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Luka Berulava
Berulava at the 2020 Winter Youth Olympics.
Native name	ლუკა ბერულავა
Born	(2002-11-27) 27 November 2002 (age 22) Moscow, Russia
Hometown	Perm, Russia
Height	1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
Figure skating career
Country	Georgia
Discipline	Pair skating
Partner	Anastasiia Metelkina (since 2023) Karina Safina (2021–22) Alina Butaeva (2019–20)
Coach	Pavel Sliusarenko Egor Zukroev Maxim Trankov
Began skating	2005
Medal record
European Championships 2024 Kaunas Pairs Grand Prix Final 2024–25 Grenoble Pairs Winter Youth Olympics 2020 Lausanne Team 2020 Lausanne Pairs World Junior Championships 2022 Tallinn Pairs 2024 Taipei Pairs Junior Grand Prix Final 2023–24 Beijing Pairs

Luka Berulava (Russian: Лука Берулава; Georgian: ლუკა ბერულავა, born 27 November 2002) is a Russian-born pair skater who currently competes for Georgia. With current partner Anastasia Metelkina, he is the 2024 World Junior champion, 2024 European silver medalist, 2023–24 Junior Grand Prix Final champion, and two-time ISU Junior Grand Prix gold medalist.

Berulava first emerged on the international scene with partner Alina Butaeva, with whom he won two medals at the 2020 Winter Youth Olympics − bronze in pairs and gold in the team event. He then formed a new partnership with Karina Safina. Safina/Berulava were the first Georgian pair medalists on the ISU Junior Grand Prix circuit, and the first Georgians to win a World Junior title in any discipline when they won gold in 2022. At the senior level they won a bronze medal at the 2021 CS Nebelhorn Trophy, achieved notable fourth-place finishes at both the 2022 World Championships and the 2022 European Championships, and represented Georgia at the 2022 Winter Olympics.

Personal life

Berulava was born on 27 November 2002 in Moscow. He is of Georgian descent but was born in Russia after his family decided to relocate due to war-related concerns.

He resides in Perm, where he also trains with partner Anastasiia Metelkina.

Career

Berulava began learning to skate in 2005. In 2019, he teamed up with Russia's Alina Butaeva to compete in pair skating. The pair decided to train in Perm, coached by Pavel Sliusarenko and Alexei Menshikov.

2019–20 season: Youth Olympics medals

The two made their debut for Georgia in September 2019, placing eighth at an ISU Junior Grand Prix (JGP) event in Poland and then sixth at JGP Croatia. Their results earned a spot for Georgia in the pairs' event at the 2020 Winter Youth Olympics. In November, they took bronze in the junior pairs' category at the Volvo Open Cup in Riga, Latvia. In December, they won the junior event at the Golden Spin of Zagreb.

In January 2020, the pair competed at the 2020 Winter Youth Olympics in Lausanne, Switzerland. They finished third in the short program behind two pairs from Russia, then did likewise in the free skating program. Their combined score put them in third place with a bronze medal. This was Georgia's first medal in the Winter Youth Olympic Games, and their tenth medal in the Youth Olympic Games overall. The pair also received a gold medal for their participation in the team event as part of Team Courage, alongside Arlet Levandi from Estonia, Ksenia Sinitsyna from Russia, and ice dancers Yoshida/Nishiyama from Japan. Butaeva/Berulava finished the season at the 2020 World Junior Championships, where they placed seventh.

2021–22 season: Debut of Safina/Berulava

After the end of his partnership with Butaeva, Berulava formed a new partnership with Russian pair skater Karina Safina. With international junior competition resuming following the COVID-19 pandemic causing the 2020–21 junior season to be cancelled, Safina/Berulava made their Junior Grand Prix debut at the 2021 JGP Slovakia. they won the silver medal behind gold medal-winning Russian team Mukhortova/Evgenyev, and ahead of third place Russian team Kostiukovich/Briukhanov. Their placement marked Georgia's first Junior Grand Prix medal in pair skating.

