Skate Guard Blog

A Magician From Milano: The Carlo Fassi Story

"The man operates at a level slightly below total hysteria." - unnamed reporter, "Skating" magazine, March 1968

"Skating is not all athletics. It is also an art. The choreography is much more important now than it ever was... I am lucky, I get along with kids. I get along with friendships and understanding; rapport is natural. I have order and discipline, and I get it by assuming that's the way it goes. Communicating is the key. With a top skater, you can't yell and scream; by that time, he can do it, or he can't, but don't waste practice... I try to be impartial with everyone. The pro must totally support the kids skating and the skaters must know that the pro is there." - Carlo Fassi, quoted in Howard Bass' book "Robin Cousins: Skating For Gold", 1980

Born on December 20, 1929 in Milano, Italy, Carlo Stefanoluigi Fassi was the son of Italian builder Riccardo Fassi. His grandfather ran the Palazzo del Ghiaccio, and family members of employees could skate for free. At the age of six, Carlo took to the ice, and by the age of twelve, he won the Italian junior men's title. He went on to utterly dominate in his home country, winning nine consecutive Italian senior men's titles and eight Italian senior pairs titles with his partner Grazia Barcellona. Carlo also won the coveted Cattaneo Cup at the Circolo Pattinatori Valentino Torino and was the first boy to win the trophy. His coach was a German named Harry Burghardt.

Poor training conditions in Milano following World War II led Carlo and Grazia to London, England, where they trained with Jacques Gerschwiler for the 1948 Winter Olympics in St. Moritz, Switzerland. Those Olympics hardly foretold the greatness to come; Carlo finished second to last in both the men's and pairs events.

Left: Grazia Barcellona and Carlo Fassi, Right: Carlo at the 1954 European Championships

Choosing to focus his attention primarily on singles skating, Carlo made a point of learning from the best. The November 29, 1951 issue of the Italian newspaper "La Stampa" noted, "[Fassi] was recently in Amorosa where he perfected in the free skating in the school of [Gustave] Lussi, the coach of world champion Dick Button. He then moved to England, where he was coached by [Arnold] Gerschwiler and [Piero] Talamona (the latter currently in Turin as a teacher). Under the guidance of expert instructors, Carlo Fassi has greatly refined his style and his performance."

Hugh Graham, Carlo Fassi, Hellmut Seibt and Donald Jacoby. Photo courtesy "Skating" magazine.

From 1950 to 1954, Carlo won five medals at the European Championships (including the gold in 1953 and 1954) and the bronze medal at the 1953 World Championships in Davos behind Hayes Alan Jenkins and Jimmy Grogan. Turning down an offer to skate in the Ice Capades, he embarked on one of the most illustrious coaching careers of all time.

Carlo began his coaching career in Milano and then moved to Cortina d'Ampezzo, where he trained the Italian national team at the Stadio Olimpico Del Ghiaccio. It was at that rink in 1958 where he taught German skater Christa von Kuczkowski, who would in 1960 become his wife and the next year, Italian Champion.

The 1961 Sabena Crash effectively ended Christa Fassi's competitive career but launched Carlo's coaching career to the next level. Patricia Shelley Bushman's book "Indelible Tracings" explained that after the tragedy that killed the entire U.S. team, Thayer Tutt of the Broadmoor World Arena "wasted no time in finding a successor for Edi Scholdan. Tutt had already planned to contact 1953 World bronze medallist Carlo Fassi because Edi had requested an assistant and had suggested him. Tutt headed to Italy to plead with Carlo to replace the legendary Scholdan." Carlo (then thirty-three) and Christa traveled to the United States by steamship, first settling in employees' housing at the Broadmoor before buying a house in Colorado Springs. While busy on the ice coaching, they raised two sons, Ricardo and Lorenzo and a daughter, Monika.

Among Carlo's first students in America were Monty Hoyt, the 1962 U.S. Men's Champion and Washington siblings Judianne and Jerry Fotheringill, the 1963 and 1964 U.S. Champions in pairs skating. In 1965, he started working with Peggy Fleming. His exceptional teaching of sound school figure technique allowed her to improve drastically, and his decision (criticized by some at the time) to send her to work with a choreographer paid off in dividends.

Peggy Fleming and Carlo Fassi

As we all know, Peggy won the World titles from 1966 to 1968 and the gold in Grenoble at the 1968 Olympics. She was the first of an incredible four skaters Carlo would coach to Olympic gold. In an interview in the March 13, 1967 issue of "Sports Illustrated", he said of his first star pupil, "She has always been good, but we have to care tenderly for Peggy to keep her from getting tired. I think these other skaters sometimes practice too much, that is, practice all out. I don't think that Kansas boy [Jim] Ryun runs an all-out effort every day. You train too much, it gets you nothing but big legs." Peggy later said of her mentor, "I went to Carlo to perfect my school figures, but the lessons he taught me changed my life. He guided me through the maze of skating and the glare of an Olympic championship, and I will miss him with all my heart. I owe him so much. He was like your father, your mentor, your strength when you didn't feel you could do it. He always brought out the best in me, like no one else has ever done... He had a funny way of speaking English. He would chase me around the rink while I was doing figures and speak in this fractured English, and I would try to focus on what I was supposed to be doing, but I'd be laughing so hard, I couldn't breathe."

Carlo later 'set up shop' in Tulsa and Denver, where he built up the famous skating program at the Colorado Ice Arena. In the seventies, he incredibly coached both Dorothy Hamill and John Curry to Olympic gold at the Winter Olympics in Innsbruck. In Keith Money's 1978 book, John recalled his first meeting with Carlo thusly, "I walked into the rink at Denver one morning, very hot and very tired after a three-day drive that had seemed endless. It would be no more than the truth to say [that] at that time, I did not like Mr. Fassi and Mr. Fassi did not like me. We shook hands without either of us smiling. Mr. Fassi made basic pleasantries about my journey and then I departed to settle in. After a few days, I think Mr. Fassi realized that I was not the monster he thought I was, and I began to realize that he was not the monster that I had thought he was! We got along together; in fact we soon enjoyed each other's company. I can now say that, in my experience, Mr. Fassi is the best trainer in the world, not only because he knows the technique of skating inside out and backwards, but also because he knows how to prepare a person for a competition... Everyone thinks that the Italian background makes him temperamental. He is very bubbly and full of spirit, and yet he is the most consistent teacher one could find; his temperament is totally even. He does not have days when he arrives feeling bad, making everyone suffer for that; he does not have days when he is in such a good mood that one mistrusts him for that reason; one can totally rely on the evenness of his mood."

