# Alexei Bychenko

Alexei Bychenko (Hebrew: אלכסיי ביצ'נקו; Ukrainian: Олексій Юрійович Биченко; born 5 February 1988) is a retired Ukrainian-born Israeli figure skater. He represented Ukraine through 2009 and Israel after that. He is the 2016 European Figure Skating Championships silver medalist and 2016 Rostelecom Cup bronze medalist. He is the first Israeli skater to medal at the European Championships. He placed fourth at 2018 Worlds. Bychenko competed for Israel at the 2014, 2018, and 2022 Winter Olympics.

## Early and personal life

Bychenko was born in Kyiv, Ukraine, and is Jewish. He studied at National Pedagogical Dragomanov University, in Kyiv. His mother is of Jewish descent, and he became an Israeli citizen and in 2010 began representing Israel in competitions.

## Career

Bychenko began skating in 1993.

### For Ukraine

Representing Ukraine, Bychenko debuted on the ISU Junior Grand Prix (JGP) series in the 2003–04 season. His senior international debut took place in late September 2005 at Skate Israel, but he continued occasionally appearing on the junior level. He achieved his best JGP result, 8th, in October 2006 in Taipei, at his final junior event.
Bychenko became a two-time (2007, 2008) Ukrainian national silver medalist on the senior level. His final international appearance for Ukraine came in late November 2009 at the Crystal Skate of Romania.

### For Israel

His coaches are Roman Serov, Nikolai Morozov, and Galit Chait Moracci, and his choreographer is Galit Chait Moracci. He trains in Hackensack, New Jersey.
Bychenko first appeared internationally for Israel at the Golden Spin of Zagreb in December 2011. He qualified for the final segment at the 2012 European Championships in Sheffield and went on to finish 22nd overall. At the 2012 World Championships in Nice, he did not advance past the short program.
At the 2013 Nebelhorn Trophy, Bychenko qualified a spot for Israel in the men's event at the 2014 Winter Olympics.
He finished 21st competing for Israel at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.
Bychenko received his first Grand Prix invitations in the 2014–15 season. He finished fourth at the 2015 European Championships in Stockholm after placing seventh in the short program and fourth in the free skate.
At the 2016 European Championships in Bratislava, Bychenko placed fourth in both segments and edged out Russia's Maxim Kovtun for a silver medal by a margin of 0.35. It was Israel's first European figure skating medal.
In the 2016–17 season, Bychenko won bronze at a Grand Prix assignment, the 2016 Rostelecom Cup, and gold at a Challenger Series event, the Golden Spin of Zagreb. He ranked third in the short program, 9th in the free skate, and 5th overall at the 2017 European Championships in Ostrava, Czech Republic. In March, he placed 11th in the short, 12th in the free, and 10th overall at the 2017 World Championships in Helsinki, Finland. Due to his result, Israel qualified two spots in the men's event at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
Bychenko competed for Israel at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Men's Single Figure Skating in Pyeongchang, South Korea, and served as Israel's flag bearer at the opening ceremonies. Bychenko finished the men’s figure skating competition in 11th place overall, Israel's best result at the Games, bettering Israeli figure skater Michael Shmerkin’s 16th-place finish 24 years prior. He also came in second in the Men's Single Short Program, as part of the team event, as the Israeli team came in 8th.
Bychenko was named to Israeli team for the 2022 Winter Olympics, and finished twenty-sixth in the men's event.
It was announced that Bychenko had decided to retire from competition on May 24, 2022.

