# Nikita Starostin

Nikita Maximovich Starostin (Russian: Никита Максимович Старостин; born June 13, 2002) is a Russian-German figure skater, who represents Germany internationally.
He is a two-time German national champion (2023, 2025) and a two-time ISU Challenger Series bronze medalist.

## Personal life

Starostin was born on June 13, 2002, in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Prior to becoming a figure skater, Starostin also participated in swimming and football as a child. Starostin's stepfather is German, which factored into his decision to represent Germany. His figure skating idols are Deniss Vasiljevs and Shoma Uno.
Starostin obtained German citizenship on December 23, 2024.

## Career
### Early career

Starostin began figure skating in 2009 after being encouraged by his mother, a former figure skater, to give it a try. According to Starostin, it was difficult for him to initially find someone to coach him in Russia due to him only having started skating at seven years old. Eventually though, Starostin was able to train in a group coached by Alexei Mishin and soon, Svetlana Knorr became his coach.
Representing Russia, he won the bronze medal on the junior level at the 2016 Tallinn Trophy.
In 2018, Starostin would ultimately decide to represent Germany.

### 2018–19 season

Prior to the season, Starostin moved to Valmiera, Latvia to be coached by Julia Kulibanova. He would begin his season by winning gold at the 2018 NRW Trophy. He made his international debut on the 2018–19 Junior Grand Prix series, placing twelfth at 2018 JGP Slovenia. He then won bronze at both the 2018 Alpen Trophy and the 2018 Tallinn Trophy.
At the 2019 German Junior Championships, Starostin placed seventh. Starostin went on to finish fourth at the 2019 Mentor Toruń Cup and fifth at the 2019 Bavarian Open.
He ended his season with a twenty-fourth place finish at the 2019 Junior World Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria.

### 2019–20 season

Starostin started his season with a sixteenth-place finish at the 2019 JGP Russia. He went on to win the 2019 Santa Claus Cup.
At the 2020 German Junior Championships, Starostin won the silver medal. He closed the season with a fifth-place finish at the 2020 Bavarian Open.
Following the season, Starostin left coach, Julia Kulibanova, and began working with Adam Solya in Eindhoven, Netherlands. In 2023, Starostin said that he credits Solya for having always believed in him, stating, "He saw a talent in me that others didn't. We started working together and I decided to move to live in Europe. It turned out to be the right idea – I felt that I had no future in Russia. People didn't believe that I could do more People didn't believe that I could do more. And Adam knows that I can do more."

### 2020–21 season

Starostin was unable to compete internationally this season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

### 2021–22 season

Prior to the season, Starostin relocated to Belgium to train and in addition to Adam Solya, Jorik Hendrickx became one of his coaches. He began the season with twelfth-place finishes at the 2021 CS Lombardia Trophy and the 2021 CS Finlandia Trophy. He went on to finish eighth at the 2021 CS Cup of Austria and win bronze at the 2021 NRW Trophy.
At the 2022 German Championships, Starostin won the bronze medal behind Paul Fentz and Kai Jagoda. He was ultimately selected to compete at the 2022 European Championships in Tallinn, Estonia and the 2022 World Championships in Montpellier, France.
Starostin then competed at the 2022 International Challenge Cup, placing seventh. At the European Championships, Starostin placed thirteenth after placing fourteenth in the short program and twelfth in the free skate. Debuting at the World Championships, Starostin placed twenty-third in the short program and twenty-second in the free skate, finishing twenty-second overall.

### 2022–23 season

Starostin began the season with three assignments on the Challenger series, finishing ninth at the 2022 CS Nebelhorn Trophy, fifteenth at the 2022 CS Finlandia Trophy, and winning the bronze medal at the 2022 CS Ice Challenge. He later won gold at the 2022 NRW Trophy, and placed sixth at the 2022 Santa Claus Cup.
At the 2023 German Championships, Starostin won his first national title. He went on to compete at the 2023 European Championships in Espoo, Finland where he placed tenth in the short program and seventeenth in the free skate, finishing in fifteenth place overall.
At the 2023 World Championships in Saitama, Japan, Starostin finished in nineteenth place overall after placing sixteenth in the short program and nineteenth in the free skate.