Olympic Silver Medallist and two-time World Champion Tim Wood recalled, "There were a couple of times where Ronnie [Baker] couldn't go to a competition, and Carlo Fassi was with me. I loved he and Christa very much. They were very fun. Carlo was so good because he knew how to get you away, to get your mind off it and have a little fun. He was really good at that... he understood that you just couldn't be all pressure, all the time."

Carlo and Christa Fassi

Carlo Fassi and Robin Cousins

In 1980, Carlo coached a fourth student to Olympic gold, none other than another British skating sensation, Robin Cousins, who later remembered his coach in saying, "A lot of people know how to cut diamonds, but very few know how to polish them. Carlo made you feel you were the best diamond you could be, whether you were a novice or Olympic Champion. He could make you feel the performance you were about to do with him was the best performance you could do in the world. He was an equal opportunity coach." At the time, there were rumours that Carlo used his wheeling and dealing skills to influence the judging of the men's and ladies events at the Lake Placid Games. When questioned by the press, his response was "I don't want to comment on anything so silly."

Having already coached four skaters to Olympic gold, Carlo embarked on perhaps the busiest decade of his coaching career - the eighties. He penned the instructional book "Figure Skating with Carlo Fassi", and he and Christa expanded their 'stable' of skaters to include champions from dozens of different countries. Two of their newest star students were, of course, Jill Trenary and Caryn Kadavy.

Carlo Fassi and Jill Trenary

Many would think the highest point in his career was 1976, when he coached two skaters concurrently to Olympic gold, but in the February 10, 1988 issue of "The Pittsburgh Press", Carlo described what he considered to be one of his best moments as a coach: when he encouraged Kadavy to press on after a disastrous fall in the short program at the 1987 U.S. Championships in Tacoma, Washington: "At that moment, I think, everybody thought that Caryn Kadavy was out of the team. The team would have been Trenary, Thomas and Tiffany Chin. I remember at the barrier I talked with Caryn, I said, 'You are good, you can do it, c'mon, go in and do it. She understood,, and she did it. I think you really have to make the kids believe they can do it. I think that was probably the best coaching piece of my life." Do it she did. Caryn rallied with a brilliant free skate at that event, made it on the World team and upset the apple cart by winning the bronze medal at that year's World Championships in Cincinnati. Not to be outdone, Carlo coached Trenary to the gold medal at the 1990 World Championships in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

In 1990, Carlo returned to the Palazzo del Ghiaccio in Milano to be closer to his ailing mother and served as the head coach and manager of the rink where he first skated. In 1994, after spending three summers teaching at the Blue Jay Ice Castle in Lake Arrowhead, he joined the facility's permanent staff and returned to the U.S. to make his home in California. That same year, he was inducted into the U.S. Figure Skating Hall of Fame.

Photo courtesy "Skating" magazine

In his later years, Carlo pushed not only for great skating but for great change in the sport. He served on the USFSA's Coaches and Skating Standards Committee and as chair of the ISU Coaching Commission and was a passionate advocate for the survival of school figures at the time the ISU was in the process of eliminating them from international competition. In her book "Cracked Ice", Sonia Bianchetti Garbato wrote, "I remember having long and tough discussions with Carlo Fassi on this matter... He became the leader of the movement defending the survival of figures. He claimed that figures were vital for the survival of the sport. He envisioned that without figures, all rinks would go bankrupt, the blade manufacturers would close, and in a couple of years, nobody would be able to execute a decent step sequence! Obviously, while fighting for the survival of figures, he was also fighting for his own livelihood. His extraordinary career in skating was surely due to his ability to teach the compulsory figures, rather than free skating. When the decision to drop figures was finally accepted, he confessed to me honestly that he was fully aware it was the correct thing to do. All of his fights, as well as those of other coaches, were only motivated by economic reasons."

Carlo also spoke out against the overemphasis of jumps in figure skating, the high rate of injuries as a result and the concentration of money at the top of the ladder that never seemed to trickle down. Quoted in the Ottawa Citizen, he said, "We have to choose soon which way we want our sport to go. Is it more jumps all the time? If the sport is going to more and more triples, in five years, the juniors will be better than the seniors.'' His words hearkened back to an earlier quote from the July 18, 1988 issue of "Sports Illustrated", when he (quite prophetically, looking at the state of skating today under the IJS system) said: "You watch. Our champions will start getting younger, so that they will soon be children, as in gymnastics. There will be fifteen other [Midori] Itos in the next Olympics. All they will be able to do is tricks.''

Carlo's larger-than-life personality made for some colourful stories. Lydia Paley Hume recalled one such story from the 1996 European Championships in Sofia in "American Skating World" magazine: "Coaches and officials flying in for the competition were greeted at the passport control by surly old bureaucrats demanding payment for Bulgarian visas. Poor Carlo Fassi... after refusing to pay what he thought was an exorbitant amount for an eight-day stay, he eventually negotiated the price of his visa down to about twenty dollars. His pleasure of winning this little war turned to obvious disgust when I told him that holders of U.S. passports were allowed free entry into Bulgaria for thirty days. 'Damn Communists,' he muttered."

