# Maria Pavlova (figure skater)

Maria Evgenievna Pavlova (Russian: Мария Евгеньевна Павлова; born 2 August 2004) is a Russian-Hungarian pair skater who currently competes for Hungary. With her current skating partner, Alexei Sviatchenko, she is a two-time ISU Grand Prix medalist, two-time Hungarian national champion (2023–24), and finished fifth at the 2023 European Championships.
With her former partner, Balázs Nagy, Pavlova is the 2022 Hungarian national silver medalist and finished 11th at the 2022 European Championships.

## Personal life

Pavlova was born on 2 August 2004 in Moscow, Russia. Pavlova, her mother, and older sister moved to Toronto, Canada, when Pavlova was ten years old due to her sister attending university there. While Pavlova and her mother returned to Russia after two years, her sister settled in Canada. She went on to become a Hungarian citizen in February 2022.

## Career

Pavlova began figure skating in 2009. Her family lived in Canada for two years during her childhood, during which time she trained at the Toronto Cricket, Skating & Curling Club under Brian Orser. As a singles skater, she competed at two Russian Championships (2018 and 2019). Her first pair partner was Ilia Spiridonov, though they never competed together internationally.

### Partnership with Nagy
#### 2021–2022 season

In September 2021, it was announced announced that Pavlova had teamed up with Hungarian pair skater, Balázs Nagy and that they would represent Hungary together, coached by Dmitri Savin and Fedor Klimov.
Making their debut at the Budapest Trophy, where they were seventh, they then competed twice on the Challenger series, finishing fifth at the 2021 CS Denis Ten Memorial Challenge and thirteenth at the 2021 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb.
After winning the silver medal at the 2022 Four National Championships and the Hungarian Championships, Pavlova/Nagy made their debut at the European Championships, finishing eleventh.

### Partnership with Sviatchenko
#### 2022–23 season

In November 2022, it was announced that Pavlova's partnership with Nagy had dissolved and that she would continue to represent Hungary with Russian-born pair skater, Alexei Sviatchenko. They would be coached by Dmitri Savin and Fedor Klimov and primarily train in Sochi due to the shortage of elite-level training rinks for pair skaters in Hungary.
Pavlova dealt with injuries that caused them to miss the early part of their first season together. The pair made their debut at the 2022 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb, finishing ninth. Pavlova/Sviatchenko went on to win gold at the 2023 Four National Championships and the 2023 Hungarian Championships.
At the 2023 European Championships in Espoo, Finland, Pavlova/Sviatchenko skated two clean programs, placing sixth in the short program and fourth in the free skate, finishing in fifth place overall. They then competed at the 2023 Bavarian Open and the 2023 International Challenge Cup, taking gold and silver, respectively.
At the 2023 World Championships in Saitama, Japan, Pavlova/Sviatchenko delivered two strong performances, placing eighth in the short program and seventh in the free skate, finishing in seventh-place overall. Their results were the best for a team representing Hungary in decades.

#### 2023–24 season

Pavlova/Sviatchenko competed twice on the Challenger circuit to begin the season, coming fifth at the 2023 CS Nebelhorn Trophy before winning the bronze medal at the 2023 CS Finlandia Trophy. They were then invited to make their Grand Prix debut at the 2023 Skate Canada International, where they finished fourth in the short program after a spin error. They then moved up to second after the free skate, taking the silver medal. This was the first ever Grand Prix medal for a pair representing Hungary, and the first in any discipline since Júlia Sebestyén's bronze medal at the 2009 Skate America.
They were again fourth in the short program at the 2023 Grand Prix of Espoo, but another second-place free skate won them the bronze medal.
The team's results on the Grand Prix initially had them finishing as first alternates to the Grand Prix Final. They were called up to compete at the Beijing event following the withdrawal of German team Hocke/Kunkel, and came in fourth at the event.
Pavlova/Sviatchenko competed next at the 2024 European Championships, finishing fourth in the short program, less than two points back of third place. They came third in the free skate, winning a bronze small medal, but remained fourth overall, 1.66 points behind bronze medalists Ghilardi/Ambrosini of Italy. They expressed dissatisfaction with the judging of their performances, with Pavlova saying "our motivation goes down every time we keep getting these scores."
Finishing the season at the 2024 World Championships in Montreal, Pavlova/Sviatchenko came sixth in the short program. They moved up to fourth after the free skate, which she called "very motivating for next season."

