Artur Dmitriev, the celebrated Russian figure skater who made history as the only male pairs competitor to win Olympic gold with two different partners, has died in Moscow at the age of 58.
His former skating partner Oksana Kazakova confirmed the news to the TASS news agency on Monday. She revealed that Dmitriev passed away on Sunday evening after failing to survive heart surgery at a Moscow hospital. Kazakova paid tribute to her former teammate by describing him as a «wonderful person and a unique athlete».
Dmitriev leaves behind a historic legacy on the ice. He secured his first Olympic gold medal at the 1992 Albertville Games alongside Natalia Mishkutionok while competing for the post-Soviet Unified Team. The pair also claimed silver at the 1994 Lillehammer Winter Olympics and secured back-to-back world championship titles in 1991 and 1992.
Following his extensive success with Mishkutionok, Dmitriev formed a new sporting partnership with Kazakova. Together they won the European championship in 1996 before capturing Olympic gold at the 1998 Nagano Games.
