Ice, figure skating, Grassl and Guignard-Fabbri win the Grand Prix

Weekend in some ways historic for Italian figure skating. From the fourth round of the Grand Prix of the season, the unprecedented Mk John Wilson Trophy in Sheffield, England, there are sparkling results: two wins and a second place in three different specialties. The successes bear the signature of Daniel Grassl among men and Charlene Guignard-Marco Fabbri in dance, the second place of Sara Conti-Niccolò Macii in artistic pairs. We are at the beginning of a new Olympic four-year period, the absences of the Russian specialists have an enormous specific weight, but the tricolor movement, in the long race towards Milan-Cortina 2026, appears well equipped. The appeal lacks a top female presence. But, looking ahead, again at the weekend, there was the affirmation of Anna Pezzetta, 15 years old from Bolzano, at the Ice Challenge in Graz, Austria, eighth “stop” of the Challenger Series 2022, the second Isu circuit. If they are roses …

Grassl

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The 20-year-old from Merano arrives where no Italian skater, in 27 editions of a circuit that started in 1995, had arrived: on the top step of the podium. The policeman, after the fourth place in Skate America, returns (almost) to his best levels and, taking advantage of the failures of others, hits a more than prestigious result. Of value, also because the first months of his season were troubled, with first the decision to move to Boston to be followed by Alexei Letov and Olga Ganicheva and then the return to Egna, this time followed by Matteo Zanni. The European silver in charge, second after the short (86.85 with some problems in the triple lutz-triple toe loop combination), wins in the free (177.50 presenting a quadruple lutz and two triple axels), overtakes the Canadian Roman Sadovsky, in the lead after the first segment of the race, which lands in sixth place and with a total of 264.35, puts in line the Latvian Deniss Vasiljevs, continental bronze (254.56) and the Japanese Shun Shato (249.03). Daniel, already a third place in the Italian leg of last season, can now aspire to qualify for the final six, this year scheduled in Italy, at the Palavela in Turin, from 8 to 11 December. Also competing with Matteo Rizzo, third at Skate Canada, will depend on the outcome of the last two stages, in Sapporo, Japan and Espoo, Finland, in the coming weekends. The chances of succeeding in the enterprise are high. The last Italian individual success in the meantime dates back to 2011, when Carolina Kostner won in the Cup of China and in the final.

Guignard-Fabbri

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Who is already brilliantly certain of the promotion to the last act of the festival is the tandem coached by Barbara Fusar Poli. The couple from the Fiamme Azzurre, after sixteen appearances with even four second and three third places, repeats the first success of their career eight days earlier in Angers and consolidates their leadership in the ranking of the specialty drawn up by the international federation. But, if possible, it excites even more. For the duo based on the IceLab track of the Assago Forum, in England there is the first place in the Rhythm Dance on samba and rumba (86.30) and the domination in the free on dark-gothic music (127.44) for a total of 213.74 . To clarify: the last two scores are worth as many Italian records and the second seasonal world performances, after those obtained by the Canadians Piper Gilles-Paul Poirier in the home Grand Prix stage. Charlene and Marco, in Turin, will return to play a final four years after the third place in Vancouver 2018. And, in European perspective, it is important to have rejected the emerging British Lilah Fear-Lewis Gibson, children of the Montreal school, second (on home ice) with 202.56.

Conti-Macii

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They are (almost) the latest arrivals, but Barbara Luoni’s students flying the IceLab flag in Bergamo, in a specialty that more than the others is rapidly renewing its hierarchies, are being found more than ready. Seventh, making their debut on the circuit, in the Turin 2021 stage, in the last month they were third at Skate Canada and second in Sheffield. In turn, approaching – even if there is no arithmetic certainty – the Palavela final, for which Rebecca Ghilardi-Filippo Ambrosini are still in the running. Sara and Niccolò – Oblivion notes in Mina’s interpretation for the short (seconds with 68.69, personal best) and those of the Nuovo Cinema Paradiso soundtrack for free (seconds with 115.50) – were only beaten by the American world champions reigning Alexa Knierim-Brandon Frazier (205.85). Good, in the context, also the fifth place of Irma Caldara-Riccardo Maglio (160.23), products of the Ice Academy of San Donato Milanese, but now resident in Turin, at the “first” in the Grand Prix.