Photos courtesy "Skating" magazine

This man who spoke five languages; this man with a passion for soccer, history, fine wine, politics and history; this man with such a driving passion to leave the sport better than he found it passed away on the afternoon of March 20, 1997 in the Canton Hospital University Vaud, after suffering a heart attack while in Lausanne, Switzerland as a coach at that year's World Championships. Carlo's death came only hours before one of his students, Romania's Cornel Gheorghe, was set to compete in the men's free skate. With heavy hearts, Gheorghe and Carlo's other student at that event, Nicole Bobek, courageously skated.

At Carlo's memorial service in Lausanne, Dick Button read a letter penned to Carlo. He said, "Carlo, I was really taken aback by you. You had the quickest grin, the fastest edges, and knew more about people than anybody. You skated over the entire ice surface, the snow from your edges flew everywhere, and your arms and legs were like your conversation. They never stopped. Thank you, Carlo, for making us smile. For exposing us to new directions. For never losing that little boy charm. For being the skating world's best diplomat. And most of all, for enriching our lives."

Later that year, Carlo was inducted into the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame and remembered in an intimate star-studded skating tribute in front of seventeen hundred people at the Ice Castle in Blue Jay, California. Among those who took the ice were his three surviving Olympic Gold Medallist students (Peggy Fleming, Dorothy Hamill and Robin Cousins), Caryn Kadavy, Nicole Bobek, Paul Wylie and Lisa-Marie Allen.

With students from Italy, the United States, the UK, Romania, Germany, France, Japan, Sweden, Czecholovakia and everywhere in between, Carlo's influence touched all corners of the globe. His students all told the same stories: he loved his family, he believed in his skaters, and he knew the sport inside out. He remains, over two decades after his death, one of the most influential figures in figure skating history.

Skate Guard is a blog dedicated to preserving the rich, colourful and fascinating history of figure skating. Over ten years, the blog has featured over a thousand free articles covering all aspects of the sport's history, as well as four compelling in-depth features. To read the latest articles, follow the blog on Facebook, Bluesky, Pinterest and YouTube. If you enjoy Skate Guard, please show your support for this archive by ordering one of eight fascinating books highlighting the history of figure skating: https://skateguard1.blogspot.com/p/buy-book.html.

Italian Skating Legends: From Early Pioneers to Olympic Medallists

As the audiences at the 2026 Milano Cortina Games cheer on Daniel Grassl, Matteo Rizzo, Lara Naki Gutmann, Sara Conti and Niccolò Macii, Rebecca Ghilardi and Filippo Ambrosini and Charlène Guignard and Marco Fabbri, why not take a look back at the Italian figure skaters who paved the way?

Italy’s history in Olympic figure skating may not be as medal-rich as some other countries, but it is full of pioneers and trailblazers. Here's a look back through the decades, highlighting the stories of the skaters who helped shape Italy's presence in the sport.

Anna and Ercole Cattaneo

1930s: The Pioneers – Anna and Ercole Cattaneo

At the 1936 Winter Olympic Games in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Anna (Dubini) and Ercole Cattaneo made history as the first Italians to compete on the Olympic stage. Anna (Dubini) and Ercole Cattaneo, both born in Milan - he on December 3, 1906, and she on August 23, 1911 - were pioneering figures in Italian figure skating.

Members of Circolo Pattinatori Artistico and representing Diavoli Rossoneri Milano, they trained at Milan’s Palazzo del Ghiaccio, an 1,800-square-meter indoor rink built in 1923 that was one of the largest in Europe at the time. The Cattaneos were Italy’s first Olympic figure skaters, competing in the 1936 Games in Garmisch-Partenkirchen and finishing ninth. They also placed sixth at the 1937 European Championships and sixth and tenth at the 1937 and 1938 World Championships, respectively.

Domestically, they dominated the Italian Championships, winning singles and pairs titles multiple times - including a notable victory in 1936 at Madonna di Campiglio where they both captured the singles and pairs events, defeating the defending pairs champions Leila Bottini and Vittorio Maggi.

The Cattaneos contributed to the sport’s visibility through exhibitions in Milan, Bolzano, and Germany. Anna recalled in a 1937 "Daily Mirror" interview that their 1936 Olympic participation came on just four weeks’ notice and that she trained before breakfast under her mother’s guidance, as Milan was the only place in Italy with suitable facilities.

Wartime disruptions - including severe damage to the Palazzo del Ghiaccio - did not diminish their contributions to the sport, and they remained involved with clubs such as Circolo Sciatori Bolzano and C.P.A. Milano.

After retiring from competitive skating, Ercole served on the Italian Ice Sports Association’s Technical Committee and became an international judge and referee at numerous Olympics, World, and European Championships, while Anna was already coaching skaters, including Grazia Barcellona and Carlo Fassi, even before her competitive career ended. She later served as a national level skating judge.

The Cattaneos remained Italy's only Olympic pair to finish in the top ten until 2018, cementing their legacy as trailblazers in Italian figure skating.

1953 European Figure Skating Champions Carlo Fassi and Valda Osborn

1940s-1950s: Carlo Fassi and Italy on the Rise

Carlo Fassi became Italy's most notable male figure skater of this era. Competing internationally in the late 1940s and 1950s, Fassi was Italy’s first skater to reach the podium in international competitions, paving the way for future Italian skaters to compete at the highest level.

Born December 20, 1929 in Milan, Italy, Fassi emerged from a family connected to Milan's Palazzo del Ghiaccio. His grandfather ran the rink where he first took to the ice at age six. By the age of twelve, he had already claimed the Italian junior men’s title. Training under German coach Harry Burghardt, Fassi dominated skating in Italy, winning nine national senior men's titles and eight senior pairs titles with Grazia Barcellona.

Postwar conditions in Milan led him and Barcellona to train in London with Jacques Gerschwiler for the 1948 Winter Olympics. Between 1950 and 1954, Fassi won five European Championship medals - including golds in 1953 and 1954 - and a World bronze in 1953, before turning down professional skating offers to pursue coaching, first in Milan and then at Cortina d’Ampezzo, where he trained the Italian national team and met his wife, Christa von Kuczkowski.

