Nikita Rakhmanin
Nikita Vladimirovich Rakhmanin is a Russian pair skater who currently competes for Armenia. With his current skating partner, Karina Akopova, he is the 2026 Armenian national champion, the 2021 Budapest Trophy champion, 2021 Denis Ten Memorial Challenge champion, and 2022 Challenge Cup champion.
Personal life
Rakhmanin was born on 4 May 1999 in Chelyabinsk, Russia. In 2022, he graduated from Ural State University of Physical Education.Since 2019, Rakhmanin has been in a relationship with his pair skating partner, Karina Akopova.
He cites 2014 Olympic silver medalist pair team, Stolbova/Klimov as his role models.
Career
Early years
Rakhmanin began learning how to skate in 2003 at the age of four. Around 2014, he moved to Moscow to pursue pair skating. In 2016, he teamed up with his first pair partner, Elena Ivanova, who he competed with domestically on the junior level during the 2016–17 figure skating season.Prior to the 2017–18 figure skating season, Rakhmanin teamed up with Nadezhda Labazina. Coached by Arina Ushakova, Filipp Tarasov, and Vladislav Zhovnirski, the pair went on to finish ninth at the 2019 Russian Junior Championships. The following season, they competed on the senior level at the 2020 Russian Championships, finishing in eleventh place.
Labazina/Rakhmanin ultimately parted ways following the 2019–20 figure skating season. Following this split, Rakhmanin remained with coaches Arina Ushakova, Filipp Tarasov, and Vladislav Zhovnirski. He subsequently teamed up with Sofia Buzaeva and competed domestically with her for the duration of the 2020–21 figure skating season before parting ways.
Partnership with Karina Akopova
2020–21 season: Debut of Akopova/Rakhmanin
In February 2020, Rakhmanin teamed up with fellow rinkmate, Karina Akopova, who he had also started dating the year prior. They made their national championship debut at the 2021 Russian Championships, where they finished in seventh place.Following the Russian Championships, the team's coach, Fedor Klimov, relocated to Sochi. Wanting to continue working with Klimov, Akopova/Rakhmanin decided to make the move to Sochi as well. Upon arriving, Dmitri Savin also joined their coaching team.
2021–22 season
Akopova/Rakhmanin opened their season by making their international debut at the 2021 Budapest Trophy, where they won the gold medal. They followed this up with another gold medal at the 2021 Denis Ten Memorial Challenge.In December, they competed at the 2022 Russian Championships, finishing in sixth place. They then concluded the season by winning gold at the 2022 Challenge Cup.
In early March 2022, the International Skating Union banned all figure skaters and officials from Russia and Belarus ISU events due to the Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in late February, restricting Akopova/Rakhmanin from competing for Russia at international events going forward.
2022–23, 2023–24, and 2024–25 seasons: Struggles with injuries and Transfer to Armenia
In March 2022, Akopova developed a back injury in tandem with a fractured vertebra she sustained at the beginning of the season. Due to the pain, she began suffering from panic attacks. After nine months, a doctor was able to diagnose her with having an inflammation of the piriformis muscle, which in turn, had been pressing on the sciatic nerve.Because of Akopova's injuries, the pair struggled to regain their previous competitive form, prompting them to consider trying to skate for another country. Due to Akopova's Armenian heritage, the pair contacted the Figure Skating Federation of Armenia, which in turn, expressed interest in having Akopova/Rakhmanin represent them. In May 2024, the federation submitted a request to Figure Skating Federation of Russia for Akopova/Rakhmanin's transfer. While awaiting the Figure Skating Federation of Russia, Akopova/Rakhmanin were forced to sit out of competition, including Russian domestic events.
Akopova/Rakhmanin received approval for their transfer from the Figure Skating Federation of Russia in May 2025, allowing the pair to begin competing for Armenia going forward.
2025–26 season: Debut for Armenia
Going into the season, Akopova/Rakhmanin had their short program choreographed to popular Armenian folk song, "Artsakh" in honour of the country they would be representing going forward.The pair made their debut for Armenia at the 2025 CS John Nicks International Pairs Competition, where they finished in fifth place. They went on to compete at the 2025 Skate to Milano, the final qualifying event for the 2026 Winter Olympics. There, they placed third in the short program and second in the free skate, winning the silver medal overall. With this result, Akopova/Rakhmanin secured a berth for Armenian pair skating at the upcoming Olympics.
They subsequently competed at the 2025 CS Trialeti Trophy, where they placed fourth.
Days before 2025 Skate America, Akopova/Rakhmanin were called up to compete at the event following the withdrawal of Beccari/Guarise. Due to the last-minute invitation, Akopova/Rakhmanin attended the event without their coaches. They ultimately came in sixth place.
In December, Akopova/Rakhmanin won the 2026 Armenian Championships. Although assigned to compete at the 2026 European Championships, the pair were forced to withdraw due to visa issues.
In late January, it was announced that Akopova and Rakhmanin had been selected as the flag bearer for Armenia during the opening ceremony at the upcoming Olympics.