Rafael Arutyunyan ( hy, Ռաֆայել Հարությունյան, ''Harutyunyan''; russian: Рафаэль Владимирович Арутюнян; born July 5, 1957) is an

Armenian-American Armenian Americans ( hy, ամերիկահայեր, ''amerikahayer'') are citizens or residents of the United States who have total or partial Armenian ancestry. They form the second largest community of the Armenian diaspora after Armenians in ...

figure skating Figure skating is a sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform on figure skates on ice. It was the first winter sport to be included in the Olympic Games, when contested at the 1908 Olympics in London. The Olympic disciplines are me ...

coach. He has coached in Armenia, Russia and the United States.

Personal life

Arutyunyan was born on July 5, 1957, in

Tbilisi Tbilisi ( ; ka, თბილისი ), in some languages still known by its pre-1936 name Tiflis ( ), is the Capital city, capital and the List of cities and towns in Georgia (country), largest city of Georgia (country), Georgia, lying on the ...

Georgian SSR The Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic (Georgian SSR; ka, საქართველოს საბჭოთა სოციალისტური რესპუბლიკა, tr; russian: Грузинская Советская Соц� ...

, and studied in

Yerevan Yerevan ( , , hy, Երևան , sometimes spelled Erevan) is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest continuously inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Y ...

Armenian SSR The Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic,; russian: Армянская Советская Социалистическая Республика, translit=Armyanskaya Sovetskaya Sotsialisticheskaya Respublika) also commonly referred to as Soviet A ...

at the

Armenian State Institute of Physical Culture Armenian State Institute of Physical Culture and Sport ( hy, Հայաստանի ֆիզիկական կուլտուրայի և սպորտի պետական ինստիտուտ) is a higher educational institution institute, located in Yerevan, Armenia ...

. Arutyunyan's mother brought him to an ice rink after watching figure skating on television; he was skating regularly in

by the age of seven. He is married to a skating coach, Vera, and moved to the United States in 2000. They have a son – a pianist born in the mid-1980s, and a daughter, who is an artist. On July 23, 2019, Arutyunyan and his wife became

U.S. citizens Citizenship of the United States is a legal status that entails Americans with specific rights, duties, protections, and benefits in the United States. It serves as a foundation of fundamental rights derived from and protected by the Constitut ...

Coaching career

He coached young skaters in

from 1976. 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 Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...

, where he worked on his teaching certification and became an assistant to

Tatiana Tarasova Tatiana Anatolyevna Tarasova (; born 13 February 1947) is a Russian figure skating coach and national figure skating team adviser. Tarasova has been coach to more world and Olympic champions than any other coach in skating history. Her students h ...

. Around 2000 or 2001, Arutyunyan joined the Ice Castle International Training Center, in

Lake Arrowhead, California Lake Arrowhead is an unincorporated community and a census-designated place (CDP) in the San Bernardino Mountains of San Bernardino County, California, surrounded by the San Bernardino National Forest, and surrounding the eponymous Lake Arrowhead ...

. In August 2013, he relocated to the East West Ice Palace in

Artesia, California Artesia (Spanish for "artesian aquifer") is a city in southeast Los Angeles County, California. Artesia was incorporated on May 29, 1959, and is one of Los Angeles County's Gateway Cities. The city has a 2010 census population of 16,522. Artesi ...

. He collaborates with his wife, Vera Arutyunyan, and Nadezda Kanaeva. He moved to Lakewood ICE in

Lakewood, California Lakewood is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 80,048 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. It is bordered by Long Beach on the west and south, Bellflower, California, Bellflower on the north, C ...

on June 25, 2016. In 2019, he took on the role of Head Coach for Higher Performance Team at Great Park Ice & Fivepoint Arena in

Irvine, California Irvine () is a Planned community, master-planned city in South Orange County, California, United States, in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Irvine Company started developing the area in the 1960s and the city was formally incorporated on ...

. His current students include: *

Nathan Chen Nathan Chen (born May 5, 1999) is an American figure skater. He is the 2022 Olympic champion, a three-time World champion ( 2018, 2019, 2021), the 2017 Four Continents champion, a three-time Grand Prix Final champion ( 2017, 2018, 2019), a ...

(2011 – present), 2022 Olympic Champion, 2018, 2019 and 2021 World champion, 2018 Olympic team bronze medalist, 2017–2022 U.S. national champion, 2017–2019 Grand Prix Final champion and 2017 4CC champion. *

Mandy Chiang Mandy Nga-man Chiang is a Hong Kong singer formerly signed to the Emperor Entertainment Group's Music Icon Records. Her music career first began in 2002 when she was partnered with Yumiko Cheng (鄭希怡) and Maggie Lau (劉思惠) to form the ...

