As a four-year-old, Ovsyannikov fell ill with
pneumonia. After he recovered, doctors recommended to his parents that he enroll in some kind of sport, preferably in a fresh air environment. Initially a singles skater, he switched to ice dance at the age of 10. With Maria Orlova, he won the bronze medal at the 1988
World Junior Championships. With
Elizaveta Stekolnikova he won the gold medal at the 1989
Golden Spin of Zagreb. He later formed a partnership with
Elena Kustarova and won bronze medals at the
1992 Grand Prix International de Paris and the
1993 Nations Cup, as well as two medals at the
Russian Nationals. In mid-1994 he teamed up with
Anjelika Krylova. They were coached by
Natalia Linichuk and
Gennadi Karponosov in
Newark, Delaware. Krylova injured her back in training shortly before they were set to leave for
1994 Skate America. Aggravated by intense training, the injury would plague her throughout their career. Kestnbaum also reported that one reporter called the program "an updated, playful version of
Carmen". During the 1998–99 season, Krylova and Ovsyannikov won gold at
Sparkassen Cup (formerly Nations Cup) and
Cup of Russia to qualify for the
Grand Prix Final. They won the title ahead of Anissina and Peizerat. They won their first
European title and then capped off their career with their second
World title. Krylova and Ovsyannikov were planning to compete the following season and had prepared programs and costumes, however, doctors advised her to retire due to a risk of paralysis stemming from her back problem. She suggested that he team up with another skater but he declined. After a year, she felt more confident and they began performing in the less demanding world of professional skating. They won the 2001 World Professional title. == Personal life ==