After the 1961 Sabena Crash, he moved to the U.S. to replace Edi Scholdan at the Broadmoor World Arena, building a legendary coaching career that produced four Olympic Gold Medallists: Peggy Fleming, Dorothy Hamill, John Curry, and Robin Cousins.

Known for his keen technical insight and ability to motivate, Fassi coached champions from Italy, the United States, the United Kingdom, Romania, Germany, France, Japan, Sweden, and Czechoslovakia.

At a time when the ISU was keen to axe compulsory figures, Fassi advocated for their survival and cautioned against overemphasis on jumps.

Fluent in five languages and passionate about history, politics, and culture, Fassi's influence spanned continents, shaping generations of skaters with a combination of discipline and vision.

He returned to Milan in 1990 to coach at the Palazzo del Ghiaccio and was inducted into the U.S. Figure Skating Hall of Fame in 1994.

Fassi passed away on March 20, 1997, while coaching at the World Championships in Lausanne. Over two decades after his death, he remains widely regarded as one of the most influential coaches in skating history.

Anna Galmarini

1960s: Anna Galmarini - Italy’s Leading Lady

The 1960s brought Italy’s first standout female skater: Anna Galmarini. Galmarini was born on October 15, 1942, in Milan, Italy, and began skating at the age of ten, partly inspired by her older brother and partly because she disliked tennis. She quickly progressed, becoming Italian junior champion by the age of thirteen.

Galmarini left Italy to train in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, and in 1957 she won her first of four consecutive Italian senior titles. Her early international outings were unremarkable - finishing nineteenth at the 1957 European Championships and twenty-first at the World Championships - but her charming free skating gradually drew attention.

By 1960, Galmarini had broken into the top ten at the European Championships, Winter Olympics and World Championships. The Italian newspaper "La Stampa-Domenica" called her style "very whimsical and elegant" and "quite different from what they are accustomed to [in] Europe."

After turning professional, she toured with Holiday on Ice in Europe and the U.S., eventually joining the Ice Capades. In 1965, she made history as the first Italian skater to win the World Professional Skating Championships in London, England.

Known for her versatility, multilingualism, and love of cooking, Galnarini remained involved in skating as a coach after her performing career ended. She passed away in 1997 at the age of fifty-four, leaving a unique legacy as a skater whose expressive style and adventurous career spanned continents.

1970s - Breaking New Ground – Rita Trapanese and Susanna Driano

The 1970s saw Italian skaters continue to make their mark. At the first officially recognized Olympic ice dancing event in 1976, Matilde Ciccia and Lamberto Ceserani finished in the top ten - but the country's most notable successes during this period were in the women's event.

Rita Trapanese

Born on May 8, 1951, in Milan, Rita Trapanese was a dominant force in Italian figure skating throughout the 1960s and early 1970s, winning eight consecutive national titles from 1965 to 1972. Known for her discipline and determination - rising at five each morning to train until evening - she steadily improved on the international stage, claiming bronze at the Richmond Trophy in 1969 and winning it the following year.

In Zürich in 1971, Trapanese made history as the first Italian skater to win a medal in the women's event at the European Figure Skating Championships, followed by a silver in Gothenburg in 1972, helping pave the way for future Italian competitors like Susanna Driano.

Trapanese also represented Italy at two Olympic Games, achieving a seventh-place finish in Sapporo in 1972, and posted her best World Championships result with fifth overall in Lyon in 1971.

After retiring from amateur competition, she performed professionally with Holiday on Ice before transitioning to journalism. She tragically died in a car accident in 2000.

Susanna Driano

Susanna Driano, born on January 29, 1957, in Chicago, Illinois, started her skating career in the United States, representing the Overlake Skating Club in Washington at the regional and sectional level. Her Italian-born father was a national-level skating judge and referee.

In 1974, Driano chose to leave the crowded ranks of U.S. figure skating behind and represent Italy internationally. The decision paid off when she won the Italian Championships six times in a row. She was one of the country’s leading ladies in figure skating during the late 1970s. Known for her consistency, she quickly established herself on the international stage under the guidance of coaches Barbara Roles Williams and Carlo and Christa Fassi.

In 1978, she earned her first major international medal with a bronze at the European Championships in Strasbourg and made history at the World Championships in Ottawa, winning Italy's first medal in the women's event.

She represented Italy at the 1976 and 1980 Winter Olympics, finishing eighth at the latter games in Lake Placid.

At the time, it was quite rare for skaters to represent countries other than the ones they were born, and Driano - like Californian-born Dianne de Leeuw representing The Netherlands - was an early example of a skater finding success by swapping countries.

1980s and 1990s - A Period of Transition

While Italy had produced several standout skaters in earlier decades, the 1980s and 1990s proved to be a relatively quiet period for Italian figure skating. Few athletes managed to break through on the international stage, and the country struggled to pose a challenge to the dominant skating nations of the time. There were certainly still trailblazers during this period.

Lia Trovati and Roberto Pelizzola

Lia Trovati and Roberto Pelizzola were Italy’s leading ice‑dance team in the late 1980s. The duo captured the Italian national title in both 1987 and 1988, establishing themselves as the country’s top representatives in the discipline.

Internationally, they placed in the top ten at the 1988 European Championships and Winter Olympics in Calgary, delivering solid performances that kept Italy visible on the world stage. Although they never reached the podium at major international competitions, Trovati and Pelizzola played an important role in sustaining Italian ice dance during a quiet era, helping to pave the way for the more competitive teams that would emerge in the 1990s and beyond.

Gilberto Viadana

Gilberto Viadana, born 9 February 1973 in Milan, was one of Italy’s leading men’s figure skaters in the 1990s, a two‑time Olympian (1992 and 1998) who also competed at multiple European and World Championships. He honed his skills under some of the sport’s top coaches, beginning with Silvana Grilli, then Günter Zöller, and later Carlo and Christa Fassie and earned the distinction of being the first Italian to land a triple Axel in competition. He later transitioned to coaching and served as an international technical specialist, passing on his expertise to the next generation of skaters.

