# Ilia Kulik

Ilia Alexandrovich Kulik (Russian: Илья Александрович Кулик; born 23 May 1977) is a Russian figure skater. He is the 1998 Olympic Champion, the 1995 European Champion, the 1997–1998 Grand Prix Final champion, and the 1995 World Junior champion.

## Career

Kulik began skating at the age of five. In November 1994, he won the 1995 World Junior title and then, a few months later, the 1995 European title, at the age of 17. He was ninth at his first senior World Championships. The next season, he won silver at the 1996 World Championships. During the 1997-98 season, Kulik won gold at the 1997 NHK Trophy and silver at the 1997 Skate Canada International to qualify for the Champion Series Final (now known as the Grand Prix Final) where he won the gold medal. He also won the Russian national title but missed the 1998 European Championships as a result of back problems. At the 1998 Olympics, Kulik placed first in both the short and long programs and won the Olympic title at the age of 20 years and 267 days, became one of the youngest male figure skating Olympic champions.
Kulik withdrew from the 1998 World Championships due to his recurring back injury. He retired from competitive skating and has focused on performing in shows. Kulik has skated with the Stars on Ice tour, shows in Russia, the 2009 Ice All Stars, the 2010 Festa On Ice. In 1999, he skated a duet with his wife, Ekaterina Gordeeva.
Kulik also ventured briefly into acting, playing the role of Sergei, a Russian dancer, in the 2000 ballet-themed movie Center Stage.
In 2012, Kulik and Gordeeva opened a skating rink in Lake Forest, California.
Kulik was the former coach of Michael Christian Martinez.
In March 2025, Kulik performed in the Legacy on Ice gala.

## Personal life

Kulik has one sibling, sister Svetlana, who also lives in California. His parents live in Russia.
Kulik married Ekaterina Gordeeva in San Francisco on 10 June 2002. They have one daughter, Elizaveta Ilinichna Kulik (born 15 June 2001). Gordeeva has another daughter, Daria Sergeevna Grinkova (born 11 September 1992), from her first marriage to her late husband and skating partner, Sergei Grinkov. The family lived in California for several years before moving to Avon, Connecticut, in 2003. They returned to the Los Angeles area in the summer of 2007 and resided in Newport Beach. According to People magazine's 2018 Special Edition "The Best of Olympic Figure Skating", Gordeeva and Kulik divorced in 2016.

## Programs
### Post–1998

| Season | Pro/Pro-am events | Exhibition |
| 2012–2013 | Kashmir by Led Zeppelin | Carmina Burana performed by Edvin Marton Let's Go by Calvin Harris |
| 2011–2012 | | Who Wants to Live Forever covered by David Garrett Love in This Club by Usher |
| 2008–2009 | | Song for the King by Michael W. Smith Sixteen Tons performed by Oliver Darley |
| 2007–2008 | | Sounds of Inspiration by Ilia Kulik Deal with It performed by Corbin Bleu |
| 2006–2007 | | Go the Distance performed by Michael Bolton Too Darn Hot by Kiss Me, Kate (Broadway Revival Cast) |
| 2003–2004 | The Nutcracker A House is Not a Home performed by John Pagano | |
| 2002–2003 | Piano Concerto in A Minor Rubberbandman | The Nutcracker Ballet Suite Op 71A by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto in A Minor by Edvard Grieg, performed by Jeno Jando |
| 2001–2002 | Pick up the Pieces Rubberbandman Rhapsody in Blue | Rendez-Vous by Jean Michel Jarre Pick up the Pieces by Average White Band Rubberbandman by Yello Waltz of the Flowers from The Nutcracker by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky |
| 2000–2001 | Drive/Driven Rockit Devil's Trill Sonata Blues for Narada | Drive/Driven by Yello Rockit by Herbie Hancock Devil's Trill Sonata by Giuseppe Tartini, performed by Vanessa Mae |
| 1999–2000 | | Blues for Narada by Gary Moore Baseball Cap by Faithless |
| 1998–1999 | Jumpin' Jack Flash Cool Seisouso (Tango) | Seisouso (Tango) Pagliacci by Ruggero Leoncavallo |
(with Ekaterina Gordeeva)
| Season | Program |
| 1999–2000 | Casi Un Bolero by Ricky Martin Si tú no estás aqui by Rosana Arbelo |

### Pre–1998

| Season | Short program | Free skating | Exhibition |
| 1997–1998 | Revolutions by Jean Michel Jarre | Rhapsody in Blue by George Gershwin | Demon Warriors/Final Kombat from Mortal Kombat by George S. Clinton Liebestraum by Franz Liszt |
| 1996–1997 | Faust by Henryk Wieniawski | Romeo and Juliet by Pyotr Tchaikovsky | Liebestraum by Franz Liszt |
| 1995–1996 | The Addams Family | Aladdin | Always by Bon Jovi The Addams Family |
| 1994–1995 | Rigoletto by Giuseppe Verdi | An American in Paris by George Gershwin | |

## Competitive highlights

International :
| Event | 1992–93 | 1993–94 | 1994–95 | 1995–96 | 1996–97 | 1997–98 |
| Olympics | | | | | | 1st |
| Worlds | | | 9th | 2nd | 5th | |
| Europeans | | | 1st | 3rd | 4th | |
| CS Final | | | | 4th | 4th | 1st |
| CS NHK Trophy | | | | | 2nd | 1st |
| CS Skate America | | | | 6th | | |
| CS Skate Canada | | | | | 2nd | 2nd |
| CS Trophée de France | | | | 1st | | |
| Finlandia Trophy | | | | 2nd | | |
| Karl Schäfer Memorial | | | 3rd | | | |
| Nebelhorn Trophy | | | 1st | | | |
| International: Junior |||||||
| Junior Worlds | 3rd | 11th | 1st | | | |
| National |||||||
| Russian Champ. | | | 2nd | 2nd | 1st | 1st |
| CS = Became part of Champions Series in 1995–1996 (renamed Grand Prix in 1998–1999) |||||||