Safina/Berulava next made their senior international debut at the 2021 CS Nebelhorn Trophy to attempt to qualify a berth for Georgia in the pairs event at the 2022 Winter Olympics. The team set a new personal best to win the short program by a narrow margin over German team Hase/Seegert. They fell to third in the free program after losing their forward inside death spiral and one of their lifts, and ultimately finished third overall to successfully qualify for an Olympic spot in their discipline for Georgia. Berulava remarked afterwards, "we would like to have done it in a better, nicer way." Their performance, along with Georgian ice dance team Kazakova/Reviya's podium placement, also qualified a spot for Georgia in the Olympic team event.

Safina/Berulava returned to the Junior Grand Prix circuit in October for their second assignment, the 2021 JGP Austria in Linz. They placed third in both segments to finish third overall behind Russian teams Khabibullina/Knyazhuk and Mukhortova/Evgenyev. Due to the unique qualification process for the 2021–22 season, the team did not advance to the 2021–22 Junior Grand Prix Final, despite two podium finishes.

In December, Safina/Berulava faced domestic rivals Metelkina/Parkman for the first time in international competition at the 2021 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb. Safina/Berulava set a new personal best to win the short program but fell to eighth in the free program standings after errors on their side-by-side jumping passes and losing their forward inside death spiral. The team placed seventh overall, while Metelkina/Parkman advanced onto the podium and took home the silver medal. Metelkina/Parkman initially received the nod for the Georgian pairs berth at the 2022 European Championships; however, Safina/Berulava replaced them after they withdrew from the event on 9 January. At Europeans, Safina/Berulava placed sixth in the short program after falling on their side-by-side triple Salchows. They delivered a stronger performance in the free skate, albeit still struggling with their side-by-side jumps, to climb to fourth in the segment and fourth overall, the best of the non-Russian competitors.

The day after the pairs free skate at the European Championships, Safina/Berulava were officially named to the Georgian team for the 2022 Winter Olympics by the Georgian Figure Skating Federation. Safina/Berulava made their Olympic debut in the team event before the opening ceremony on February 3. They cleanly skated their short program to place sixth in the segment out of nine and earn five points towards Team Georgia's combined score. However, despite scoring 22 team points overall to tie for fifth place with Team China going into the free skate, Team Georgia lost the tie-breaker and did not advance. In the pairs event, Safina/Berulava were ninth in the short program and eighth in the free skate, for ninth overall.

Days after the Olympics concluded, Vladimir Putin ordered an invasion of Ukraine, as a result of which the International Skating Union banned all Russian and Belarusian skaters from competing at the 2022 World Championships. As well, the Chinese Skating Association opted not to send athletes to compete in Montpellier. As those countries' athletes comprised the entirety of the top five pairs at the Olympics, this greatly impacted the field. Safina and Berulava relocated to train in Italy. They placed fourth in the short program at the World Championships with a clean skate. They were fourth in the free skate to finish fourth overall, the only error in the latter segment being Safina doubling out on a triple Salchow attempt.

Due to the pandemic, the World Junior Championships could not be held in their scheduled location of Sofia, and as a result, they were moved to Tallinn and held in mid-April, rather than their traditional early March timeframe. As Russian pair teams were also banned from attending this event, Safina/Berulava entered as heavy favourites for the gold medal. They won the short program with a clean skate and a 67.77 score. They also won the free skate, taking the title by a margin of almost twenty points. Berulava reflected that "it was a long and busy season with many competitions and to end it with a gold medal is really nice."

2022–23 season

Safina and Berulava were assigned to make their senior Grand Prix debut in the fall. Despite dealing with an injury in the lead-up to their first event, the 2022 Grand Prix de France, they placed third in the short program, with Safina saying, "I am more pleased than not pleased with our performance today because nothing really worked in practice for me. We have still a lot of work ahead of us, and I think I've done the maximum of what I can do at the moment." They struggled in the free skate, placing sixth in that segment and dropping to fifth overall. The team later withdrew from their second assignment, the 2022 Grand Prix of Espoo.

After missing most of the season, Safina/Berulava returned to compete at the 2023 World Championships, but struggled at the event and came nineteenth. The following month, Safina announced that Berulava had opted to end their partnership. He subsequently confirmed this, expressing "deep gratitude to Karina."

