Evgeni's trademark spin

It's the Biellmann

When Evgeni saw a girl perform the Biellmann spin, it fascinated him so much he became intent on learning it.

Evgeni Plushenko shows off the Biellmann spin.

The Biellmann spin (invented by Swiss champion Denise Biellmann) is where the skater lifts a free leg behind its back and holds it over the head while spinning. It is the most difficult spin for a male skater because of its mechanics. And it’s not that easy for female skaters either!

It wouldn’t come easy for Evgeni, but his flexibility would prove to be an asset. The difficult part would be to hold the correct position so he could stay centered on the ice while spinning.

Other skaters at the rink would pick on Evgeni when he practiced it and make him cry. His coach, Alexei Mishin, said other skaters would "bop him on the forehead with their fingers and tell him to stop. The other skaters were jealous of him."

Evgeni’s mother, Tatiana, encouraged him to be a skater with unique moves that would set him apart from others. She would help Evgeni practice the spin off ice.

Every night Evgeni and his mother would practice in the kitchen. His mother would stand behind Evgeni and pull his leg up over his head into the Biellmann position. They would practice doing it with both legs.

Evgeni would tell his mother how painful it would be and often asked to stop practicing it. However, with practice Evgeni would eventually master the spin and it would become one of his trademark moves. Although reluctant in his early days to see how the spin would help him become a World Champion, now he gives his mother all the credit for helping him create the very difficult spin.

In earlier programs Evgeni would perform the Biellmann spin with both legs. He now does one.