Vitaliy Baranov

Personal life

Baranov was born on 18 January 1975 in Kharkiv, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union. He moved to the United Kingdom around 1997 and became a British citizen by January 2002. He married Marika Humphreys in March 1999. He earned a degree in sports science from Glyndr University in Wrexham and then studied physiotherapy at the University of Salford.

Early career

Early in his career, Baranov competed with Olga Mudrak representing his home country of Ukraine. The duo finished 11th at the 1993 World Junior Championships in Seoul, South Korea, and 6th at the 1994 World Junior Championships in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Moving up to the senior level, they placed tenth at the 1994 Skate Canada International and eighth at the 1995 Skate Israel. They parted ways after her marriage to Viacheslav Zagorodniuk.

Partnership with Humphreys

Baranov met British ice dancer Marika Humphreys during her audition for the Blackpool Hot Ice show. They began competing together in the 1998–99 season, obtaining the bronze medal at the British Championships. The following season, they missed the national championships due to a car accident.
In the 2000–01 season, Humphreys/Baranov won bronze medals at the 2000 Nebelhorn Trophy and 2000 Finlandia Trophy before making their Grand Prix debut. They withdrew from the 2000 Skate Canada International before the free dance and finished 8th at the 2000 Trophée Lalique. After winning their first national title together, the two placed 12th at the 2001 European Championships in Bratislava and 16th at the 2001 World Championships in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. They were coached by Roy and Betty Callaway.
In the 2001–02 season, Humphreys/Baranov were awarded silver at the 2001 Finlandia Trophy, bronze at the Golden Spin of Zagreb, and gold at the British Championships. They finished sixth at their Grand Prix assignment, the 2001 NHK Trophy. Although they qualified for the Olympics under International Skating Union rules, they did not meet the criteria of the British Olympic Association (BOA); the BOA initially refused to allow them to compete but changed its stance in December 2001. In January 2002, Humphreys/Baranov finished 11th at the European Championships in Lausanne, Switzerland. In February, Humphreys/Baranov competed at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, United States. They finished 15th overall after ranking 16th in both compulsory dances, 15th in the original dance, and 15th in the free dance. The following month, they placed 14th at the 2002 World Championships in Nagano, Japan.
In the 2002–03 season, Humphreys/Baranov were coached by Natalia Dubova in Cromwell, Connecticut, and by Roy Callaway in Deeside, north Wales. They were awarded the gold medal at the 2002 Karl Schäfer Memorial and appeared at two Grand Prix events. The duo ranked 7th at the 2002 Cup of Russia and withdrew from the 2002 NHK Trophy after the compulsory dance. They missed the British Championships but took the bronze medal at the event the following season. They then retired from competition.