### 2023–24 season

Starostin started the season by finishing sixth at the 2023 CS Lombardia Trophy. In his second Challenger appearance, he was ninth at the 2023 CS Finlandia Trophy. He then made a third Challenger appearance, coming seventh at the 2023 CS Denis Ten Memorial Challenge. Starostin was invited to make his Grand Prix debut at the 2023 Grand Prix of Espoo, placing seventh.
He went on to win silver at the 2024 German Championships behind Kai Jagoda. Selected to compete at the 2024 European Championships in Kaunas, Lithuania, Starostin finished thirteenth. He went on to compete at the 2024 Challenge Cup, where he placed fourth.
At the 2024 World Championships in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, Starostin placed thirty-second in the short program, failing to advance to the free skate.

### 2024–25 season

Beginning his season by competing on the 2024–25 ISU Challenger Series, Starostin finished sixteenth finish at the 2024 CS Nebelhorn Trophy, winning bronze at the 2024 CS Budapest Trophy, and finishing fourth at the 2024 CS Tallinn Trophy.

## Programs

| Season | Short program | Free skate | Exhibition |
| 2018–19 | Ticket to the Moon by Jeff Lynne performed by Electric Light Orchestra choreo. by Juri Ananian | Sit Down Beside Me by Patrick Watson choreo. by Juri Ananian | — |
| 2019–20 | I'm No Angel by ERA choreo. by Adam Solya | Tango choreo. by Adam Solya | — |
| 2021–22 | Latch by Disclosure performed by Sam Smith choreo. by Adam Solya | Stay by Oliver Tompsett, Scott Alan choreo. by Adam Solya | — |
| 2022–23 | Maria (from West Side Story) by Leonard Bernstein performed by Mark Seibert choreo. by Adam Solya | Corner Of The Earth Canned Heat by Jamiroquai choreo. by Adam Solya | Quand c'est? Santé by Stromae |
| 2023–24 | Disco Inferno by The Trammps arranged by Karl Hugo choreo. by Adam Solya Pas de deux (from The Nutcracker) by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky choreo. by Adam Solya | I Want It That Way Larger Than Life by Backstreet Boys choreo. by Adam Solya | — |
| 2024–25 | Never Gonna Give You Up (Cake Mix) Rick Astley, Mike Stock, Matt Aitken, & Pete Waterman choreo. by Adam Solya | Lascia ch'io pianga (Air de Almirena) by George Frideric Handel Concerto in C Minor, RV 509: III. Allegro by Antonio Vivaldi choreo. by Adam Solya | You're My Heart, You're My Soul by Modern Talking Disco Inferno |

## Competitive highlights

* GP – Event of the ISU Grand Prix Series
* JGP – Event of the ISU Junior Grand Prix Series
* CS – Event of the ISU Challenger Series

### Single skating (for Germany)

Competition placements at senior level :
| Season | 2021–22 | 2022–23 | 2023–24 | 2024–25 |
| World Championships | 22nd | 19th | 32nd | TBD |
| European Championships | 13th | 15th | 13th | 27th |
| German Championships | 3rd | 1st | 2nd | 1st |
| GP Finland | | | 7th | |
| CS Budapest Trophy | | | | 3rd |
| CS Denis Ten Memorial | | | 7th | |
| CS Finlandia Trophy | 12th | 15th | 9th | |
| CS Ice Challenge | 8th | 3rd | | |
| CS Lombardia Trophy | 12th | | 6th | |
| CS Nebelhorn Trophy | | 9th | | 16th |
| CS Tallinn Trophy | | | | 4th |
| Challenge Cup | 7th | | 4th | |
| NRW Trophy | 3rd | 1st | | |
| Road to 26 Trophy | | | | 9th |
| Santa Claus Cup | | 6th | | |
| Volvo Open Cup | | | | 8th |
Competition placements at junior level :
| Season | 2018–19 | 2019–20 |
| World Junior Championships | 24th | |
| German Championships | 7th | 2nd |
| JGP Russia | | 16th |
| JGP Slovenia | 12th | |
| Alpen Trophy | 3rd | |
| Bavarian Open | 5th | 5th |
| Mentor Cup | 4th | |
| NRW Trophy | 1st | |
| Santa Claus Cup | | 1st |
| Tallinn Trophy | 3rd | |

