Denys Strekalin
A Ukrainian-born pairs skater who found a new competitive home with France, specializing in breathtaking high-risk lifts and throws.
Born 1999 (age 27)·Ukrainian-French pair skater·Birthday: March 31·Generation Z
Biography
Denys Strekalin began his pairs career skating for Ukraine with a different partner, facing the competitive limitations of a smaller federation. In 2022, he teamed with American-born skater Megan Wessenberg, and they chose to compete for France, where Wessenberg had familial ties. Strekalin's considerable strength and stability became the foundation for Wessenberg's athleticism. Their programs relied on his exceptional lifting ability and synchronized triple twists. Together, they climbed the ranks quickly. Their journey reflects the modern, borderless nature of pairs skating, where talent finds opportunity and new alliances form on the ice.
Generation Z
1997–2012
Born into smartphones, social media, and school shootings. The most diverse generation in history. Pragmatic about money, fluid about identity, anxious about the climate. They do not remember a world before the internet.
Denys was born in 1999, placing them squarely in the Generation Z. The events that shaped this generation — social media, climate anxiety, and a pandemic — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Denys Was Born
The biggest hits of 1999
#1 Movie
Star Wars: Episode I
Best Picture
American Beauty
#1 TV Show
ER
Denys's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1999Born
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2004Started school
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
2012Became a teenager
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2015Could drive
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2017Could vote
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2020Turned 21
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 27 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Placed 5th at the 2024 European Figure Skating Championships with partner Megan Wessenberg.
- Competed at the 2024 World Figure Skating Championships, finishing within the top 15.
- Won the bronze medal at the 2023 CS Budapest Trophy, their first Challenger Series medal as a pair.
- Previously represented Ukraine in international junior competitions with a different partner.
Did You Know?
He previously skated for Ukraine with partner Sofiia Holichenko.
His partner, Megan Wessenberg, is a former U.S. national competitor who holds French citizenship through her mother.
The pair train in Bergamo, Italy, under coaches Franca Bianconi and Rosanna Murante.
He is known for performing a high-difficulty triple twist lift, a key element in their programs.
“The most important thing is to trust your partner completely on the ice.”
