at the European Championships.
Above: Russian President Vladimir Putin, center, during a photo shoot with Russian winners in the XXII Olympic Winter Games in Sochi. Olympic figure skating champion Adelina Sotnikova, right. From left: Olympic figure skating champion Yekaterina Bobrova, Olympic Games silver medalist in cross country skiing Nikita Kryukov and Olympic figure skating champion Yulia Lipnitskaya.
Above: Russian President Vladimir Putin, center, during a photo shoot with Russian winners in the XXII Olympic Winter Games in Sochi. Olympic figure skating champion Adelina Sotnikova, right. From left: Olympic figure skating champion Yekaterina Bobrova, Olympic Games silver medalist in cross country skiing Nikita Kryukov and Olympic figure skating champion Yulia Lipnitskaya.
Lipnitskaya is also the youngest figure skater to win gold at the Olympics under modern rules.
Above: Russia's figure skating team, gold medalists in the team tournament at the XXII Winter Olympic Games in Sochi. From left: Evgeny Plushenko and Yulia Lipnitskaya.
Above: Russia's figure skating team, gold medalists in the team tournament at the XXII Winter Olympic Games in Sochi. From left: Evgeny Plushenko and Yulia Lipnitskaya.
Yulia Lipnitskaya was born in Yekaterinburg. She was raised by her mother and began training at age four. Lipnitskaya trained in Yekaterinburg until 2009 when she and her mother decided to move to Moscow so she could pursue her sports career.
Above: Yulia Lipnitskaya during the "We Are the Champions" figure skating gala performance at the Luzhniki Small Sports Arena in Moscow.
Above: Yulia Lipnitskaya during the "We Are the Champions" figure skating gala performance at the Luzhniki Small Sports Arena in Moscow.
Lipnitskaya made her senior debut in 2012 at the Finlandia Trophy. Her career progressed quickly, and she won medals at numerous international and domestic tournaments.
Above: Yulia Lipnitskaya and Yuzuru Hanyu (Japan) during the exhibition gala at the 2014 World Figure Skating Championships in Saitama, Japan.
Above: Yulia Lipnitskaya and Yuzuru Hanyu (Japan) during the exhibition gala at the 2014 World Figure Skating Championships in Saitama, Japan.
The 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi became a turning point in Lipnitskaya’s carrer.
Above: Figure skater Yulia Lipnitskaya during a training session at the Khrustalny Skating Palace.
Above: Figure skater Yulia Lipnitskaya during a training session at the Khrustalny Skating Palace.
"The Olympics changed all my life. After Sochi nothing in my life stayed the same. I believe I became different and the world around me changed as well," she said in an interview.
Above: Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and Yulia Lipnitskaya seen attending the Red Square ceremony of presenting automobiles to 2014 Sochi Winter Olympic Games prize-holders.
Above: Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and Yulia Lipnitskaya seen attending the Red Square ceremony of presenting automobiles to 2014 Sochi Winter Olympic Games prize-holders.
Yulia Lipnitskaya often chooses the music for her performances herself.
Above: Yulia Lipnitskaya with her spitz dog Persik gives an interview after a training session in the Khrustalny Ice Palace.
Above: Yulia Lipnitskaya with her spitz dog Persik gives an interview after a training session in the Khrustalny Ice Palace.
The 2014-15 season was not successful for Lipnitskaya. There were rumors she was going to give up figure skating. However, she rebuffed them and started training with a new choreographer. Now Lipnitskaya is preparing her routines for the new season.
Above: Yulia Lipnitskaya (Russia) with her coach Eteri Tutberidze after performing her free skating program during the women’s singles figure skating competition at the XXII Olympic Winter Games in Sochi.
Above: Yulia Lipnitskaya (Russia) with her coach Eteri Tutberidze after performing her free skating program during the women’s singles figure skating competition at the XXII Olympic Winter Games in Sochi.
Above: Yulia Lipnitskaya performs at the GUM Skating Rink on Red Square during the celebration of the honorary president of the Russian Olympic Committee Vitaly Smirnov's birthday.
