In Sheffield Matteo achieved the fourth continental medal of his career (and the Olympic pass), Charlene and Marco the sixth
Matteo Rizzo’s silver among men, Charlene Guignard-Marco Fabbri’s silver in dance. To add to Lara Naki Gutmann’s bronze among the women on Friday. The Italy of the figure, having concluded the European Championships in Sheffield, can look to the Milan Cortina Olympics with a certain optimism. Thinking in particular about the team event that will open the program and taking into account the heavy absence in England of the artistic couple Sara Conti-Niccolò Macii due to an injury to her knee, which seems to be on the way out. Without forgetting, however, that in the medal table, for the first time after three seasons, the leadership is the prerogative of another country: Georgia, capable of two golds.
rizzo poker
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A rediscovered Rizzo after a difficult first part of the season, climbs onto the continental podium for the fourth time. In fact, he already had the bronze from Minsk 2019, the silver from Espoo 2023 and the bronze from Kaunas 2024 to his credit. It is true that the Azzurri have become well accustomed in recent years (it is the fifth second place in the last five editions of the event). But it is also worth remembering that, in a story that began way back in 1893, only Carlo Fassi did better, winning gold in Dortmund 1953 and Bolzano 1954. The 27-year-old from Milan, together with the medal (256.37 points), wins the pass for the Games. The match at the Utilita Arena, after months of great balance, represented a real direct clash with Nikolaj Memola. Who, returning from a long stop due to injury, did not go beyond 11th place (223.52). Better than Daniel Grassl who, after fifth place in the short program on Thursday, slipped to 13th place (215.33). Nonetheless, Italy will be able to count on three representatives at Lausanne 2027. Rizzo, meanwhile, fourth after the first part of the race, overtook both Estonians Aleksandr and Mihhail Selevko who, in a fratricidal challenge which ended in fifth and sixth place with a gap of just 2.16 points, also played for the Olympic place. Matteo, proposing a new free dance choreographed online by Massimo Scali, is as always elegant, clean. The program features only one quadruple (an initial toe loop), but also a few flaws (a triple salchow combined with a triple lutz becomes double). However, the difference is made by the artistic parts: the standard bearer of the Fiamme Azzurre is a master in those. The 23-year-old Georgian Nika Egadze remains uncatchable (273.00). But the surprising Czech (Russian born) Georgii Reshtenko, who recovers from eighth to third place, finishes well behind (238.27).
silver dance
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Not even the breaking of the hook of one of his skates during the six minutes of warm-up stopped Charlene Guignard-Marco Fabbri. The Italian couple – she is 36 years old of French origins, he is 37 years old from Milan – at the 14th consecutive European Championship (the first in Sheffield, in 2012) took silver. And he wins the sixth medal in the event after the bronzes in 2019 and 2022 and the golds in 2023, 2024 and 2025. One more than the record holders Anna Cappellini-Luca Lanotte between 2013 and 2017. The two, to the tune of “Diamanti” played by Giorgia, are particularly intense and inspired. And, after a complicated season – to the point that the trip to Sheffield was in doubt – the placement of Rhythm Dance 210.34 improved by one place (with full merit). The favorites of the home crowd, the emerging British Lilah Fear-Lewis Gibson (209.51), paid the price. For Barbara Fusar Poli, Charlene and Marco’s coach, it is yet another masterpiece. “This silver is worth gold” they say in unison. The ranking, in front of the blue tandem, only offers the splendid Frenchmen Laurence Fournier Beaudry-Guillaume Cizeron (222.43). The Olympic gold, with them, could be booked. For Victoria Manni-Carlo Roethlisberger, the second Italian tandem, there is a 17th place.