Stefania Calegari and Pasquale Camerlengo

In Albertville in 1992, Stefania Calegari and Pasquale Camerlengo made history as the first Italian ice dancers to place in the top five at the Winter Olympics. Calegari was born in Milan; Camerlengo in Switzerland. The duo placed in the top ten at five World Championships. After Calegari's retirement, Camerlengo represented Italy at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano with fellow Swiss-born skater Diane Gerencser. After turning professional, Camerlengo coached a who's who of ice dancing, including Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje, Nathalie Péchalat and Fabian Bourzat and Federica Faiella and Massimo Scali.

The 21st Century - A Breakthrough

As Italian figure skating moved into the 2000s, the nation experienced a renaissance on the ice. A new generation of skaters began to achieve consistent success in both singles and ice dance. While the 1980s and 1990s had been relatively quiet periods for Italy, the new millennium brought world-class athletes who combined technical prowess with beautiful artistry. Italy’s skaters became known not just for their skill but for expressive, character-driven performances that captured the attention of audiences worldwide.

Barbara Fusar‑Poli and Maurizio Margaglio. Photo courtesy Olindo Brodi.

Barbara Fusar‑Poli and Maurizio Margaglio were Italy’s trailblazing ice-dance duo in the late 1990s and early 2000s. They made history as the first Italian team to win the World Championships in 2000. The following year, they became the first Italian team to win the European Championships. At the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, they won Italy's first Olympic medal in ice dancing. Beyond their groundbreaking achievements, the duo’s charisma and competitive spirit inspired a generation of Italian ice dancers, proving that Italy could challenge the long-standing strength of Russia, France, Canada and the United States in the discipline.

Federica Faiella and Massimo Scali

Federica Faiella and Massimo Scali were another highly successful Italian ice-dance duo in the 2000s, known for their charisma, strong technical skills, and compelling programs. Their career highlights included two medals at the European Championships and a bronze medal at the World Championships in 2010, in their home country. Anna Cappellini and Luca Lanotte continued Italy’s tradition of strong ice-dance performances. Known for inventive choreography, musicality, and strong technique, Capellini and Lanotte claimed both the European and World titles in 2014, making them the first Italian skaters to win two senior ISU Championships in the same year.

Anna Cappellini and Luca Lanotte. Photo courtesy Andrey Malgin.

Carolina Kostner emerged as Italy's most decorated singles skater of the 21st century, celebrated for her elegance and expressiveness. Making her senior international debut as a teenager, Kostner quickly gained attention for her fluid skating style and musical interpretation, which set her apart in an era increasingly focused on technical difficulty. In 2007, she made history as the first Italian woman to win the European Championships - the first of five victories at the event. In 2012, she made history as the first Italian woman to win the World Championships and in 2014, she became the first Italian woman to win an Olympic medal in singles. Many thought her "Bolero" at the Sochi Games was the performance of the night.

Carolina Kostner. Photo courtesy Margarita Voronkovskaya.

From the pioneering efforts of the Cattaneos to the artistry of Carolina Kostner, Italian figure skating has steadily grown from a minor presence to a respected force in the sport. As the spotlight shines on the incredible Italian skaters competing at the 2026 Milano Cortina Games, the legacy of the skaters who came before reminds us that the country’s history on ice is one of steady progress, pioneering spirit, and remarkable firsts.

From Cortina to Milan: Italy's Olympic Figure Skating Legacy

Italy may not be the first country that comes to mind when thinking about Olympic figure skating, which is exactly what makes its history worth a closer look.

As the world turns its attention to the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Games, it’s impossible not to look back at the nation's earlier Olympics. From the crisp mountain air of Cortina d'Ampezzo in 1956, where skaters performed outdoors against the backdrop of the Dolomites, to the modernity of Torino's Palavela arena in 2006, Italy has provided some of the sport's most memorable stages.

The 1956 and 2006 Winter Olympic Games not only showcased medal-winning performances - they helped shape the evolution of figure skating itself. As Italy prepares to host the Olympics once again, the moment feels like a reunion with its own history: a chance to revisit the glories, surprises, and defining chapters of Olympic skating on Italian ice, and to imagine what stories today's generation will carve out on the ice in 2026.

Excerpt from U.S. Olympic Team Manager and Coach Theodore G. Patterson and Harry E. Radix's report from the 1956 Winter Olympics, recommending that all American skaters should travel together on the same flight if at all possible - five years before the 1961 Sabena Crash

Italy first played host to the Winter Olympic Games in 1956. The figure skating competitions at the 1956 Cortina d’Ampezzo Olympics were the last in Olympic history to take place in an open-air, uncovered rink and the first Olympic figure skating competitions to be broadcast live on television to an international audience. Through a tape relay from RAI, skating fans in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, West Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Switzerland and the United Kingdom lucky enough to own a black-and-white television set could watch Salchows and spirals to their heart's content, from the comfort of their living room.

The Cortina Games produced several enduring snapshots: outdoor audiences bundled in blankets, the crisp sound of blades slicing natural ice, and the kind of atmospheric performances only possible in an open-air rink. Weather conditions occasionally added an element of unpredictability that modern skaters never face in climate-controlled arenas. Skaters contended with temperature fluctuations, bright glare from the sun and winds. In the women's event, the first compulsory figure was skated during a heavy snowstorm, and visibility was so poor that it was almost impossible for judges to see the tracings on the ice. Ice conditions were very poor for the men's free skating, and the glare from the sun was so bad that David Jenkins remarked that it "made it hard to tell where the ice was when landing a jump."

1956 Olympic Medallists David and Hayes Alan Jenkins

Many firsts were carved out on the ice the 1956 Winter Olympics in Cortina d'Ampezzo. Tenley Albright made history as the first American woman to win an Olympic gold medal in figure skating. In the men's event, a trio of Americans (Hayes and David Jenkins and Ronnie Robertson) took home top honours. It was the first time skaters from North America swept the podium in the men's event at the Winter Olympic Games. In the pairs event, Canada's Frances Dafoe and Norris Bowden narrowly lost out on the gold medal to Austrian pair Sissy Schwarz and Kurt Oppelt.