## Programs

| Season | Short program | Free skating | Exhibition |
| 2020–2021 | Words by Harel Skaat | Pirates of the Caribbean by Klaus Badelt | |
| 2019–2020 | Words by Harel Skaat | Pirates of the Caribbean by Klaus Badelt | |
| 2018–2019 | Requiem for a Dream by Clint Mansell | Bram Stoker's Dracula by Wojciech Kilar | |
| 2017–2018 | Hava Nagila (Israeli folk song) | Pagliacci by Ruggero Leoncavallo Bolero by Maurice Ravel | All Alone (from Ready for the Ride) by Geir Rönning |
| 2016–2017 | Chambermaid Swing by Parov Stelar | Pagliacci by Ruggero Leoncavallo | Soul Power Happy by Derek Martin |
| 2015–2016 | All Alone (from Ready for the Ride) by Geir Rönning | Les Misérables by Claude-Michel Schönberg | Soul Power Happy by Derek Martin All Alone (from Ready for the Ride) by Geir Rönning |
| 2014–2015 | La traviata by Giuseppe Verdi | Nostradamus by Maksim Mrvica | Soul Power Happy by Derek Martin |
| 2013–2014 | Swing Kids by James Horner Bei mir bist du schoen Sing Sing Sing | Nostradamus by Maksim Mrvica Flamenco Farruca | |
| 2012–2013 | Party Sailor by Wilson Picket John Rango by James Brown | Flamenco Inception by Hans Zimmer | |
| 2011–2012 | Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon by Tan Dun | Cyrano de Bergerac by Jean-Claude Petit | |
| 2008–2009 | Assassin's Tango (from Mr. & Mrs. Smith) by John Powell | Alegria (from Cirque du Soleil) by Rene Dupere | |
| 2004–2006 | Devil's Trill Sonata by Vanessa-Mae | Pirates of the Caribbean by Klaus Badelt | |

## Results

GP: Grand Prix; CS: Challenger Series; JGP: Junior Grand Prix

### For Israel

International :
| Event | 11–12 | 12–13 | 13–14 | 14–15 | 15–16 | 16–17 | 17–18 | 18–19 | 19–20 | 20–21 | 21–22 |
| Olympics | | | 21st | | | | 11th | | | | 26th |
| Worlds | 29th | 31st | 15th | 17th | 13th | 10th | 4th | 22nd | C | 24th | |
| Europeans | 22nd | 14th | 10th | 4th | 2nd | 5th | 5th | 9th | 12th | | |
| GP Cup of China | | | | 7th | | | | | | | |
| GP Finland | | | | | | | | 9th | | | |
| GP France | | | | | | | 5th | | | | |
| GP NHK Trophy | | | | | | 4th | 3rd | | 11th | | |
| GP Rostelecom | | | | | 10th | 3rd | | | | | |
| GP Skate America | | | | 11th | 12th | | | 9th | 7th | 6th | |
| CS Asian Open | | | | | | | | | 4th | | |
| CS Denis Ten MC | | | | | | | | | | | WD |
| CS Finlandia | | | | 5th | | 7th | | WD | | | |
| CS Golden Spin | | | | | | 1st | 2nd | 10th | 8th | | 13th |
| CS Ice Star | | | | | | | 6th | | WD | | |
| CS Nebelhorn | | | | 7th | | | | | 3rd | | |
| CS Ondrej Nepela | | | | | | | | WD | | | |
| CS Warsaw Cup | | | | | | | | | | | 6th |
| Bavarian Open | | 5th | | | | | | | | | |
| Challenge Cup | | | | | | | | | 6th | WD | |
| Cranberry Cup | | | | | | | | | | | 6th |
| Cup of Tyrol | | | | | | 2nd | | | | | |
| Golden Spin | 8th | 5th | 4th | | | | | | | | |
| Ice Challenge | | 13th | | | | | | | | | |
| Nebelhorn Trophy | | 15th | 5th | | | | | | | | |
| Open Ice Mall | | | | | | | | 2nd | | | |
| Tallinn Trophy | | | | 1st | | | | | | | |
| Toruń Cup | | | | | 1st | | | | | | |
| U.S. Classic | | 14th | 9th | | | | | | | | WD |
| National ||||||||||||
| Israeli Champ. | | | | 2nd | 1st | 1st | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | | 2nd |
| Team Events ||||||||||||
| Olympics | | | | | | | 8th T | | | | |
| Japan Open | | | | | | | 1st T 6th P | | | | |