#### 2024–25 season

Pavlova and Sviatchenko began the season by competing at the 2024 Lombardia Trophy and the 2024 Shanghai Trophy, where they won bronze and gold, respectively. Going on to compete on the 2024–25 Grand Prix series, they placed fifth at 2024 Skate America and won the silver at the 2024 Finlandia Trophy.

## Programs
### Pair skating with Alexei Sviatchenko (for Hungary)

| Season | Short program | Free skating | Exhibition |
| 2022–23 | I See Red by Everybody Loves an Outlaw choreo. by Sofia Evdokimova | Angel by Tokio Myers Somebody to Love by Queen choreo. by Sofia Evdokimova | Big Spender (from Sweet Charity) by Cy Coleman & Dorothy Fields choreo. by Sofia Evdokimova |
| 2023–24 | Another One Bites the Dust by Queen choreo. by Sofia Evdokimova | My Perception of Love by Benjamin Amaru Iron 2021 by Woodkid choreo. by Sofia Evdokimova | Austin Powers The "Shag-adelic" Austin Powers Score Medley by George S. Clinton Shining Star by Earth, Wind & Fire Hey Goldmember by Beyonce Soul Bossa Nova by Quincy Jones |
| 2024–25 | Kiss by Prince performed by Tom Jones Sex Bomb by Tom Jones performed by Tom Jones & Froro choreo. by Sofia Evdokimova | Pirates of the Caribbean Hoist Your Colours The Medallion Calls Up Is Down Guilty of Being Jack Sparrow Marry Me by Hans Zimmer & Klaus Badelt choreo. by Sofia Evdokimova | 24K Magic by Bruno Mars U Can't Touch This by MC Hammer Hips Don't Lie by Shakira ft. Wyclef Jean Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It) by Beyoncé Boombastic by Shaggy Pump It by Black Eyed Peas Money, Money, Money by ABBA |

### Pair skating with Balázs Nagy (for Hungary)

| Season | Short program | Free skating |
| 2021–22 | Big Spender (from Sweet Charity) by Cy Coleman and Dorothy Fields choreo. by Sofia Evdokimova | The Mask of Zorro by James Horner choreo. by Sofia Evdokimova |

## Competitive highlights

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

### Pair skating with Alexei Sviatchenko (for Hungary)

Competition placements at senior level :
| Season | 2022–23 | 2023–24 | 2024–25 |
| World Championships | 7th | 4th | TBD |
| European Championships | 5th | 4th | 4th |
| Grand Prix Final | | 4th | |
| Hungarian Championships | 1st | 1st | |
| Four Nationals Championships | 1st | 1st | |
| GP Finland | | 3rd | 2nd |
| GP Skate America | | | 5th |
| GP Skate Canada | | 2nd | |
| CS Finlandia Trophy | | 3rd | |
| CS Golden Spin of Zagreb | 9th | | |
| CS Lombardia Trophy | | | 3rd |
| CS Nebelhorn Trophy | | 5th | |
| Bavarian Open | 1st | | |
| Budapest Trophy | | 2nd | |
| Challenge Cup | 2nd | | |
| Shanghai Trophy | | | 1st |

### Pair skating with Balázs Nagy (for Hungary)

Competition placements at senior level :
| Season | 2021–22 |
| European Championships | 11th |
| Hungarian Championships | 2nd |
| Four Nationals Championships | 2nd |
| CS Golden Spin of Zagreb | 13th |
| Budapest Trophy | 7th |
| Denis Ten Memorial | 5th |

### Single skating (for Russia)

Competition placements at junior level :
| Season | 2017–18 | 2018–19 |
| Russian Championships | 18th | 17th |

