Alina Butaeva

Alina Butaeva (Georgian: ალინა ბუთაევა, born 9 December 2005) is a Georgian pair skater. With her former partner, Luka Berulava, she won two medals at the 2020 Winter Youth Olympics − bronze in pairs and gold in the team event.

Alina Butaeva
Butaeva receives her bronze medal at the 2020 Winter Youth Olympics.
Full nameAlina Dmitrievna Butaeva
Native nameალინა ბუთაევა (Georgian)
Алина Дмитриевна Бутаева (Russian)
Born (2005-12-09) 9 December 2005 (age 18)
Kazan, Russia
HometownPerm, Russia
Height1.58 m (5 ft 2 in)
Figure skating career
Country Georgia
CoachPavel Sliusarenko, Alexei Menshikov
Skating clubPerm Krai Sports Center
Began skating2008
Medal record
Representing  Georgia
Figure skating: Pairs
Winter Youth Olympics
Bronze medal – third place2020 LausannePairs
Representing Mixed-NOCs
Winter Youth Olympics
Gold medal – first place 2020 LausanneTeam

Personal life

Butaeva was born on 9 December 2005 in Kazan, Russia.[1][2] She resides in Perm.[1]

Career

Early years

Butaeva began learning how to skate as a three-year-old, in 2008.[1] She originally competed as a single skater, coached by Ksenia Ivanova in Kazan.[3] Butaeva teamed up with Luka Berulava prior to the 2019–20 season to compete in pair skating for Georgia. The pair decided to train in Perm, coached by Pavel Sliusarenko and Alexei Menshikov.[1]

2019–20 season: International junior debut

Butaeva/Berulava made their debut for Georgia in September 2019, placing eighth at an ISU Junior Grand Prix (JGP) event in Poland[4] and then sixth at JGP Croatia.[5] Their results earned a spot for Georgia in the pairs' event at the 2020 Winter Youth Olympics.[6] In November, they took bronze in the junior pairs' category at the Volvo Open Cup in Riga, Latvia.[7] In December, they won the junior event at the Golden Spin of Zagreb.[8]

In January 2020, Butaeva/Berulava competed at the 2020 Winter Youth Olympics in Lausanne, Switzerland. Ranked third in both segments, they won the bronze medal behind two pairs from Russia, Apollinariia Panfilova / Dmitry Rylov and Diana Mukhametzianova / Ilya Mironov.[9][10] This was Georgia's first medal in the Winter Youth Olympic Games, and their tenth medal in the Youth Olympic Games overall.[11] The pair also received a gold medal for their participation in the team event as part of Team Courage, composed also of Arlet Levandi from Estonia, Ksenia Sinitsyna from Russia, and ice dancers Utana Yoshida / Shingo Nishiyama from Japan.[12] Butaeva/Berulava finished the season at the 2020 World Junior Championships, where they placed seventh.[13]

End of Partnership

Butaeva / Beruleva did not compete during the 2020 - 21 season and in the 2021 - 2022 season, Beruelva was competing with a new partner, indicating the two had split.[14]

Programs

(with Berulava)

SeasonShort programFree skating
2019–2020
[1]

Competitive highlights

JGP: Junior Grand Prix

Pairs with Berulava

International: Junior[8]
Event2019–20
Junior Worlds7th
Youth Olympics3rd
JGP Croatia6th
JGP Poland8th
Volvo Open Cup3rd
Golden Spin1st
Team events1
Youth Olympics1st T
3rd P
1 Medals awarded for team results only.
T = Team result; P = Personal result.
TBD = Assigned; WD = Withdrew

Detailed results

Small medals for short and free programs awarded only at ISU Championships.

With Berulava

Junior results

2019–2020 season
DateEventSPFSTotal
2–8 March 20202020 World Junior Championships7
55.96
8
97.21
7
153.17
10–15 January 20202020 Winter Youth Olympics – Team-3
100.70
1T/3P
10–15 January 20202020 Winter Youth Olympics3
59.14
3
98.15
3
157.29
4–7 December 20192019 Golden Spin3
51.32
1
91.22
1
142.54
5–10 November 20192019 Volvo Open Cup3
55.92
3
100.62
3
156.54
25–28 September 20192019 JGP Croatia6
51.27
5
90.78
6
142.05
18–21 September 20192019 JGP Poland8
45.29
9
80.73
8
126.02

References

Media related to Alina Butaeva at Wikimedia Commons