### For Ukraine

International :
| Event | 02–03 | 03–04 | 04–05 | 05–06 | 06–07 | 07–08 | 08–09 | 09–10 |
| Crystal Skate | | | | | | 3rd | 2nd | 4th |
| Cup of Nice | | | | | | 11th | | |
| Finlandia Trophy | | | | | | | 11th | |
| Nepela Memorial | | | | | | | | 8th |
| Skate Israel | | | | 6th | | | | |
| Universiade | | | | | 29th | | | |
| International: Junior |||||||||
| JGP Andorra | | | | 15th | | | | |
| JGP Croatia | | | | 10th | | | | |
| JGP Czech Rep. | | 22nd | | | | | | |
| JGP Taiwan | | | | | 8th | | | |
| JGP Ukraine | | | 19th | | | | | |
| National |||||||||
| Ukrainian Champ. | 4th | 4th | 2nd J | | 2nd | 2nd | | 3rd |

## Detailed results

2021–22 season :
| Date | Event | SP | FS | Total |
| February 8–10, 2022 | 2022 Winter Olympics | 26 68.01 | – | 26 68.01 |
| December 9–11, 2021 | 2021 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb | 4 82.88 | 16 128.67 | 13 211.55 |
| November 17–20, 2021 | 2021 CS Warsaw Cup | 5 79.35 | 5 145.05 | 6 224.40 |
| 2020–21 season |||||
| Date | Event | SP | FS | Total |
| March 22–28, 2021 | 2021 World Championships | 18 78.05 | 24 112.40 | 24 190.45 |
| October 23–24, 2020 | 2020 Skate America | 6 77.48 | 8 137.14 | 6 214.62 |
| 2019–20 season |||||
| Date | Event | SP | FS | Total |
| February 20–23, 2020 | 2020 Challenge Cup | 4 75.15 | 9 118.85 | 6 194.00 |
| January 20–26, 2020 | 2020 European Championships | 8 78.27 | 13 140.76 | 12 219.03 |
| December 4–7, 2019 | 2019 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb | 1 81.31 | 10 131.82 | 13 213.13 |
| November 22–24, 2019 | 2019 NHK Trophy | 12 61.97 | 11 135.66 | 11 197.63 |
| 30 October – 3 November 2019 | 2019 CS Asian Open Trophy | 6 67.81 | 4 127.82 | 4 195.03 |
| October 18–20, 2019 | 2019 Skate America | 6 79.76 | 10 139.94 | 7 219.70 |
| September 25–28, 2019 | 2019 CS Nebelhorn Trophy | 2 70.46 | 3 144.24 | 3 214.70 |
| 2018–19 season |||||
| Date | Event | SP | FS | Total |
| March 18–24, 2019 | 2019 World Championships | 22 77.67 | 22 138.93 | 22 216.60 |
| 20–23 February 2019 | 2019 Open Ice Mall Cup | 2 78.06 | 1 156.51 | 2 234.57 |
| 21–27 January 2019 | 2019 European Championships | 7 84.19 | 13 136.31 | 9 220.50 |
| December 5–8, 2018 | 2018 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb | 10 72.94 | 12 119.27 | 10 192.21 |
| 2–4 November 2018 | 2018 Grand Prix of Helsinki | 9 74.05 | 8 128.89 | 9 202.33 |
| 19–21 October 2018 | 2018 Skate America | 10 69.69 | 8 127.78 | 9 197.47 |
| 4–7 October 2018 | 2018 CS Finlandia Trophy | 22 46.90 | WD | WD |
| 2017–18 season |||||
| Date | Event | SP | FS | Total |
| 19–25 March 2018 | 2018 World Championships | 7 90.99 | 7 167.29 | 4 258.28 |
| 16–17 February 2018 | 2018 Winter Olympics | 13 84.13 | 9 172.88 | 11 257.01 |
