Background
Valova was born in Leningrad, Russian SFSR, to parents Alla Borisovna Valova and Aleksander Dmitrievich Valov.
Valova was born in Leningrad, Russian SFSR, to parents Alla Borisovna Valova and Aleksander Dmitrievich Valov.
She graduated from the Procurator-Fiscal Lesgaft University of Sports.
Their coach throughout their career was Tamara Moskvina. Valova began training at age seven under Tatiana Mishina, Alexei Mishin, and Nina Monahova. As a pair skater, she was coached by Tamara Moskvina, who partnered her with Oleg Vasiliev.
The pair trained in Leningrad (Saint St. Petersburg).
Valova/Vasiliev"s breakthrough came in the 1982-1983 season. The pair concluded their season by winning their first World title.
They missed the 1983 national championships due to Vasiliev"s broken jaw. The deaths of several Soviet government officials, including one during the Olympics, cast a pall over the Soviet team and the athletes were told not to show too much joy.
The pair took silver at their final event of the season, the 1984 World Championships.
Although Valova/Vasiliev were awarded gold at the 1986 Europeans, they finished second to the Muscovites at both the 1986 and 1987 Worlds. In their final amateur season, Valova/Vasiliev took silver at the 1988 Winter Olympics behind Gordeeva/Grinkov but then prevailed over the reigning Olympic champions at the 1988 World Championships. After winning their third World title, Valova/Vasiliev retired from International Skating Union competition.
After performing for a year in Igor Bobrin"s ice theatre, they signed a United States. contract – the first Soviets to do so without losing their citizenship.
The pair performed together in various shows and events until the end of 1997. She represented VSS Trud.
She currently teaches skating at the Robert Morris University Island Sports Center. She coached Kylie Gleason / Taylor Toth, who were the 2002 United States. champions in juvenile pairs and the 2003 United States. champions in intermediate pairs.
(with Vasiliev)
1979–1988
1989–1997
(with Vasiliev)
Later years.
With partner Oleg Vasiliev, she is the 1984 Olympic champion, 1988 Olympic silver medalist, and three-time World Champion (1983, 1985, 1988). They won bronze at the Prize of Moscow News, gold at the 1982 Skate America, and then silver at the 1983 European Championships. In 1984, Valova/Vasiliev won their first European title and then took gold at the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo. In 1985, the pair won gold at both the European and World Championships but 1986 saw the emergence of the young Moscow pair Ekaterina Gordeeva / Sergei Grinkov. Valova was awarded the Order of Friendship of Peoples (1984).
