Rafael Arutyunyan[1][2] (
Armenian: Ռաֆայել Հարությունյան, Harutyunyan;
Russian: Рафаэль Владимирович Арутюнян; born July 5, 1957)[3] is an
Armenian-American[4]figure skating coach. He has coached in Armenia, Russia and the United States.
Personal life
Arutyunyan was born on July 5, 1957, in
Tbilisi,
Georgian SSR, and studied in
Yerevan,
Armenian SSR at the
Armenian State Institute of Physical Culture.[3] Arutyunyan's mother brought him to an ice rink after watching figure skating on television; he was skating regularly in
Tbilisi by the age of seven.[5] He is married to a skating coach, Vera, and moved to the United States in 2000.[6][7] They have a son – a pianist born in the mid-1980s, and a daughter, who is an artist.[8] On July 23, 2019, Arutyunyan and his wife became
U.S. citizens.[9][10]
Coaching career
He coached young skaters in
Yerevan from 1976.[11] In the 1980–1981 season, one of his students, Saak Mkhitarian, became the Soviet junior champion and placed 6th at the
World Junior Championships. Soviet officials then invited Arutyunyan to
Moscow, where he worked on his teaching certification and became an assistant to
Tatiana Tarasova.[5]
Nathan Chen (2011 – present), 2022 Olympic Champion, 2018, 2019 and 2021 World champion, 2022 Olympic team silver medalist, 2018 Olympic team bronze medalist, 2017–2022 U.S. National Champion, 2017–2019 Grand Prix Final champion and 2017 4CC champion.
Stephen Gogolev (June 2019 – present), 2019 Junior Grand Prix Final Champion
Ilia Malinin 2024 world champion, 2023 world bronze medalist, 2022 Junior World Champion, 2023-2024 U.S. national champion, 2022 Grand Prix Final bronze medalist, 2023 Grand Prix Final champion
Camden Pulkinen (May 2022 - present), 2018 U.S. Junior National Champion, 2017 Junior Grand Prix Final silver medalist, 2024 U.S. National Bronze medalist
Adam Rippon (September 2012 – March 2018),[19] 2016 U.S. national champion. 2018 Winter Olympics U.S. Team bronze medalist.
Ashley Wagner (June 2013 – March 2018),[20] 2016 World silver medalist, 2014 Winter Olympics U.S. Team bronze medalist, and three-time U.S. national champion.
Alexander Abt (13 years).[21] 2003 Russian National Champion, 2002 European silver medalist, 1998 European bronze medalist
Mao Asada (summer 2006 to January 2008),[22] 2010 Olympic silver medalist, 2008 World Champion, 2010 World Champion, 2014 World Champion, 4 x Grand Prix Final Champion (2006, 2009, 2013, 2014), 3x Four Continents Champion (2008, 2010, 2013), 6 x Japanese National Champion
Marin Honda (March 2018 – 2019), 2016 Junior World Champion, 2017 Junior World silver medalist
Yudong Chen
Jeffrey Buttle (2004-2008),[23] 2006 Olympic bronze medalist, 2008 World Champion, 2004-2007 Canadian National Champion
Sasha Cohen (2009), 2006 Olympic silver medalist, 2004-2005 World silver medalist, 2006 US national champion
Rafael Arutyunyan[1][2] (
Armenian: Ռաֆայել Հարությունյան, Harutyunyan;
Russian: Рафаэль Владимирович Арутюнян; born July 5, 1957)[3] is an
Armenian-American[4]figure skating coach. He has coached in Armenia, Russia and the United States.
Personal life
Arutyunyan was born on July 5, 1957, in
Tbilisi,
Georgian SSR, and studied in
Yerevan,
Armenian SSR at the
Armenian State Institute of Physical Culture.[3] Arutyunyan's mother brought him to an ice rink after watching figure skating on television; he was skating regularly in
Tbilisi by the age of seven.[5] He is married to a skating coach, Vera, and moved to the United States in 2000.[6][7] They have a son – a pianist born in the mid-1980s, and a daughter, who is an artist.[8] On July 23, 2019, Arutyunyan and his wife became
U.S. citizens.[9][10]
Coaching career
He coached young skaters in
Yerevan from 1976.[11] In the 1980–1981 season, one of his students, Saak Mkhitarian, became the Soviet junior champion and placed 6th at the
World Junior Championships. Soviet officials then invited Arutyunyan to
Moscow, where he worked on his teaching certification and became an assistant to
Tatiana Tarasova.[5]
Nathan Chen (2011 – present), 2022 Olympic Champion, 2018, 2019 and 2021 World champion, 2022 Olympic team silver medalist, 2018 Olympic team bronze medalist, 2017–2022 U.S. National Champion, 2017–2019 Grand Prix Final champion and 2017 4CC champion.
Stephen Gogolev (June 2019 – present), 2019 Junior Grand Prix Final Champion
Ilia Malinin 2024 world champion, 2023 world bronze medalist, 2022 Junior World Champion, 2023-2024 U.S. national champion, 2022 Grand Prix Final bronze medalist, 2023 Grand Prix Final champion
Camden Pulkinen (May 2022 - present), 2018 U.S. Junior National Champion, 2017 Junior Grand Prix Final silver medalist, 2024 U.S. National Bronze medalist
Adam Rippon (September 2012 – March 2018),[19] 2016 U.S. national champion. 2018 Winter Olympics U.S. Team bronze medalist.
Ashley Wagner (June 2013 – March 2018),[20] 2016 World silver medalist, 2014 Winter Olympics U.S. Team bronze medalist, and three-time U.S. national champion.
Alexander Abt (13 years).[21] 2003 Russian National Champion, 2002 European silver medalist, 1998 European bronze medalist
Mao Asada (summer 2006 to January 2008),[22] 2010 Olympic silver medalist, 2008 World Champion, 2010 World Champion, 2014 World Champion, 4 x Grand Prix Final Champion (2006, 2009, 2013, 2014), 3x Four Continents Champion (2008, 2010, 2013), 6 x Japanese National Champion
Marin Honda (March 2018 – 2019), 2016 Junior World Champion, 2017 Junior World silver medalist
Yudong Chen
Jeffrey Buttle (2004-2008),[23] 2006 Olympic bronze medalist, 2008 World Champion, 2004-2007 Canadian National Champion
Sasha Cohen (2009), 2006 Olympic silver medalist, 2004-2005 World silver medalist, 2006 US national champion