Averbukh started skating at the age of 5. He initially competed with Marina Anissina. They won two World Junior Championships (1990 and 1992).[3] Averbukh teamed up with Irina Lobacheva in 1992.[4] After the Goodwill Games in the summer of 1994 their coaches moved with many of their students to the United States to train at the University of Delaware. Lobacheva and Averbukh joined them the next year.[4]
In September 2001, Lobacheva injured her knee in training, causing them to miss the Grand Prix season.[4] They won the silver medal at the 2002 Olympics behind Marina Anissina / Gwendal Peizerat.
Following his retirement from competitive skating, Averbukh became a producer of skating shows and tours.[7] Among his projects are Ice Symphony/Ice Age; City Lights; Bolero (a television show pairing skaters with prima ballerinas);[8][9] and Small Stories of a Big City, an ice show during the 2012 Olympics in London.[10] In January 2013, Averbukh was named an ambassador for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.[citation needed]
Averbukh works as a choreographer. His past and current clients include:
In February 2023, he stated that Russian athletes should boycott the Olympics if the pre-requisite for their participation is the condemnation of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[23] In April, Averbukh was sanctioned by the Ukrainian government, with all his assets in Ukraine frozen and a 50-year ban on entering the country, due to his support for the invasion.[24]