The late Ludmila Belousova, together with her husband Oleg Protopopov, captivated the world with their figure skating performances during their heyday. In 1964, they became the first skaters from Russia or the Soviet Union to win Olympic gold medals in pairs skating. Belousova died at the age of 81, but fans of her romantic and gentle skating style can still enjoy her routines on YouTube.
Belousova’s love for skating continued until the end. She and her husband practiced nearly every day for two hours, and they prepared for three months in Lake Placid to perform at An Evening With Champions. In an interview at the event, she expressed how honored they were to skate in front of people and help those who were unfortunate enough to have diseases. Belousova’s skating style was unique, and she and her husband ushered in a romantic, slow-moving, balletic style that has since been replaced by power and athleticism.
Belousova and Protopopov’s skating performances are magical and poetic. They developed a style that was not quite skating and not quite ballet, but somewhere in between. Even after Belousova’s death, her legacy lives on through her beautiful skating routines, which can still be enjoyed by fans today
