Alexei Yagudin - Personal Life

Personal Life

Alexei Yagudin was born in Leningrad, now Saint Petersburg, in Russia. He grew up as an only child in a single-mother family, as his parents divorced when he was young.

In 1999, Yagudin moved to the United States in order to train with Tatiana Tarasova. Later that year he was dismissed from the Champions on Ice tour, presumably due to a drinking problem. He was a resident of the United States for almost seven years.

In 2003, Yagudin underwent hip surgery after touring with Stars on Ice. He assisted Tarasova to coach over summer and early fall. In September, he was arrested for drunk driving.

In 2005, Yagudin published his autobiography, Alexei Yagudin: Overcome, in Japan.

At the end of 2007, his autobiography was published in Russia with the title НаPRолом. Extra chapters and photos were added to cover the skater's recent life.

On June 2, 2008, Yagudin's car was stolen with one of his World Championships gold medals in it. Both the medal and the car remain unlocated.

On November 20, his fiancée, Olympic pair skating champion Tatiana Totmianina gave birth to his first child, a daughter named Elizaveta ("Liza"). They also have a Yorkshire Terrier named Varia.

Yagudin has stated that he and Totmianina do not wish their daughter to become involved in competitive skating, and that they hope she will concentrate on studying and music as she grows older.

In 2011, Yagudin joined a Russian campaign to promote healthy lifestyles. He took part in free physical trainings held in Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Rostov-on-Don, Ekaterinburg, Samara, Kazan and Novosibirsk. He stated, "I would like to achieve through this campaign at least the understanding of people that 30 or 40 minutes of their day can improve their health now and in the future."