Alexander Markuntsov

Who is Alexander Markuntsov?

Alexander Markuntsov is a Russian pair skater who also competed internationally for Japan.

Early in his career, Markuntsov competed internationally for Russia on the junior level with Valentina Razskazova. He had the most success with Yuko Kawaguchi, competing for Japan. They teamed up in 1999 and were the first pair team representing Japan to medal at an ISU Championship, which they did when they won the silver medal at the 2001 World Junior Championships. They are the 2002 and 2003 Japanese national champions. Their highest placement at a senior ISU Championship was seventh at the 2003 Four Continents. They were coached by Tamara Moskvina. They ended their partnership following the 2002–2003 season.

In 2008, Markuntsov began skating as an adagio pair with British skater Catherine Harvey. They have skated as principal pairs in Disney on Ice shows. In 2009/10 they appeared as principal pairs on Royal Caribbean cruise ship "Navigator of the Seas" cruising the Caribbean and Medditeranean seas. Harvey and Markuntsov were married in Manchester, England in December 2010.

Both of them now teach figure skating at the Leisure Box in Birmingham.