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Natalia Mishkuenok (or ''Natalja Mishkutienok'', Russian: Наталья Евгеньевна Мишкутёнок, born July 14 , 1970 in Minsk , Belarus ) was a Russian pairs Figure Skating champion. She trained in St. Petersburg with reknowned Russian pairs coach Tamara Moskvina . She skated with partner Artur Dmitriev from 1987 to 1994. They won the 1991 and 1992 World and European Championships, and Olympic gold in 1992 . They performed to Franz Liszt 's Liebestraum (Dream of Love), which became one of the most noted programs of their career. They turned professional shortly after the Olympics, but to little success. Mishkutenok and Dmitriev chose to reinstate as amateurs after the ban against such an action was lifted. They attempted to defend their Olympic title in the 1994 Winter Olympics , but were narrowly defeated by good friends and fellow countrymen Ekaterina Gordeeva and Sergei Grinkov ("G & G"). One hallmark of Mishkutenok and Dmitriev's style was their creative spins, especially one in which Mishkutenok would do a split and point down, with an arm around Dmitriev's calf so that they were both vertical and aligned; this signature move was incorporated into virtually every one of their programs. Mishkutenok in particular was distinguished for her flexibility. Mishkutenok and Dmitriev amicably parted ways soon after their second-place finish in Lillehammer, in the fall of 1994. Dmitriev went on to skate with Oksana Kazakova to win the gold at the 1998 Olympics . Mishkutenok moved to the U.S. to learn English and married American hockey player Craig Shepherd , with whom she has skated professionally on occasion. EXTERNAL LINKS NAVIGATION |
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