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DANA'S figure skating website

 

Renee Roca and Gorsha Sur


Renee Roca (born 1963) is an American figure skater and choreographer. She competed in ice dance. With partner Donald Adair, she won the gold medal at the 1986 United States Figure Skating Championships. She later paired with former Russian skater Gorsha Sur and captured two more national titles. She and Sur toured with Stars on Ice after leaving eligible competition.


Roca has also worked as a skating choreographer. She choreographed the free skate Jill Trenary used to win her World Championship in 1990, the free dance Elizabeth Punsalan and Jerod Swallow used to win their first national title in 1991, and the short program that Nicole Bobek used in 1995, when she placed first at the World Figure Skating Championships in that segment. More recently, Roca has been a choreographer on the television show Skating with Celebrities.

 Georgi "Gorsha" Sur (born January 1, 1967 in Moscow, Soviet Union (now Russia)) is an ex-Soviet American ice dancer. He previously competed for the Soviet Union with Svetlana Liapina and won two medals with her at the World Junior Figure Skating Championships.

 Sur defected to the United States on January 24, 1990. Once in the States, he paired up with Renée Roca with the intention of skating professionally with her. When the International Skating Union allowed pros to reinstate, Roca and Sur did and they won two U.S. National titles. Roca and Sur attempted to accelerate Sur's citizenship so they could compete in the Olympics, but it was successfully blocked. After retiring from competitive skating, Roca and Sur toured with Stars on Ice.

 Although Sur has been credited as being the indirect cause of the Rent-A-Russian phenomenon in American skating,[1] it is important to note that he came to the United States and settled there legitimately, with no intention of ever competing again.

 
Sur currently works as a coach and choreographer and is based out of
Oakland Ice Center.

A profile 

Renée Roca

  • Birthdate: May 18, 1963
  • Birthplace: Rochester, NY
  • Residence: Colorado Springs, CO
  • Hobbies: Ballet, reading, movies, art, choreography, and anything cultural

Gorsha Sur

  • Birthdate: January 1, 1967
  • Birthplace: Moscow, Russia
  • Residence: Colorado Springs, CO
  • Hobbies: Russian literature, ballet, art, driving fast, and skiing

Competitive Highlights

Amateur

Professional