Selevko brothers pay emotional tribute to late coach Irina Kononova

Estonian figure skating coach Irina Kononova died on Thursday, September 17, at the age of 67. She had worked as a figure skating coach since 1996 and had served as director of the Tallinn Figure Skating School since 2001.

Kononova coached brothers Aleksandr and Mihhail Selevko from a young age, helping guide them to an international level. In 2024, Aleksandr Selevko became the first Estonian figure skater to win a medal at an adult title competition.

Both brothers shared their grief over her passing on social media. "It's hard to find the words to say goodbye to someone who played such a big role in my life," Aleksandr Selevko wrote, adding that Kononova was not just his coach but someone who believed in him, supported him, and helped shape the person and skater he became. He added that Kononova would always remain his second mother.

Mihhail Selevko wrote that his coach, who had been by his side every day for more than 20 years, had passed away. He thanked her for all those years, for training him, and for everything she taught him, saying he would be forever grateful to her.

In early September, the ETV+ channel aired an episode of the series "Success Stories" dedicated to the Selevko brothers, in which Kononova herself had also shared her comments.