* Hiu Ching Kwong *

Stephen Gogolev Stephen Gogolev (born December 22, 2004) is a Canadian figure skater. He is the 2019 Canadian national silver medallist. Gogolev is the 2018 Junior Grand Prix Final champion, the 2018 JGP Slovakia champion, the 2019 JGP U.S. silver medallist, ...

(June 2019 – present) *

Marin Honda is a Japanese figure skater. She is the 2016 World Junior champion, the 2017 World Junior silver medalist, the 2015–16 Junior Grand Prix Final bronze medalist, and the 2016–17 Japanese Junior National bronze medalist. She is the former ...

(March 2018 – present) *

Ilia Malinin Ilia Malinin (born December 2, 2004) is an American figure skater. He is the 2022 Skate America champion, the 2022 Grand Prix of Espoo champion, the 2022-23 Grand Prix Final bronze medalist, the 2022 CS U.S. Classic champion, 2021 CS Cup of ...

2022 Junior World Champion, 2022 U.S. silver medalist *

Andrea Montesinos Cantú Andrea Montesinos Cantú (born October 4, 2002) is a Mexican figure skater. She has competed in the final segment at two ISU Championships. Career Early years Montesinos Cantú began learning to skate as a five-year-old in Mexico before re ...

(2017 – present) *

Eric Sjoberg Eric Sjoberg (born August 22, 2001) is an American figure skater. He is the 2021 U.S. International Figure Skating Classic bronze medalist and 2020 U.S. national junior silver medalist. Personal life Sjoberg Graduated from the Capistrano Connec ...

* Matthew Nielsen *

Andrew Torgashev Andrew Torgashev (born May 29, 2001) is an American figure skater. He is the 2019 CS Asian Open Trophy silver medalist, the 2016 CS Tallinn Trophy bronze medalist, the 2018 JGP Lithuania champion, the 2015 U.S. national junior champion, and t ...

(2020 - present) *

Alexa Knierim Alexa Paige Knierim, née Scimeca (born June 10, 1991) is an American pair skater. With her skating partner, Brandon Frazier, she is the 2022 World champion, a 2022 Olympic silver medalist in the figure skating team event, the 2022 Grand Prix ...

and

Brandon Frazier Brandon Michael Frazier (born November 19, 1992) is an American pair skater. With his skating partner, Alexa Knierim, he is the 2022 World champion, a 2022 Olympic silver medalist in the figure skating team event, the 2022 Grand Prix Final si ...

, 2022 World Champions *

Camden Pulkinen Camden Pulkinen (born March 25, 2000) is an American figure skater. He competed at the 2016 Winter Youth Olympics and is the first male figure skater to compete on behalf of Team USA in the men's singles event at the Winter Youth Olympic Games. ...

(May 2022 - present) His former students include: Rafael Arutunian Mao Asada and Tatiana Tarasova

Mariah Bell Mariah Cheyenne Bell (born April 18, 1996) is an American former figure skater. She is the 2022 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, 2022 U.S. national champion, 2020 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, 2020 U.S. national silver medalist, and two-ti ...

(August 2016 – October 2022), 2022 U.S. national champion. *

Michal Březina Michal Březina (; born 30 March 1990) is a retired Czech figure skater. He is the 2013 European bronze medalist, 2011 Skate America champion, 2009 World Junior silver medalist and four-time Czech national champion. He also won the 2014-15 ISU ...

(June 2016 – March 2022) *

Romain Ponsart Romain Ponsart (born 27 April 1992) is a retired French figure skater. He is the 2012 Triglav Trophy bronze medalist and 2015 Toruń Cup champion. He is a six-time French National medalist. Personal life Ponsart was born on 27 April 1992 in C ...

(August 2016 – March 2022) * Taichi Honda (March 2018 – 2021) *

Adam Rippon Adam Richard Rippon (born November 11, 1989) is an American figure skater. He won the 2010 Four Continents Championships and the 2016 U.S. National Championships. Earlier in his career, he won the 2008 and 2009 World Junior Championships, the ...

(September 2012 – March 2018), 2016 U.S. national champion. 2018 Winter Olympics U.S. Team bronze medalist. *

Ashley Wagner Ashley Elisabeth Wagner (born May 16, 1991) is an American former figure skater. She is the 2016 World silver medalist, a 2014 Olympic bronze medalist in the team event, the 2012 Four Continents champion, a three-time Grand Prix Final medalis ...

