the morning for a two-hour ride to the rink. Savchenko turned to pairs at age 13, saying "I saw the other skaters doing it and I wanted to do it myself. I liked all the acrobatic things like lifts and twists and throws." Savchenko and her first partner, Dmytro Boyenko, were coached by Olexander Artychenko, and represented Ukraine under the auspices of the club Dynamo Kyiv. The pair split after the 1998 World Junior Championships where they placed 13th. Her next partner, Stanislav Morozov, was also from club Dynamo Kyiv. They were coached by Halyna Kukhar and won the 2000 World Junior Championships, twice won the Ukrainian National title, and placed 15th at the 2002 Winter Olympics. Savchenko's partnership with Morozov dissolved in 2002 because of health issues. She considered partnering with Anton Nimenko from Russia, however, the Ukrainian skating federation would not fund his move to Kyiv. She was frustrated by the lack of support for skaters in Ukraine. Partnership with Szolkowy for Germany Formation Savchenko told a German journalist she was looking for a partner. He spoke to German coaches and suggested Robin Szolkowy, whom she recognized from a competition. In May 2003, Savchenko and Szolkowy had a successful tryout in Chemnitz, Germany. Three months later, she relocated to Germany and the new team began training in earnest with former World champion Ingo Steuer as their coach. When they first teamed up, they had to adjust to the fact that they had been taught different basics. Training Savchenko/Szolkowy worked mostly in Chemnitz, training twice a day, six days a week. Ingo Steuer served as their coach, choreographer, skate sharpener, and music cutter. Savchenko designed the pair's costumes. When the Chemnitz ice rink was melted – generally from the start of April to mid-May – they trained in Dresden if they needed ice time during this period. 2003–2004 and 2004–2005 seasons In their first season together, Savchenko/Szolkowy won the German national title. They made their international debut as a team at the start of the 2004–05 season. They again won the German National pair title, placed fourth at 2005 European Championships and sixth at the 2005 World Championships. 2005–2006 season Savchenko/Szolkowy earned their first Grand Prix gold medal at the Skate Canada International, placing first in both programs, and went on to win the bronze medal in their first appearance at the Grand Prix Final. After winning their third