The Winter Universiades of 2005 and 2007 played their part in Tatiana Volosozhar's soaring career as a pairs figure skater, which has spanned three partners, two countries – Ukraine and Russia – and world and Olympic gold.

Born in Ukraine to Russian parents, Volsozhar began skating at the age of four, and after switching to pairs aged 14 she formed a partnership with Petr Kharchenko which saw them become national champions in 2004, after which they parted company.

The following season Volsozhar linked up with another Ukraine skater, Stanislav Morozov, and in their first season together they finished second at Innsbruck in the Winter Universiade, finishing behind the Chinese pairing of Zhang Dan and Zhang Hao.

In third place was the Russian pair of Maria Muhortova and Maxim Trankov – the latter of whom would become Volosozhar's partner on and off the ice five years later, enjoying Olympic and world success.

The Ukraine pairing followed their Innsbruck success by finishing fifth in the European Championships.

After placing 12th at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Volosozhar and Morozov got their next season off to another promising start as they returned to Turin to earn a second Universiade silver.

Once again they finished runners-up to the defending Chinese pair, with Russia's new pairing of Arina Ushakova and Sergei Karev earning bronze.

The Ukrainian pair followed up by finishing fifth again at the European Championships and then took a tantalising fourth place at the World Championships.

That was to prove their high point, as they finished eighth in the 2010 Winter Olympics and Morozov retired before the World Championships. 

In May 2010 Volosozhar was allowed to apply for expedited Russian citizenship, and began her partnership with Trankov. They made a striking pair – she is 5ft 3in and he is 6ft 2in – and they were soon successful.

After Volosozhar had completed a statutory year out of international competition following her nationality switch, they soon began to make an impact at the top level, taking silver at the World Championships in 2011 and 2012, and winning the first of four European titles in 2012.

In 2013 they won world gold, and at Sochi 2014 they became the first skaters to earn two golds in a single Olympics as they won the pairs and were among the victors in the inaugural team competition.

After Trankov was forced to miss the 2015 season following a shoulder operation, during which time they got married, the pair returned to the ice to take their fourth European title in 2016 before skipping the next season after announcing they were expecting a baby.

On February 16, 2017, Tatiana gave birth to their daughter, Angelica Maximovna Volosozhar-Trankova.