Marina Pestova

Marina Nikolayevna Pestova, married surname: Akbarov, (Марина Николаевна Пестова, born 20 December 1964) is a former pair skater who competed for the Soviet Union. With her skating partner, Stanislav Leonovich, she became a two-time World medalist (silver in 1982, bronze in 1980), a two-time European medalist (silver in 1982, bronze in 1980), and a three-time Soviet national champion. The pair competed at the 1980 Winter Olympics, placing fourth.

Personal life
Pestova was born on 20 December 1964 in Sverdlovsk, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union. She married fellow pair skater Marat Akbarov, with whom she has a daughter, Angela.

Early years
Pestova began skating in 1968 at the Spartak Skating Club in Sverdlovsk (now Yekaterinburg) with coach Igor Ksenofontov. She moved to Moscow in 1976 to train with Stanislav Zhuk. In the 1976–77 season, she competed in partnership with Mikhail Vazhenin.

Partnership with Leonovich
Pestova teamed up with Stanislav Leonovich in 1977. In the 1977–78 season, they won silver at the Soviet Championships and were granted their European and World Championship debuts, placing 7th at both competitions. They began the next season by winning gold at the Prize of Moscow News. They placed fourth at Europeans and 5th at Worlds in 1979.

In the 1979–80 season, Pestova/Leonovich won their first national title and went on to win bronze at the 1980 European Championships. The pair was sent to the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid and finished fourth. They were bronze medalists at their final event of the season, the 1980 World Championships.

The following season, Pestova/Leonovich placed fourth at the Soviet Championships and did not receive any assignments. They rebounded in 1981–82, taking their second national title and then winning silver at both the 1982 European Championships and 1982 World Championships. In their final competitive season, Pestova/Leonovich won their third national title and placed sixth at the 1983 World Championships.

Post-competitive
After retiring from competition, Pestova performed with the Russian All Stars under the direction of Tatiana Tarasova. She now coaches at the Wheaton Ice Skating Academy in Wheaton, Maryland.