1956 Olympic Medallists Frances Dafoe and Norris Bowden

The late Mildred Richardson, wife of international judge and eminent British figure skating writer T.D. Richardson, recalled, "The main stadium stand, rising high above the two rinks, was beautifully designed; somewhat after the fashion of a wooden mountain farmhouse. With the rose red peaks of the Dolomites towering behind, it made a striking picture. There was only one snag for us and that was that the Press seats were right at the top and far too high above the ice for us to be able to see, with any accuracy, what was going on below. The seating was comfortable with good desks, and a form of gas heater or fire, running all along above our heads; very cosy! They employed this method to heat all the stands; an excellent and imaginative use by the Italians of their supply of natural gas. However at the rink, for us, no use so [T.D.] approached the rink manager – a most co-operative and charming man – and asked if we might have passes to the ice level. Although strictly speaking, this was forbidden except for trainers and those accompanying the skaters, we had no trouble in getting our permits. It was therefore from this unique vantage point that we were able to see all the figure skating and ice hockey events... It was very bad luck for the excellent Australian pair, Jacqueline Mason and Mervyn Bower of Sydney, who had worked so hard and profited so much from their training in St. Moritz, that after their arrival in Cortina, Mervyn had a nasty accident. I think he broke his ankle by hitting the barrier of the rink. To come so far and then have to withdraw from such an unfortunate injury was too bad... During the ladies free skating, there was nearly a riot. The ebullient crowd showed their disapproval of the marks awarded to Carol Heiss of America - a real little bombshell of a skater who took the silver medal - by hoots and whistles, cries of Banditti, and the hurling of bottles, cigarette cartons, oranges, tomatoes or what have you on to the ice, so that the judges had to take shelter. It held up the proceedings for about twenty minutes until order was restored and the ice cleared of rubbish. Needless to say, this had no effect on the marking and Tenley Albright got her well-deserved gold medal."

1956 Olympic Medallists Carol Heiss and Tenley Albright

The Italians loved their flying projectiles. In the pairs event, West Germans Marika Kilius and Franz Ningel's low marks were met with such ire that the judges and referee were pelted with oranges. So much fruit was thrown that the ice had to be cleared three times, amid a chorus of boos and screams.

When the Winter Games returned to Italy in 2006, Olympic figure skating was unrecognizable from the sport that it was fifty years prior. Gone were the school figures, and the rise of television and the internet had increased the profile and popularity of the sport immensely. Skating fans were very knowledgeable and instead of throwing produce when they didn't like the marks, they threw shade.

2006 Olympic Gold Medallist Shizuka Arakawa

The figure skating events were held indoors at the architecturally striking Palavela arena in Torino in 2006, and competitions were judged using the newly implemented IJS (International Judging System), marking a major shift from the 6.0 system. In the women's event, Shizuka Arakawa of Japan made history as the first Japanese skater to win Olympic gold, followed by Sasha Cohen of the United States and Irina Slutskaya of Russia. The men's singles podium featured Evgeni Plushenko of Russia, Stéphane Lambiel of Switzerland and Jeffrey Buttle of Canada. Two Chinese team stood on the podium together for the first time in the pairs event. Dan and Hao Zhang and Xue Shen and Hongbo Zhao claimed the silver and bronze medals, behind Russian winners Tatiana Totmianina and Maxim Marinin. In ice dance, Elena Grushina and Ruslan Goncharov became the first Ukrainian team to win an Olympic medal, earning the bronze medal, behind Olympic Gold and Silver Medallists Tatiana Navka and Roman Kostomarov and Tanith Belbin and Benjamin Agosto.

Barbara Fusar-Poli and Maurizio Margaglio at the 2006 Winter Olympics

One of the most memorable moments at the 2006 Olympics in Torino occurred during the original dance. Barbara Fusar-Poli and Maurizio Margaglio, the team who made history as the first Italians to win an Olympic medal in ice dance four years prior at the 2002 Games in Salt Lake City, led after the compulsory dance. However, they took an uncharacteristic tumble late in their performance in their original dance. Their fall dropped them out of medal contention and the cameras captured Fusar-Poli's unforgettable glare at Margaglio - a look so fiery that it quickly became the stuff of legend. Long before memes dominated social media, her "death stare" - a brief, human moment of frustration - perfectly encapsulated the drama and emotion of Olympic figure skating, and it remains one of the most enduring images from the 2006 Torino Games.

Too sexy for Milan, New York and Japan, Lithuania's Allison Reed and Saulius Ambrulevičius will be crowd favourites in the ice dance event in Milano Cortina

Fast forward twenty years to 2026, and the stage is set once again for unforgettable moments on Italian ice at the Milano Cortina Games. If history is any guide, we can expect triumphs, heartbreaks, and the kind of performances that will be talked about for decades to come - proving once more that Italy remains a place where Olympic figure skating history is made.

Black History Month 2026

2026 marks the 30th anniversary of the motion introduced by The Honourable Jean Augustine to officially recognize February as Black History Month in Canada.

Black History Month is an opportunity to reflect on the achievements and legacies of skaters of colour who have shaped the sport through their talent, perseverance, and barrier-breaking contributions.

This year, the timing is especially fitting as the Olympic Winter Games take place in February.

Skate Guard Blog's Black History Month resources focus on Black history in figure skating, highlighting pioneers, trailblazers, and defining moments that helped shape the sport on and off the ice.

Together, Black History Month and the Olympics offer a powerful moment to celebrate reslience, excellence and diversity n figure skating history.

Head on over to the Black History Month page for blogs, recommended reading lists, timelines, photos and more: https://www.skateguardblog.com/p/black-history-month.html

Spin Into Skating History

Whether you’re a longtime skating fan or just discovering the sport, there's never been a better time to explore the stories, history, and excitement of figure skating.