### Single skating (for Russia)

Competition placements at junior level :
| Season | 2016–17 |
| Tallinn Trophy | 3rd |

## Detailed results
### Single skating (for Germany)

ISU personal best scores in the +5/-5 GOE System :
| Segment | Type | Score | Event |
| Total | TSS | 217.87 | 2023 World Championships |
| Short program | TSS | 75.78 | 2021 CS Cup of Austria |
| Short program | TES | 42.58 | 2021 CS Cup of Austria |
| Short program | PCS | 36.46 | 2022 World Championships |
| Free skating | TSS | 145.08 | 2022 CS Ice Challenge |
| Free skating | TES | 74.65 | 2022 CS Ice Challenge |
| Free skating | PCS | 73.73 | 2023 World Championships |

#### Senior level

Results in the 2021–22 season :
| Date | Event | SP | SP | FS | FS | Total | Total |
| Date | Event | P | Score | P | Score | P | Score |
| Sep 10–12, 2021 | 2021 CS Lombardia Trophy | 6 | 69.02 | 14 | 118.72 | 12 | 187.74 |
| Oct 7–10, 2021 | 2021 CS Finlandia Trophy | 8 | 70.20 | 13 | 135.40 | 12 | 205.60 |
| Nov 4–7, 2021 | 2021 NRW Trophy | 3 | 67.79 | 5 | 112.65 | 3 | 180.44 |
| Nov 11–14, 2021 | 2021 CS Cup of Austria | 4 | 75.78 | 10 | 133.18 | 8 | 208.96 |
| Dec 9–11, 2021 | 2022 German Championships | 4 | 57.65 | 2 | 121.29 | 3 | 178.94 |
| Jan 10–16, 2022 | 2022 European Championships | 14 | 72.12 | 12 | 142.28 | 13 | 214.40 |
| Feb 24–27, 2022 | 2022 International Challenge Cup | 9 | 66.61 | 6 | 130.79 | 7 | 197.40 |
| Mar 21–27, 2022 | 2022 World Championships | 23 | 73.79 | 22 | 131.93 | 22 | 205.72 |
Results in the 2022–23 season :
| Date | Event | SP | SP | FS | FS | Total | Total |
| Date | Event | P | Score | P | Score | P | Score |
| Sep 21–24, 2022 | 2022 CS Nebelhorn Trophy | 12 | 61.91 | 10 | 123.05 | 9 | 184.96 |
| Oct 4–9, 2022 | 2022 CS Finlandia Trophy | 14 | 63.03 | 15 | 116.60 | 15 | 179.63 |
| Nov 9–13, 2022 | 2022 CS Ice Challenge | 4 | 71.96 | 3 | 145.08 | 3 | 217.04 |
| Nov 24–27, 2022 | 2022 NRW Trophy | 1 | 79.95 | 1 | 133.13 | 1 | 213.08 |
| Nov 28 – Dec 4, 2022 | 2022 Santa Claus Cup | 8 | 59.19 | 5 | 124.27 | 6 | 183.46 |
| Jan 5–7, 2023 | 2023 German Championships | 2 | 70.26 | 1 | 156.43 | 1 | 226.69 |
| Jan 25–29, 2023 | 2023 European Championships | 10 | 74.70 | 17 | 123.27 | 15 | 197.97 |
| Mar 22–26, 2023 | 2023 World Championships | 16 | 75.53 | 19 | 142.34 | 19 | 217.87 |
Results in the 2023–24 season :
| Date | Event | SP | SP | FS | FS | Total | Total |
| Date | Event | P | Score | P | Score | P | Score |
| Sep 8–10, 2023 | 2023 CS Lombardia Trophy | 5 | 69.30 | 6 | 129.02 | 6 | 198.32 |
| Oct 4–8, 2023 | 2023 CS Finlandia Trophy | 15 | 64.40 | 7 | 140.97 | 9 | 205.37 |
| Nov 2–5, 2023 | 2023 CS Denis Ten Memorial Challenge | 7 | 69.37 | 7 | 135.72 | 7 | 205.09 |
| Nov 17–19, 2023 | 2023 Grand Prix of Espoo | 8 | 71.99 | 9 | 129.16 | 7 | 201.15 |
| Dec 14–16, 2023 | 2024 German Championships | 2 | 65.61 | 2 | 133.33 | 2 | 198.94 |
| Jan 10–14, 2024 | 2024 European Championships | 14 | 71.99 | 14 | 139.86 | 13 | 211.85 |
| Feb 22–25, 2024 | 2024 International Challenge Cup | 4 | 76.81 | 5 | 143.57 | 4 | 220.38 |
| Mar 18–24, 2024 | 2024 World Championships | 32 | 67.34 | — | — | 32 | 67.34 |
Results in the 2024–25 season :
| Date | Event | SP | SP | FS | FS | Total | Total |
| Date | Event | P | Score | P | Score | P | Score |
| Sep 18–21, 2024 | 2024 CS Nebelhorn Trophy | 20 | 56.32 | 12 | 125.12 | 16 | 181.44 |
| Oct 11–13, 2024 | 2024 CS Budapest Trophy | 6 | 62.76 | 3 | 136.32 | 3 | 199.08 |
| Oct 31 – Nov 3, 2024 | 53rd Volvo Open Cup | 3 | 67.35 | 8 | 115.58 | 8 | 182.93 |
| Nov 11–17, 2024 | 2024 CS Tallinn Trophy | 10 | 67.43 | 2 | 143.78 | 4 | 211.21 |
| Dec 16–21, 2024 | 2025 German Championships | 1 | 72.99 | 1 | 147.02 | 1 | 220.01 |
| Jan 28 – Feb 2, 2025 | 2025 European Championships | 27 | 63.54 | — | — | 27 | 63.54 |
| Feb 18–20, 2025 | Road to 26 Trophy | 8 | 65.41 | 9 | 124.01 | 9 | 189.42 |

