Mariia Pinchuk

Mariia Pinchuk (Марія Пінчук, born 7 April 2006) is a Ukrainian ice dancer. With her skating partner, Mykyta Pogorielov, she is a three-time ISU Junior Grand Prix medalist (including gold at the 2023 JGP Turkey), a two-time Ukrainian junior national champion (2021, 2022), and competed in the final segment at two World Junior Figure Skating Championships.

Early years
Pinchuk and Pogorielov made their international junior debut in the 2020–21 season which, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, featured few events, in particular for junior skaters. Despite this, they won three silver medals at smaller events held in Europe, most notably the Budapest Trophy. They won both the national novice and junior titles.

2021–22 season: War refugees
Pinchuk/Pogorielov made their Junior Grand Prix debut, coming ninth at the 2022 JGP Slovakia and sixth at the 2022 JGP Poland. They won their first international gold medal at the Open d'Andorra, and silver medals at both the Santa Claus Cup and the Victor Petrenko Cup, collecting their second Ukrainian junior title as well.

Pinchuk and Pogorielov's plans for the second half of the season were derailed by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which made their home city of Kharkiv the site of one of the largest and most protracted early battles. Pinchuk and her mother evacuated to Vienna, accompanied by coach Galina Churilova and Pogorielov, whose family had largely relocated to Spain. Despite these disruptions, the team was able to attend the 2022 World Junior Championships, which had been delayed and moved to Tallinn as a result of the invasion, with all Russian and Belarusian skaters banned from participating. Pinchuk/Pogorielov finished in seventeenth place in their ISU championship debut.

2022–23 season: First JGP medal
With their regular choreographer Larisa Fiodorova still in Kharkiv and unable to leave, Pinchuk and Pogorielov received assistance in preparing their new programs from retired Ukrainian senior champions Oleksandra Nazarova and Maksym Nikitin. In their second season on the Junior Grand Prix, they won the bronze medal at the 2022 JGP Latvia. In their second event, the 2022 JGP Poland, they finished fourth.

Opting to make their international senior debut, the team won a bronze medal at the Bosphorus Cup and silver at the Pavel Roman Memorial. They were sent to represent Ukraine at the 2023 European Championships, qualifying to the free dance and finishing fifteenth. Pinchuk/Pogorielov then appeared at their second World Junior Championships, coming twelfth in Calgary.

2023–24 season: JGP gold
Starting their season again on the Junior Grand Prix, Pinchuk/Pogorielov finished second in the rhythm dance at the 2023 JGP Turkey, but rose to first place after the free dance despite being second in that segment as well, winning the gold medal. This was the first JGP title for a Ukrainian dance team since Nosulia/Kholoniuk's victory on the 2011 circuit. Pinchuk assessed that "when you set a goal like this you have so many emotions and so many things to say but now I don't know what to say." At their second event, the 2023 JGP Poland, they won the silver medal, including a first-place finish in the free dance, despite an extended lift deduction. Their results qualified them to the Junior Grand Prix Final. They finished fifth at the Final, which they announced would be their last appearance at the junior level.

Personal life
Pinchuk was born on 7 April 2006 in Kharkiv, Ukraine. Pinchuk and her mother fled Kharkiv during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine and have lived in Austria since mid-March 2022. Her father, sister, and grandparents remain in Ukraine.

Competitive highlights
JGP: Junior Grand Prix