2023–24 season: Debut of Metelkina/Berulava

On June 5, it was announced by the Georgian Federation that Berulava had teamed up with Anastasia Metelkina. Metelkina/Berulava opted to make their competitive debut on the Junior Grand Prix, winning the gold medal at the 2023 JGP Turkey in Istanbul. Despite two falls in their free skate, their margin of victory over American silver medalists Flores/Wang was almost 27 points. Two weeks later they earned the gold at their second event, the 2023 JGP Hungary in Budapest, despite difficulties on their jump elements. Metelkina/Berulava's results qualified them to the Junior Grand Prix Final in December; they said they planned on getting senior-level experience in the meantime.

Metelkina/Berulava made their senior debut at the Warsaw Cup, winning the gold medal. They then entered the Junior Grand Prix Final as heavy favourites to take the title, and won by a 34-point margin over Canadian silver medalists Kemp/Elizarov. They were the first Georgian pair team to win the Junior Grand Prix Final gold.

Entering the 2024 European Championships in Kaunas as among the favourites, Metelkina/Berulava took first place in the short program, winning a gold small medal. Metelkina erred on both of her jump sequences in the free skate, and they came fifth in that segment, dropping to second place overall. Berulava remarked that "not everything worked out. But it's only our first season together and silver is also a medal."

Having medaled at a senior championship event before returning to juniors, Metelkina/Berulava were heavy favourites at the 2024 World Junior Championships in Taipei, and won the short program by a margin of 9.20 points. They struggled in the free skate, with errors on all four jumping elements, but still finished first in that segment as well, and claimed the gold medal. Both vowed to work harder in training after the difficulties in the free program.

Making their senior World Championship debut as a team at the 2024 edition in Montreal, Metelkina/Berulava were fifth in the short program. They were only 0.08 points behind fourth-place Germans Hase/Volodin, thus narrowly missing participation in the final flight of the free skate. In that segment, they struggled with several errors, including an aborted lift, which saw them come tenth in the free skate and drop to seventh overall. Speaking afterward, a "despondent" Berulava said: "Right now, I don't have words to comment on this performance."

Programs

With Metelkina

With Safina

With Butaeva

Competitive highlights

• GP – Event of the ISU Grand Prix Series
• JGP – Event of the ISU Junior Grand Prix Series

Pair skating with Anastasiia Metelkina

Pair skating with Karina Safina

Pair skating with Alina Butaeva

Detailed results

Pair skating with Anastasiia Metelkina

• Small medals for the short program and free skating are only awarded at ISU Championships.

Senior level

Results in the 2023–24 season 

Date	Event	SP		FS		Total
		P	Score	P	Score	P	Score
Nov 16–19, 2023	2023 Warsaw Cup	1	66.93	1	137.08	1	204.01
Jan 8–14, 2024	2024 European Championships	1	71.30	5	124.84	2	196.14
Mar 18–24, 2024	2024 World Championships	5	72.02	10	117.28	7	189.30

Results in the 2024–25 season 

Date	Event	SP		FS		Total
		P	Score	P	Score	P	Score
Oct 18–20, 2024	2024 Skate America	3	68.64	4	122.79	4	191.43
Nov 8–10, 2024	2024 NHK Trophy	2	70.28	1	142.77	1	213.05
Nov 20–24, 2024	2024 CS Warsaw Cup	1	67.17	1	134.86	1	202.03
Dec 5–8, 2024	2024–25 Grand Prix Final	3	72.26	2	133.52	3	205.78

Junior level

Results in the 2023–24 season 

Date	Event	SP		FS		Total
		P	Score	P	Score	P	Score
Sep 6–9, 2023	2023 JGP Turkey	1	67.92	1	113.45	1	181.37
Sep 20–23, 2023	2023 JGP Hungary	1	69.94	1	120.51	1	190.45
Dec 7–10, 2023	2023–24 Junior Grand Prix Final	1	70.48	1	131.63	1	202.11
Feb 26 – Mar 3, 2024	2024 World Junior Championships	1	71.53	1	107.79	1	179.32