#### Junior level

Results in the 2018–19 season :
| Date | Event | SP | SP | FS | FS | Total | Total |
| Date | Event | P | Score | P | Score | P | Score |
| Aug 10–12, 2018 | 2018 NRW Trophy | 1 | 54.32 | 1 | 109.07 | 1 | 163.39 |
| Oct 3–6, 2018 | 2018 JGP Slovenia | 10 | 58.24 | 14 | 100.74 | 12 | 158.98 |
| Nov 11–18, 2018 | 2018 Alpen Trophy | 2 | 59.53 | 3 | 101.42 | 3 | 160.95 |
| Nov 26 – Dec 2, 2018 | 2018 Tallinn Trophy | 4 | 60.77 | 3 | 111.60 | 3 | 172.37 |
| Dec 7–9, 2018 | 2019 German Championships (Junior) | 5 | 46.57 | 6 | 85.08 | 7 | 131.65 |
| Jan 8–13, 2019 | 2019 Mentor Cup | 1 | 58.48 | 4 | 99.35 | 4 | 157.83 |
| Feb 5–10, 2019 | 2019 Bavarian Open | 4 | 55.17 | 6 | 96.21 | 5 | 151.38 |
| Mar 4–10, 2019 | 2019 World Junior Championships | 22 | 61.61 | 24 | 90.39 | 24 | 152.00 |
Results in the 2019–20 season :
| Date | Event | SP | SP | FS | FS | Total | Total |
| Date | Event | P | Score | P | Score | P | Score |
| Sep 11–14, 2019 | 2019 JGP Russia | 13 | 54.86 | 16 | 88.97 | 16 | 143.83 |
| Dec 2–8, 2019 | 2019 Santa Claus Cup | 1 | 58.90 | 1 | 103.61 | 1 | 162.51 |
| Jan 1–3, 2020 | 2020 German Championships (Junior) | 2 | 58.73 | 2 | 99.13 | 2 | 157.86 |
| Feb 3–9, 2020 | 2020 Bavarian Open | 4 | 67.22 | 6 | 110.61 | 5 | 177.83 |

### Single skating (for Russia)

Results in the 2016–17 season :
| Date | Event | SP | SP | FS | FS | Total | Total |
| Date | Event | P | Score | P | Score | P | Score |
| Nov 22–27, 2016 | 2016 Tallinn Trophy | 4 | 48.52 | 4 | 93.64 | 3 | 142.16 |