(June 2013 – March 2018), 2016 World silver medalist, 2014 Winter Olympics U.S. Team bronze medalist, and three-time U.S. national champion. *

Lim Eun-soo Lim Eun-soo (Hangul: 임은수; born February 26, 2003) is a South Korean figure skater. She is the 2018 Rostelecom Cup bronze medalist, the two-time CS Asian Open champion (2018, 2019), the 2018 CS U.S. Classic silver medalist, and the 2017 ...

(April 2018 – September 2019) *

Alexander Abt Alexander "Sasha" Viktorovich Abt (russian: Александр "Саша" Викторович Абт; born October 22, 1976) is a Russian figure skater and coach. He is a two-time European medalist and placed fifth at the 2002 Winter Olympics. ...

(13 years). *

Mao Asada is a Japanese former competitive figure skater. She is the Figure skating at the 2010 Winter Olympics - Ladies' singles, 2010 Olympic silver medalist, a three-time World Figure Skating Championships, World champion (2008, 2010, 2014), a three-t ...

(summer 2006 to January 2008) * Yudong Chen *

Jeffrey Buttle Jeffrey "Jeff" Buttle (born September 1, 1982) is a Canadian figure skater Figure skating is a sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform on figure skates on ice. It was the first winter sport to be included in the Olympic Games, ...

Sasha Cohen Alexandra Pauline "Sasha" Cohen (born October 26, 1984) is a retired American figure skater. She is the 2006 Olympic silver medalist, a three-time World Championship medalist, the 2003 Grand Prix Final Champion, and the 2006 U.S. Champion. S ...

Ivan Dinev Ivan Dinev ( bg, Иван Динев; born November 8, 1978) is a Bulgarian former competitive figure skater. He is a three-time Grand Prix medalist, an 11-time Bulgarian national champion, and competed at three Olympics. Career In the 1997– ...

Kiira Korpi Kiira Linda Katriina Korpi (; born 26 September 1988) is a Finnish figure skater. She is a three-time European medalist (bronze in 2007 and 2011, silver in 2012), the 2010 Trophée Eric Bompard champion, the 2012 Rostelecom Cup champion, a two-ti ...

(August 2013 – end of season) *

Michelle Kwan Michelle Wingshan Kwan (born July 7, 1980) is a retired competitive figure skater and diplomat serving as United States Ambassador to Belize. In figure skating Kwan is a two-time Olympic medalist (silver in 1998, bronze in 2002), a five-time W ...

* Vivian Le (June 2016 – December 2017) *

Hannah Miller Hannah Miller (born October 29, 1996) is an American figure skater. She is the 2014 Ice Challenge champion, 2014 Lombardia Trophy silver medalist, and 2012 JGP Final silver medalist. Personal life Hannah Miller was born in Chicago, Illinois, ...

(June 2015 – August 2016). *

Hovhannes Mkrtchyan Hovhannes Mkrtchyan ( hy, Հովհաննես Մկրտչյան, born October 8, 1991 in Yerevan, Armenia) is an Armenian figure skater. He is the 2005 Armenian national silver medalist. Mkrtchyan trains in Lake Arrowhead, California and is coached ...

Audrey Shin Audrey Sumin Shin (born March 12, 2004) is an American figure skater. She is the 2020 Skate America bronze medalist, the 2021 CS Lombardia Trophy bronze medalist, and finished fourth at the 2022 Four Continents Figure Skating Championships, 2022 ...

Alexander Shubin Alexander Alexandrovich Shubin (russian: Александр Александрович Шубин; born 14 July 1983) is a Russian former competitive figure skater. He is the 2003 World Junior champion and the 2002 JGP Final champion. He retired ...

Amy Lin Amy Lin (born November 3, 1999) is a Taiwanese figure skater. She is the 2016 Toruń Cup bronze medalist, the 2016 Asian Open bronze medalist, and a four-time Taiwanese national champion (2016–2019). She has competed in the final segment at e ...

* Sergei Voronov (unknown – 2000) * Ishkhan kirakosian

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Arutyunyan, Rafael Armenian figure skaters Figure skating coaches Sportspeople from Tbilisi 1957 births Living people Soviet figure skaters Georgian people of Armenian descent People from Artesia, California Armenian State Institute of Physical Culture and Sport alumni