## Detailed results
### Pair skating with Alexei Sviatchenko (for Hungary)

ISU personal best scores in the +5/-5 GOE System :
| Segment | Type | Score | Event |
| Total | TSS | 204.60 | 2024 World Championships |
| Short program | TSS | 68.01 | 2024 World Championships |
| Short program | TES | 38.25 | 2023 World Championships |
| Short program | PCS | 30.69 | 2024 Skate America |
| Free skating | TSS | 136.59 | 2024 World Championships |
| Free skating | TES | 74.40 | 2024 World Championships |
| Free skating | PCS | 62.19 | 2024 World Championships |
* Small medals for the short program and free skating are only awarded at ISU Championships.
Results in the 2022–23 season :
| Date | Event | SP | SP | FS | FS | Total | Total |
| Date | Event | P | Score | P | Score | P | Score |
| Dec 7–10, 2022 | 2022 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb | 9 | 53.58 | 9 | 97.67 | 9 | 151.25 |
| Dec 15–17, 2022 | 2023 Four Nationals Championships | 1 | 61.84 | 1 | 112.01 | 1 | 173.85 |
| Dec 15–17, 2022 | 2023 Hungarian Championships | 1 | — | 1 | — | 1 | — |
| Jan 25–29, 2023 | 2023 European Championships | 6 | 57.97 | 4 | 115.01 | 5 | 172.98 |
| Jan 31 – Feb 5, 2023 | 2023 Bavarian Open | 2 | 65.07 | 1 | 112.71 | 1 | 177.78 |
| Feb 23–26, 2023 | 2023 International Challenge Cup | 4 | 58.44 | 2 | 115.19 | 2 | 173.63 |
| Mar 22–26, 2023 | 2023 World Championships | 8 | 64.43 | 7 | 126.24 | 7 | 190.67 |
Results in the 2023–24 season :
| Date | Event | SP | SP | FS | FS | Total | Total |
| Date | Event | P | Score | P | Score | P | Score |
| Sep 20–23, 2023 | 2023 CS Nebelhorn Trophy | 5 | 61.34 | 5 | 121.26 | 5 | 182.60 |
| Oct 4–8, 2023 | 2023 CS Finlandia Trophy | 3 | 61.66 | 4 | 107.73 | 3 | 169.39 |
| Oct 12–15, 2023 | 2023 Budapest Trophy | 1 | 63.08 | 2 | 129.28 | 2 | 192.36 |
| Oct 27–29, 2023 | 2023 Skate Canada International | 4 | 62.22 | 2 | 125.56 | 2 | 187.78 |
| Nov 10–12, 2023 | 2023 Grand Prix of Espoo | 4 | 61.53 | 2 | 124.66 | 3 | 186.19 |
| Dec 7–10, 2023 | 2023–24 Grand Prix Final | 4 | 65.51 | 5 | 126.51 | 4 | 192.02 |
| Dec 14–16, 2023 | 2024 Four Nationals Championships | 1 | 64.87 | 1 | 131.31 | 1 | 196.18 |
| Dec 14–16, 2023 | 2024 Hungarian Championships | 1 | — | 1 | — | 1 | — |
| Jan 8–14, 2024 | 2024 European Championships | 4 | 65.29 | 3 | 128.73 | 4 | 194.02 |
| Mar 18–24, 2024 | 2024 World Championships | 6 | 68.01 | 4 | 136.59 | 4 | 204.60 |
Results in the 2024–25 season :
| Date | Event | SP | SP | FS | FS | Total | Total |
| Date | Event | P | Score | P | Score | P | Score |
| Sep 12–15, 2024 | 2024 CS Lombardia Trophy | 4 | 66.89 | 1 | 129.78 | 3 | 196.67 |
| Oct 3–5, 2024 | 2024 Shanghai Trophy | 1 | 62.66 | 1 | 120.54 | 1 | 183.20 |
| Oct 18–20, 2024 | 2024 Skate America | 4 | 65.11 | 5 | 118.90 | 5 | 184.01 |
| Nov 15–17, 2024 | 2024 Finlandia Trophy | 3 | 54.33 | 2 | 122.92 | 2 | 184.21 |
| Jan 28 – Feb 2, 2025 | 2025 European Championships | 3 | 65.88 | 4 | 125.56 | 4 | 191.44 |
* 1 2 In Hungary, the Hungarian Championships are contested as part of the Four Nationals Championships.