| 9–11 February 2018 | 2018 Winter Olympics (team event) | 2 88.49 | – | |
| 15–21 January 2018 | 2018 European Championships | 8 74.97 | 4 163.47 | 5 238.44 |
| 6–9 December 2017 | 2017 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb | 4 77.88 | 3 153.93 | 2 231.81 |
| 17–19 November 2017 | 2017 Internationaux de France | 5 86.79 | 5 160.65 | 5 247.44 |
| 10–12 November 2017 | 2017 NHK Trophy | 2 85.52 | 3 166.55 | 3 252.07 |
| 26–29 October 2017 | 2017 CS Minsk-Arena Ice Star | 4 76.01 | 7 135.20 | 6 211.21 |
| 2016–17 season |||||
| Date | Event | SP | FS | Total |
| 29 March – 2 April 2017 | 2017 World Championships | 11 85.28 | 12 160.68 | 10 245.96 |
| 25–29 January 2017 | 2017 European Championships | 3 86.68 | 9 152.56 | 4 239.24 |
| 7–10 December 2016 | 2016 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb | 4 76.18 | 2 151.90 | 1 228.08 |
| 25–27 November 2016 | 2016 NHK Trophy | 7 75.13 | 4 154.74 | 4 229.87 |
| 4–6 November 2016 | 2016 Rostelecom Cup | 4 86.81 | 3 168.71 | 3 255.52 |
| 6–10 October 2016 | 2016 CS Finlandia Trophy | 6 74.17 | 10 129.58 | 7 203.75 |
| 2015–16 season |||||
| Date | Event | SP | FS | Total |
| 28 March – 3 April 2016 | 2016 World Championships | 19 69.86 | 11 156.21 | 13 226.07 |
| 26–31 January 2016 | 2016 European Championships | 4 84.09 | 4 158.47 | 2 242.56 |
| 6–10 January 2016 | 2016 Toruń Cup | 1 78.57 | 1 149.95 | 1 228.52 |
| 20–22 November 2015 | 2015 Rostelecom Cup | 10 67.46 | 10 118.54 | 10 186.00 |
| 23–25 October 2015 | 2015 Skate America | 12 50.68 | 12 121.15 | 12 171.83 |
| 2014–15 season |||||
| Date | Event | SP | FS | Total |
| 23–29 March 2015 | 2015 World Championships | 12 74.98 | 16 134.26 | 17 209.26 |
| 26 Jan. – 1 Feb. 2015 | 2015 European Championships | 7 73.63 | 4 146.59 | 4 220.22 |
| 3–7 December 2014 | 2014 Tallinn Trophy | 1 65.72 | 1 143.30 | 1 209.02 |
| 7–9 November 2014 | 2014 Cup of China | 5 76.96 | 8 127.19 | 7 204.15 |
| 24–26 October 2014 | 2014 Skate America | 11 64.54 | 12 121.44 | 11 185.98 |
| 9–12 October 2014 | 2014 CS Finlandia Trophy | 5 59.03 | 5 117.63 | 5 176.66 |
| 24–27 September 2014 | 2014 CS Nebelhorn Trophy | 7 66.55 | 9 112.16 | 7 178.71 |
| 2013–14 season |||||
| Date | Event | SP | FS | Total |
| 26–29 March 2014 | 2014 World Championships | 12 69.73 | 13 141.51 | 15 211.24 |
| 13–14 February 2014 | 2014 Winter Olympics | 22 62.44 | 21 114.62 | 21 177.06 |
| 13–19 January 2014 | 2014 European Championships | 13 63.68 | 9 135.08 | 10 203.76 |
| 5–8 December 2013 | 2013 Golden Spin of Zagreb | 4 62.34 | 3 125.64 | 4 187.98 |
| 26–28 September 2013 | 2013 Nebelhorn Trophy | 8 64.50 | 3 132.96 | 5 197.46 |
| 12–14 September 2013 | 2013 U.S. Classic | 5 62.19 | 9 100.52 | 9 162.71 |