Biografia
1994 Olympic Gold Medalist and 1993 World Champion in Ladies Figure Skating.
At age three, Oksana Baiul received her first pair of ice skates from her grandfather. By seven, she had already won her first competition, catching the attention of the Ukrainian Figure Skating Federation with her distinctive, natural balletic artistry on ice.
In 1994, just shy of 16, Oksana captured the world’s attention with the most-watched Olympic performance in history, winning the Olympic Gold Medal and establishing herself as the best in the world. Contrary to claims by a former coach and others about financial support prior to 1994, Oksana was already a successful and affluent teenager by 1993, owning an apartment and having won gold at the 1993 World Championship. She also headlined the ISU European Tour and co-led Tom Collins' 1993 World Figure Skating Champions Tour across 43 US cities. In 1994, she moved to the United States, signed with the William Morris Talent Agency, turned professional, and toured continuously for eight years. Barbara Walters named her “One of the 10 Most Fascinating Personalities of 1994.”
Born in Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine, Oksana was the only child of Sergei and Marina Baiul, who divorced when she was two. Raised by her mother and grandparents, she lost her grandparents at age ten and her mother to ovarian cancer three years later.
From 1993 to 2003, Oksana starred in figure skating tours and competitions worldwide, including the United States, Canada, Japan, the UK, Germany, Italy, Spain, France, North and South Korea, China, Ukraine, and Russia. She performed in major tours such as AEG's Champions on Ice and Smucker's Stars On Ice.
Her life story was portrayed in the Hallmark and CBS film, "A Promise Kept: The Oksana Baiul Story." She authored two New York Times bestsellers, Secrets of Skating/Oksana Baiul and Oksana, My Own Story. Oksana has been featured in televised biographies on Lifetime and A&E. In 1996, she launched her jewelry collections, "OKSANA: Jewels On Ice" and "Oksana: Ice Crystals," which sold out on QVC and were carried by major US luxury department stores. Over her career, she has headlined more than 900 live performances globally, appeared in over 150 television and movie performances (including Nutcracker on Ice, Wizard of Oz on Ice, CBS Sports Olympic Winterfest, and Goodwill Games), and made over 300 television appearances.
In 2002, Oksana introduced the Oksana Baiul Collection, an independently owned figure skating apparel line she designed, re-launching and expanding it in 2013. In 2003, she returned to her hometown and was featured on ABC’s 20/20 and in People Magazine. Between 2005 and 2009, she headlined a Moscow Red Square TV special, starred in the off-Broadway show "Cold As Ice," earning critical acclaim, and devoted much of her time to philanthropic work focused on children. Oksana, the only figure skater to become a globally recognized household name and crossover entertainer, has appeared on over 50 magazine covers worldwide and endorsed products like ICON Fitness’ HealthRider and Lifeway’s KEFIR. Over the past seven years, she has taken on acting roles in television series (Arli$$, Strong Medicine), supporting roles in films (Cutting Edge II), and served as lead judge on ABC’s prime-time reality show "Master of Champions."
Known as the "Queen of the Ice" and the "Swan of Odessa," Oksana Baiul, in partnership with entertainment producer, investor, and philanthropist Carlo J. Farina, currently trains in Philadelphia preparing for her 2013 return to performing. She is writing her highly anticipated autobiography, developing her first headlining global tour set to begin in 2014, co-producing the tour and two television specials, as well as designing and re-launching the OKSANA BAIUL Collection, which includes figure skating apparel, ready-to-wear fashion, accessories, and her jewelry line.
