The marriage of an ambitious single skater Irina Slutskaya with a modest physical education teacher Sergei Mikheev has long been considered exemplary. The couple have been together for 20 years. The initially unequal union nevertheless fell apart, despite the presence of two small children.
Dating history
Irina Slutskaya first saw her future husband when she was 16 years old. The fateful meeting took place in one of the rest houses of the Moscow region, where the skater arrived for the weekend with friends. 23-year-old Sergei then worked as a children's boxing coach. Behind Irina's shoulders was the "gold" of the European Championship and thousands of fans around the world.
Love at first sight did not work. At least from Irina's side. Sergei did not make a strong impression on the skater. In her words, she then "did not catch fire and did not ignite." But the former boxer was not going to retreat. He persistently courted Slutskaya. She drew attention to him only four years later. The 1998/99 season was not entirely successful for Irina. She was unable to break through to important starts - the European and World Championships. Sergei Mikheev at that moment was her support and helped to get in shape. The skater appreciated his efforts and reciprocated.
Living together
Slutskaya and Mikheev signed and got married immediately in August 1999. After the wedding, the newlyweds began to live with Irina's parents. Sergei from the first days dissolved in his wife. He was always with her: when she began to take prizes at the 2002 and 2006 Olympics, and when she first became the world champion, and when she was recovering from injuries, and during grueling training. At the same time, Mikheev avoided publicity, since he did not want the label "Slutskaya's husband" to be stuck to him.
At the end of 2006, Irina announced her retirement from the sport. Exactly one year later, the firstborn appeared in the family - the son Artem. Irina and Sergey quickly got used to the role of young parents. Three years later, Slutskaya gave birth to a daughter, Varvara. It is noteworthy that the children have different surnames. Artem bears the father's surname, and Varvara's mother.
The end of the relationship
The appearance of children did not save the marriage of Slutskaya and Mikheev. Irina rarely went out with her husband. It was rumored that the skater was embarrassed by her husband, who was an ordinary coach. She even tried to make a businessman out of him. According to rumors, Slutskaya bought him several stores and a network of gas stations. However, Sergey did not go well with his business. He was still training the children. After the sport, Irina tried herself in different roles and moved forward. So, she became a TV presenter, and then a deputy.
They started talking about Slutskaya's divorce back in 2016. The skater did not comment on such rumors. Only her relatives and friends knew that there was a discord in the Slutskaya family.
Meanwhile, the skater did not hesitate even then to appear in public, accompanied by other men. So, for a long time Alexei Tikhonov was next to her. He accompanied Irina at press conferences and social events. Only he did it mostly carefully so that no one noticed. In an interview, Slutskaya admitted that this is just her assistant.
However, the photographs of the paparazzi prompted other thoughts. At them Slutskaya and Tikhonov held hands and looked at each other with languid eyes. They left all the events together.
For the first time, the skater spoke publicly about divorce only three years after rumors appeared. Irina made a sensational confession in the Secret for a Million program. She noted that she and Sergey were simply not on the way.
New marriage
In June 2018, the skater played a wedding with Alexei Gavyrin. She was spontaneous. Even Irina's mother, with whom she is very close, did not know about the wedding.
Slutskaya's new husband is far from the world of sports. He is in business, and this marriage was his second. From his first wife, Gavyrin has a son and a daughter.
It is known that Irina and Alexey live in two houses. They spend most of their time in Slutskaya's mansion. On weekends, the couple tries to get away from the hustle and bustle - near Vladimir. There, the new spouse of the skater has a country house.