I'm excited announce two brand-new pages on Skate Guard Blog. Firstly, the Recommended Reads page gathers some of the most interesting blogs from the last eleven years. It's a perfect starting point for newcomers to the blog or anyone looking to read stories from skating history that they might have missed/

Secondly, the new Olympic Figure Skating History Hub offers a curated collection of posts tracing the sport’s incredible journey at the Games, from figure skating's first appearance at the Winter Olympics to the upcoming 2026 Milano Cortina Games.

With the 2026 Winter Olympics just around the corner, let's wish Team Canada’s figure skaters the best of luck on the ice - Go Canada Go! Cheer them on, celebrate their achievements, and share your support as they aim for Olympic glory.

Take The Skate Guard Blog Survey!

Happy Saturday! I’m working on future nonfiction figure skating books and considering changes to where Skate Guard Blog content is available. I’m looking for feedback from figure skating fans like you!

I've put together a short, anonymous survey that asks about:

- What formats you read (ebook / paperback / hardcover)
- Pricing expectations
- Book cover feedback
- Book reviewing sites, libraries and where you engage with figure skating content

The survey is anonymous and takes about 5-10 minutes to complete. It is for research purposes only and nothing is being sold.

If you’ve ever read - or considered reading - a nonfiction figure skating book, your perspective would be incredibly helpful.

The link to the survey is here: https://forms.gle/yY95tktXHNcmaMoJ6

How Do You Figure It?

Long before quadruple Lutzes, levels on spins and "choreographic sequences", compulsory figures were the name of the game in figure skating. For decades, skaters traced precise patterns on the ice, their edge quality and control scrutinized as carefully as any free skate today. By 1980, however, the place of compulsory figures was increasingly under debate, as television, audiences, and even some within the sport questioned their future.

"How Do You Figure It?", originally published in the June/July 1980 issue of "Canadian Skater" magazine, captures the sentiments of people in the skating world in a time of uncertainty - ten years before compulsory figures were ultimately eliminated. As you will read in the statements below, the skating world valued a discipline that had shaped generations of champions.

"HOW DO YOU FIGURE IT?"

Table of figures from the 1980 CFSA Rulebook

After the [1980] World Championships in Dortmund, West Germany, ISU President Jacques Favart spoke out in favour of eliminating school figures from major International Championships. "Canadian Skater" posed the following question to a number of well-known skating enthusiasts.

M. Favart has been quoted as saying, "The compulsory figures must die. They are a waste of time and prevent skaters from being more creative."

Do you agree with him?

GARY BEACOM (MEN'S BRONZE MEDALLIST)

I am rigidly opposed to M. Favart's proposal to eliminate figures from world competitions. It is not only because of the direct contribution school figure proficiency plays in the development of a well-rounded free skater and disciplined individual. Equally important is the maintenance of the elite element in our sport which involves the combination of intellectual and physical demands.

My reference to the benefits of figures to free skating is appreciably slanted towards the creative and artistic merit derived from a well-established conceptual understanding of and precision-trained adeptness at, the compulsory school figures. Without hand waving dismissal of this point and wishing to avoid unduly complicated analysis, I suggest that a creative and expressive skater is one who, in the development of a repertoire, spontaneously combines previously acquired coordination with an inventive and commanding portrayal. A good repertoire can only be accomplished in that order - technique first, then artistry. Acutely balanced manoeuvrability is vital if a skater wishes to develop the confidence necessary to perform an uninhibited and effortless free skating program.

I disagree with anyone who argues that such a facility is not increased by the accuracy-oriented activity of school figures. This discipline instills in a skater a profound awareness of the proper carriage and the constant balance compensations required for the variety of one-footed movements fundamental to both figures and free skating. Although the mastery of total body control and versatility is more explicitly compulsory for success in school figures, I believe that nothing less than a comparable degree of excellent and accuracy is needed for a truly distinguished free skating performance, and I will always maintain that a well-versed figure technician will almost invariably be a sure-footed free skater able to direct his or her full effort to creative ends.

For an athlete, amateur sport of any kind can be a total commitment, a challenge. Each sport requires a few or several types of specialized physical and mental abilities. Figure skating is unique in its balanced demand of all these skills. The elimination of compulsory figures would make it less fulfilling and much less instructive and would not we, in fact, have to rename our sport?

DON JACKSON (WORLD CHAMPION 1962; OLYMPIC BRONZE MEDALLIST 1960)

Figures! Should they be done away with in world competitions? My answer is a decided No!

Once they are taken [out] of the World's, it would only be a question of time before school figures would be dropped from all competitions, National, Sectional, etc. and the deterioration in free skating would begin to set in.

The disciplined application of school figures makes for a better free skater. It may be argued that certain skaters with an aptitude for laying down good school figures on the ice, are, nevertheless, not up to par with other competitors in their free skating. That may be so, but even they would admit to being better free skaters than they would have been without the disciplined practice of figures. Most world champions have either been on top in figures or very close to the top. Those well back in figures were usually well back in free skating as well.

Rather than scrapping figures in competitions, it would be more to the point to upgrade them. Starting at the lowest test level, the skater should be made aware of the importance of doing the figures with form and flow. The tracing should be considered secondary in importance. There should be two sets of marks given on the judge's sheet - one for form and flow and the other for the tracing. The coaches will then be in a better position to teach and impress on the skater the importance of developing the art of stylized motion in figures. In due course the skater will realize that with this form of practice even the tracings will improve without having to resort to steering. Most important, the maximum benefits to free skating from this form of figure practice will be achieved.

I cannot over-emphasize the effects the elimination of figures would eventually have on free skating skills of competitors. Although they only comprise a mere handful of skaters, as compared to the tens of thousands of serious skaters in the many clubs throughout Canada, the are the backbone of the wonderful activity called 'Figure Skating'. If the figures were dropped from competitions, their value would start to diminish throughout the ranks.

The passing of a first test, a fifth test, or the attainment of the gold medal is indeed something for the non-competitive skater to take great pride in. It goes without saying, that if figures are taken out of competitions their value will diminish in the eyes of most skaters, and the feeling will be, if they don't consider figures important in competitions - then why bother?

