Elena Vodorezova was coached by Stanislav Zhuk at the Armed Forces sports society in Moscow. A gifted free-skater, she represented her country at the 1976 Winter Olympics aged just 12. She was the first skater to complete a double flip, triple toe loop combination. She was noted for a spectacularly high double Axel and fast spins. She won the bronze medal at the 1978 European Championships; it was the first time a Soviet ladies' single skater had won a medal at the event. She missed the 1979–1981 seasons completely due to severe juvenile arthritis, which prevented her from even walking for months in 1979.