{{Short description|Russian pair skater (1965–2025)}} {{redirect|Volyanskaya|the Soviet writer with maiden name Volyanskaya|Galina Nikolaeva}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2025}} {{Infobox figure skater | name = Inna Volyanskaya | image = Bundesarchiv Bild 183-W1115-0014, Eiskunstläufer, DDR, UdSSR (cropped) - Volyanskaya.jpg | caption = Volyanskaya at the 1980 Blue Swords | native_name = Инна Волянская | native_name_lang = ru | fullname = | altname = | country = Soviet Union | birth_date = {{birth date|1965|7|5|df=yes}} | birth_place = Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union | death_date = {{death date and age|2025|1|29|1965|7|5|df=yes}} | death_place = Washington, D.C., U.S. | hometown = | height = | partner = Valery Spiridonov | coach = Tatiana Tarasova | skating club = | beganskating = | retired = 1983 }} '''Inna Volyanskaya''' ({{langx|ru|Инна Витальевна Волянская}}; 5 July 1965 – 29 January 2025) was a Russian pair skater who competed for the Soviet Union. With Valery Spiridonov, she won six international medals, including gold at the 1982 Nebelhorn Trophy.
== Career == [[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 183-W1115-0014, Eiskunstläufer, DDR, UdSSR.jpg|thumb|Volyanskaya/Spiridonov (centre) at the 1980 Blue Swords]] Volyanskaya/Spiridonov won silver at the 1980 St. Ivel International,<ref name=SCRB2/> gold at the 1980 Blue Swords,<ref name=PBS/> silver at the 1981 Prague Skate,<ref name=SCRB2/> gold at the 1982 Grand Prix International St. Gervais,<ref name=SCRB1/> and gold at the 1982 Nebelhorn Trophy.<ref name=Nebelhorn/> After retiring from competition, they skated together in ice shows, including ''Torvill & Dean and the Russian Allstars''.<ref name=DN900112/>
From 2017 until her death in 2025, Volyanskaya worked as a skating coach at the Ashburn Ice House in Ashburn, Virginia, United States.<ref name=Ashburn/><ref name=USFSCC/>
== Personal life and death == Volyanskaya was born on 5 July 1965.<ref name=DN900112/> She was at one-time married to Spiridonov, and was at the time of her death married to Jeremy Wilson.<ref name=DN900112/> Volyanskaya also had a daughter, Maria, whose godmother was Volyanskaya's former coach, Tatiana Tarasova.<ref>{{cite web |title='The world of sports has suffered a great loss' A look back at the lives of the Russian figure skaters killed in the D.C. plane crash |url=https://meduza.io/en/feature/2025/01/31/the-world-of-sports-has-suffered-a-great-loss |website=Meduza |access-date=1 February 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Inna Volyanskaya, 59, is remembered as a tiny woman with a fierce heart of gold. |url=https://www.instagram.com/p/DFeD0_qxbWG/?hl=en |website=Instagram |access-date=1 February 2025}}</ref>
On 29 January 2025, Volyanskaya died when the passenger jet she was onboard collided with an U.S. Army helicopter above the Potomac River in Washington, D.C., leaving no survivors. She was 59.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ward |first=Jasper |date=30 January 2025 |title=US Figure Skaters Were on Board Flight That Crashed Into Potomac |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-figure-skaters-were-board-plane-that-crashed-into-potomac-river-2025-01-30/ |access-date=30 January 2025 |website=reuters.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Washington DC plane crash: World champion figure skaters and coaches among victims |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/washington-dc-plane-crash-victims-figure-skaters-competition-b2688981.html |access-date=30 January 2025 |work=The Independent |date=30 January 2025 |language=en |archive-date=30 January 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250130145336/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/washington-dc-plane-crash-victims-figure-skaters-competition-b2688981.html |url-status=live }}</ref> On March 2, 2025, U.S. Figure Skating held the ice show Legacy on Ice, which paid tribute to Volyanskaya and the other victims that were killed aboard American Eagle Flight 5342.<ref>{{cite web |title=Legacy on Ice |url=https://www.usfigureskating.org/event/legacy-ice |website=U.S. Figure Skating |access-date=4 March 2025}}</ref> Volyanskaya's former students paid tribute to their coach by skating to "You'll Be in My Heart" by Phil Collins.<ref>{{cite web |title=Legacy on Ice a Powerful Showcase of Community |url=https://www.ice-dance.com/site/legacy-on-ice-a-powerful-showcase-of-community/ |website=IceDance.com |access-date=8 March 2025}}</ref>
== Competitive highlights == ;with Spiridonov