With Safina

Senior results

Junior results

With Butaeva

Junior results

References

1. ^ "Russia's next generation shines in Kosice at ISU Junior Grand Prix". International Skating Union. September 6, 2021.
2. ^ "Alina BUTAEVA / Luka BERULAVA: 2019/2020". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 18 January 2020.
3. "BERULAVA Luka". lausanne2020.sport. Archived from the original on 18 January 2020.
4. Bagriantseva, Maya (September 22, 2024). "Georgia's Metelkina and Berulava build momentum". Golden Skate. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
5. ^ "Anastasiia METELKINA / Luka BERULAVA: 2023/2024". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 11 September 2023.
6. "Junior Pairs". International Skating Union. 20 December 2019. Retrieved 17 January 2020.
7. "Junior Pairs". International Skating Union. 28 September 2019. Retrieved 17 January 2020.
8. "ალინა ბუტაევამ და ლუკა ბერულავამ 2020 წლის ზამთრის ახალგაზრდული ოლიმპიური თამაშების ლიცენზია მოიპოვეს" [Alina Butaeva and Luka Berulava Obtained License for Youth 2020 Winter Olympics] (in Georgian). The Recorder. 28 September 2019. Retrieved 17 January 2020.
9. "Volvo Open Cup 40 th". www.kristalice.lv. 10 November 2019. Retrieved 17 January 2020.
10. "Competition Results: Alina BUTAEVA / Luka BERULAVA". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 18 January 2020.
11. Bilikhodze, Elene (10 January 2020). "ალინა ბუტაევასა და ლუკა ბერულავას წყვილმა მოკლე პროგრამა მესამე ადგილზე დაასრულა" [A Pair of Alina Butaeva and Luka Berulava Finished Third in the Short Program]. 1tv.ge (in Georgian). First Channel. Retrieved 17 January 2020.
12. "Georgian figure skating couple wins bronze at Winter Youth Olympics". agenda.ge. 12 January 2020. Retrieved 17 January 2020.
13. "ისტორიაში პირველად, საქართველომ ზამთრის ახალგაზრდულ ოლიმპიურ თამაშებზე მედალი მოიპოვა" [For the first time in its history, Georgia has won a medal at the Winter Youth Olympic Games]. 13 January 2020. Retrieved 17 January 2020.
14. "ოლიმპიური ოქრო ლოზანიდან" [Olympic gold from Lausanne]. lelo.ge (in Georgian). 16 January 2020. Retrieved 17 January 2020.
15. Slater, Paula (March 5, 2020). "Panfilova and Rylov claim Pairs' title at Junior Worlds". Golden Skate.
16. Flade, Tatjana (September 24, 2021). "Germany's Hase and Seegert claim victory on home ice at Nebelhorn". Golden Skate.
17. ^ "Competition Results: Karina SAFINA / Luka BERULAVA". International Skating Union.
18. Slater, Paula (January 14, 2022). "Mishina and Galliamov take European title in Russian sweep". Golden Skate.
19. Georgian Figure Skating Federation (14 January 2022). "Olympic Team Announcement - KARINA SAFINA/LUKA BERULAVA will represent Georgia at 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games!!!" – via Instagram.
20. Slater, Paula (February 4, 2022). "Team USA leads Olympic Figure Skating Team Event". Golden Skate.
21. Slater, Paula (February 7, 2022). "ROC wins Olympic figure skating team event". Golden Skate.
22. Slater, Paula (February 18, 2022). "Sui and Han lead Pairs in Beijing with new record score". Golden Skate.
23. Slater, Paula (February 19, 2022). "Chinese edge out ROC for Pairs' gold in 2022 Beijing Olympics". Golden Skate.
24. Campigotto, Jesse (March 22, 2022). "Get ready for a bizarre figure skating world championships". CBC Sports.
25. Slater, Paula (March 23, 2022). "USA's Knierim and Frazier lead Pairs in Montpellier". Golden Skate.
26. Slater, Paula (March 24, 2022). "USA's Knierim and Frazier take gold in Worlds debut as a team". Golden Skate.
27. "ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships 2022 allotted to Tallinn (EST)". International Skating Union. March 4, 2022.
28. "ISU Statement on the Ukrainian crisis – Participation in international competitions of Skaters and Officials from Russia and Belarus". International Skating Union. March 1, 2022.
