Lyudmila Belousova

Russian figure skater

Also known as: Lyudmila Yevgeniyevna Belousova

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July 16, 2026

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Lyudmila Belousova was a Russian figure skater who, along with her partner Oleg Protopopov, achieved significant success in pairs skating. They won two Olympic gold medals in the Winter Games, first in 1964 in Innsbruck, Austria, and again in 1968 in Grenoble, France.1

Belousova and Protopopov began skating relatively late but married in 1957. After placing 13th in their first world championships in 1958, they steadily improved, eventually winning the world championship in 1965 and holding the title for three consecutive years. Their innovative, balletic style of pairs skating, characterized by slow, romantic movements, ushered in a new era and established a long period of Soviet dominance in the event. They later defected to Switzerland in 1979 and continued to skate professionally.1

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Oleg Protopopov and Lyudmila Belousova
Protopopov and Belousova began skating at age 15 and 16, respectively, rather late for serious skaters. They met in 1954 (when he had completed his service in the Soviet navy), began to skate together, and married in 1957. They entered their first world championships in 1958, in…
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Protopopov and Belousova began skating at age 15 and 16, respectively, rather late for serious skaters. They met in 1954 (when he had completed his service in the Soviet navy), began to skate together, and married in 1957. They entered their first world championships in 1958, in…
Read More