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |- ! style="background-color: #ffdead; " colspan=5 align=center | International |- ! Event ! 1979–80 ! 1980–81 ! 1981–82 ! 1982–83 |- | align=left | Blue Swords || || bgcolor=gold | 1st || || bgcolor=silver | 2nd |- | align=left | Nebelhorn Trophy || || || || bgcolor=gold | 1st |- | align=left | NHK Trophy || || || 4th || |- | align=left | Prague Skate || || || bgcolor=silver | 2nd || |- | align=left | St. Gervais International || || || || bgcolor=gold | 1st |- | align=left | St. Ivel International || || bgcolor=silver | 2nd || || |- ! style="background-color: #ffdead; " colspan=5 align=center | National<ref name=fskate/><ref name=solovieff/> |- | align=left | Soviet Championships || bgcolor=cc9966 | 3rd || 6th || 4th || |}
== References == {{Reflist|refs=
<ref name=USFSCC>{{cite web |url= http://www.usfigureskating.org/content/CoachCompliance1617.pdf |title= 2016 – 2017 Coach Compliance |publisher= U.S. Figure Skating |page= 319 |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20170327230041/http://www.usfigureskating.org/content/CoachCompliance1617.pdf |archivedate= 27 March 2017 |url-status= live }}</ref>
<ref name=Nebelhorn>{{cite web |url= http://www.eislauf-union.de/nht-Rckblick.History.html |title= Nebelhorn Trophy gold medalists since 1969 |publisher= Deutsche Eislauf-Union (German Ice Skating Union) |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20110720112655/http://www.eislauf-union.de/nht-Rckblick.History.html |archivedate= 20 July 2011 |url-status= dead }}</ref>
<ref name=PBS>{{cite web |url= http://www.eiskunstlauf-ecke.de/archiv/history/blue_swords.shtml |title= Blue Swords (Pokal der Blauen Schwerter) – Gold Medalists |publisher= Figure Skating Corner |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20151222111904/http://www.eiskunstlauf-ecke.de/archiv/history/blue_swords.shtml |archivedate= 22 December 2015 |url-status= dead }}</ref>
<ref name=SCRB1>{{cite web |url= http://www.skatecanada.ca/en/events_results/results/archives/SkateCanadaResultsBook-%20Volume1-1896-1973.pdf |title=Results Book, Volume 1: 1896–1973 |pages= 22–28 |publisher= Skate Canada |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20101122231727/http://www.skatecanada.ca/en/events_results/results/archives/SkateCanadaResultsBook-%20Volume1-1896-1973.pdf |archivedate= 22 November 2010 |url-status= dead }}</ref>
<ref name=SCRB2>{{cite web |url= http://www.skatecanada.ca/en/events_results/results/archives/SkateCanadaResultsBook-Volume2-1974-current.pdf |title= Results Book, Volume 2: 1974–current |publisher= Skate Canada |pages= 80–83, 123–125 |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20090920093849/http://skatecanada.ca/en/events_results/results/archives/SkateCanadaResultsBook-Volume2-1974-current.pdf |archivedate= 20 September 2009 |url-status= dead }}</ref>
<ref name=DN900112>{{cite news |url= http://www.deseretnews.com/article/81599/TORVILL--DEAN-RUSSIAN-ALLSTARS-SKATING-INTO-SL.html |title=Torvill & Dean, Russian Allstars skating into S.L. |publisher= Deseret News |date= 12 January 1990 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170329071436/http://www.deseretnews.com/article/81599/TORVILL--DEAN-RUSSIAN-ALLSTARS-SKATING-INTO-SL.html |archive-date= 29 March 2017 |url-status= dead }}</ref>
<ref name=fskate>{{cite web |url= http://www.fskate.ru/skaters/1356.html |title= Инна Волянская |language= Russian |website= fskate.ru |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20180418204154/http://www.fskate.ru/skaters/1356.html |archivedate= 18 April 2018 |url-status= live }}</ref>
<ref name=solovieff>{{cite web |url= http://www.solovieff.ru/main.mhtml?Part=48&PubID=185 |title= Волянская Инна |language= Russian |website= solovieff.ru |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20160406162611/http://www.solovieff.ru/main.mhtml?Part=48&PubID=185 |archivedate= 6 April 2016 |url-status= dead }}</ref>
<ref name=Ashburn>{{cite news |url= https://www.ashburnice.com/page/show/1508027-figure-skating-coaches |title= Figure Skating Coaches |publisher= Ashburn Ice House |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20181231040656/https://www.ashburnice.com/page/show/1508027-figure-skating-coaches |archivedate= 31 December 2018 |url-status= live }}</ref>
}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Volyanskaya, Inna}} Category:1965 births Category:2025 deaths Category:Soviet emigrants to the United States Category:Soviet female pair skaters Category:People from Oakton, Virginia Category:Sportspeople from Fairfax County, Virginia Category:Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in 2025 Category:Figure skaters from Moscow Category:Russian expatriates in the United States Category:Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in Washington, D.C. Category:Victims of mid-air collisions