Gold medallist Irina Slutskaya of Russia (C) is flanked by silver medallist Elena Sokolova of Russia (L) and bronze medallist Carolina Kostner of Italy on the podium of the Ladies free skating program at the European figure skating championships in Lyon, central France, January 19, 2006. (Xinhua/Reuters)

    LYON, France, Jan. 19 (Xinhuanet) -- Russian Irina Slutskaya won her seventh European figure skating championship on Thursday, breaking the record she shared with German Katarina Witt and Norwegian Sonja Henie.

Irina Slutskaya takes her seventh European figure skating championship title on Thursday. (Xinhua/Reuters)

    Born in 1979, standing 160 cm, Slutskaya scored 193.24 points in Thursday's free skating, beating Russian Elena Sokolova with 177.81 points,18-year-old Italian Carolina Kostner was third.

    Slutskaya gained her first European title in 1996, becoming the first Russian woman to win the honor, and then in 1997, 2000, 2001, 2003 and 2005. She missed the 2004 European championships with a heart ailment.

    After her return in 2004, she appeared almost unbeatable and tobe the most hopful skater to won next month's Turin Olympic Games.

    Henie dominated the sport in the 1930s by winning 10 titles at the world championships and three Olympic gold medals (1928, 1932,1936). Witt won her six European titles in the 1980s, along with four world champions and two Olympic golds in 1984 and 1988. Editem