29. "2022 World Junior Championships". International Figure Skating.
30. Slater, Paula (April 14, 2022). "Safina and Berulava stand out in Tallinn". Golden Skate.
31. Slater, Paula (April 15, 2022). "Safina and Berulava take first Junior World gold for Georgian Pairs". Golden Skate.
32. "Stellato-Dudek/Deschamps (CAN) grab narrow Pairs lead at Grand Prix de France". International Skating Union. November 4, 2022.
33. Slater, Paula (November 6, 2022). "Stellato-Dudek and Deschamps win Grand Prix Pairs' title in France". Golden Skate.
34. Safina, Karina (April 7, 2023). "Ну что ж… Вот пришел конец и этой истории. Это не было моим решением, но говорю об этом первой" (Instagram). Archived from the original on April 7, 2023.
35. Berulava, Luka (April 7, 2023). "Дорогие друзья! Хочу сообщить о прекращении существования нашей пары" (Instagram). Archived from the original on April 7, 2023.
36. "საერთაშორისო საციგურაო კავშირის წესების თანახმად, ფიგურულ ციგურაობაში ოფიციალური საერთაშორისო ტურნირები აგვისტოს ბოლოს, იუნიორთა შორის გრან პრის ეტაპებით იწყება" [According to the rules of the International Skating Union, official international tournaments in figure skating begin at the end of August, with the Grand Prix stages among juniors.] (in Georgian). June 5, 2023.
37. "Ami Nakai (JPN) and Rio Nakata (JPN) secure Junior Grand Prix Final spot in Istanbul (TUR)". International Skating Union. September 11, 2023. Retrieved September 11, 2023.
38. "Six Skaters celebrate their spots for ISU Junior Grand Prix Final after competing in Budapest (HUN)". International Skating Union. September 25, 2023. Retrieved September 25, 2023.
39. "Competition Results: Anastasiia METELKINA / Luka BERULAVA". International Skating Union.
40. Slater, Paula (December 9, 2023). "Metelkina and Berulava secure historic gold in Beijing". Golden Skate. Retrieved December 10, 2023.
41. Slater, Paula (January 11, 2024). "Beccari and Guarise clinch unexpected gold at 2024 Europeans". Golden Skate. Retrieved January 28, 2024.
42. Slater, Paula (February 29, 2024). "Metelkina and Berulava seize Junior World pairs title". Golden Skate. Retrieved March 17, 2024.
43. Slater, Paula (March 22, 2024). "Stellato-Dudek and Deschamps golden in Montreal". Golden Skate. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
44. "Anastasiia METELKINA / Luka BERULAVA: 2024/2025". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 7 November 2024.
45. "Karina SAFINA / Luka BERULAVA: 2022/2023". International Skating Union. Retrieved 4 November 2022.
46. "Karina SAFINA / Luka BERULAVA: 2021/2022". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 3 September 2021.
47. ^ "GEO–Anatasiia Metelkina/Luka Berulava". SkatingScores.com. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
48. ^ "GEO–Karina Safina/Luka Berulava". SkatingScores.com. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
49. "GEO–Alina Butaeva/Luka Berulava". SkatingScores.com. Retrieved August 4, 2024.

External links

Media related to Luka Berulava at Wikimedia Commons

• Anastasiia Metelkina & Luka Berulava at the International Skating Union
• Anastasiia Metelkina & Luka Berulava at SkatingScores.com
• Karina Safina & Luka Berulava at the International Skating Union
• Karina Safina & Luka Berulava at SkatingScores.com
• Alina Butaeva & Luka Berulava at the International Skating Union
• Alina Butaeva & Luka Berulava at SkatingScores.com
• Luka Berulava at Olympedia (archive)
• Luka Berulava at Olympics.com

• 2002 births
• Figure skaters at the 2020 Winter Youth Olympics
• Male pair skaters from Georgia (country)
• Living people
• Figure skaters from Perm, Russia
• Figure skaters from Moscow
• Russian sportspeople of Georgian descent
• Figure skaters at the 2022 Winter Olympics
• Olympic figure skaters for Georgia (country)
• World Junior Figure Skating Championships medalists
• European Figure Skating Championships medalists