Elena Vodorezova

Vodorezova-Buianova with Adelina Sotnikova and Irina Tagaeva

Elena Vodorezova was coached by Stanislav Zhuk at the Armed Forces sports society in Moscow. A gifted free-skater, she represented her country at the 1976 Winter Olympics aged just 12. She was the first skater to complete a double flip, triple toe loop combination. She was noted for a spectacularly high double axel and fast spins. She won the bronze medal at the 1978 European Championships; it was the first time a Soviet ladies' single skater had won a medal at the event. She missed the 1979–1981 seasons completely due to severe juvenile arthritis, which prevented her from even walking for months in 1979.

She won a second bronze medal at the 1982 Europeans and silver at the 1983 event. She also won bronze at the 1983 World Championships – the first World medal for a Soviet female single skater. Vodorezova placed 8th at the 1984 Winter Olympics. She retired from competition in 1984. She married a former skater and in 1987 gave birth to a son, Ivan.

She began coaching at the CSKK Club in Moscow. Irina Tagaeva often choreographs for her students. Her former pupils include:

• Adelina Sotnikova
• Maxim Kovtun
• Elene Gedevanishvili
• Olga Markova
• Andrei Griazev
• Artem Borodulin
• Artur Dmitriev Jr
• Denis Ten
• Alexander Samarin

Buianova's current students include:

• Elena Radionova
• Maria Sotskova (spring 2016 to present)
• Adian Pitkeev
• Alexandra Proklova