KAREN MAGNUSSEN-CELLA (WORLD CHAMPION 1973; OLYMPIC SILVER MEDALLIST 1972)

To discontinue compulsory school figures would be to take away a very important part of figure skating. Even though figures may not be as spectacular as the free skating portion of the sport and many people may not understand them, they are without a doubt the backbone of figure skating.

What I mean by 'backbone of figure skating' is that figures represent the point where a young skater learns a sense of body balance on the inside and outside edges and the location of the body in relation to the ice. A skater learns correct posture while practicing figures and that must be the most important element of good figure skating. Concentration is also a key factor in skating because skating itself, be it school figures or free skating, is very technical. Skaters learn to concentrate while learning school figures and this skill can be carried over to the free skating program.

Discipline is something else that can be learned through the compulsory figures. To build a career in skating requires hours of hard work. In there is no discipline many skaters will not go on as they should. I have witnessed so many cases of skaters with a wealth of natural talent who have gone nowhere because of lack discipline that it could make you cry. That is not to say that free style skating is not important also. But all the basic control a skater will need for free skating is learned in figures. The same edge principles apply for jumping and ice dancing. Just as all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, so all figures and no free skating will, make for a dull skater. A balance of the two is required.

The school figures are the ultimate test of a skater's control. There is still room to show creativity in the free skating segment. As a past skater and world champion and now as a teacher, I feel very strongly that we have champions who are GREAT in all aspects of figure skating.

HELLMUT MAY (FORMER OLYMPIC COMPETITOR FOR AUSTRIAN TEAM AND FSCC PRESIDENT; COACH; DOCTOR OF ECONOMICS)

The two major changes of the last fifteen years intended to update figure skating were the introduction of the compulsory free skating program and the drastic reduction from 60% to 30% in the compulsory of this reduction, figures have not lost their importance. A skater with good figures still holds a considerable edge as, particularly in international competition, judges put more emphasis on the figure portion by allowing larger spreads in the marks given to figures. In reality, the figure portion carries a much greater weight than the 30% it appears to be allotted. The dominance figures still hold in competition is proof that they are an important and integral part of skating and should not be eliminated.

Why are figures so important? They are the essential basis of all skating skills. They teach the skater the kind of discipline necessary to be successful in the sport. Figures are undoubtedly the purest part of figure skating. Here we see the achievement of motor skills not influenced by any other elements. Free skating and dancing are often called the 'art sports' as many other elements besides skating (music, dance, etc.) are used and combined with the skating. This combination makes skating beautiful.

However, they also add to its controversy and difficulty in evaluation. The International Olympic Committee is frowning upon sports which are no truly measurable. Figures have set standards which lend themselves to more precise evaluation than free skating. If figures are dropped, the ISU is playing into the hands of professionalism and show business. It is conceivable that a group of acrobatic performers with sufficient audience and television appeal could abandon the ISU rules and create its own championship. Without figures the doors would be wide open and the ISU would be leaving itself vulnerable to outside competition.

Because figures occupy such a large portion of ice time, lesson time and school schedules, their elimination would endanger the very structure of our coaching system, including the operation of facilities and the teaching faculty.

The position of the ISU regarding figures was first revealed at the ISU/IPSU (International Professional Skating Union) Liason meeting during 1978 Worlds. In the IPSU meeting the following day, the subject was discussed emphatically and a unanimous vote of one hundred international coaches strongly rallied against the elimination of compulsory figures at world competitions. The united statement of coaches from around the world should bear sufficient weight to ensure that FIGURE SKATING REMAINS FIGURE SKATING.

BRIAN POCKAR (THREE TIME CANADIAN CHAMPION, RANKED 9TH IN THE WORLD)

I strongly disagree with M. Favart's statement. The best comparison I can think of is a pianist. Scales are the basic technique that must be mastered before any pianist can hope to become proficient. School figures, like scales, are where it all starts. They teach the basics of skating and give the skater a feel for the sport - the inside edges and turns. As well, they teach the body control and discipline so crucial to mastering the sport.

There were many criticisms of the judging of figures at Olympics and World's this year. In my opinion, judging is improving every year. Of course, some mistakes are made. This is to be expected, and there injustices in the judging of figures as there are in any competition. If there is a 'problem' with the judging of figures, it is surely with the system - not with the figures themselves. A solution to this 'problem' should come through a thorough examination of the system of judging figures, not through their elimination.

Without figures, a skater will never really learn to skate, and that, after all, is the point of the exercise.

BARBARA ANN SCOTT KING (WORLD CHAMPION 1947, 1948; OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALLIST 1948 - WINNER OF BOTH FIGURES AND FREE SKATING)

The very name of the sport is FIGURE SKATING - not free skating; not exhibition skating. It is a competitive sport. The basic foundation of figure skating is a strong grounding in school figures. Ballet has barre work... pianists have finger exercises... figure skating has school figures.

My feeling is that youngsters today are not willing to spend the hours necessary to perfect school figures. The years of practice spent of figures teaches a young person the discipline that is so sadly lacking these days. It not only gives one a solid grounding for good free skating, but also helps one to learn concentration and the ability to work hard at something that is not always fun but demands the sacrifice of practice and patience. This discipline carries over into everyday life and teaches the importance of work before play.

Unfortunately, TV does not show this important part of skating competitions because figures are not of interest to the general public. But this notwithstanding, the important question is - Are figure skating competitions commercial ventures, entertainment or serious forums for top athletes to compete against each other? There are other opportunities for purely creative endeavours. A real skating competition is not an ice show, exhibition or television special. It should be an entirely separate activity.

As one who truly loves the sport of figure skating, I hope and pray that the tradition will never be compromised or abolished.

LILIANE DE KRESZ (COACH; FORMER HEAD COACH OF NATIONAL SEMINAR)

While the figures are by no means the end to it all, and often make the end result hard to justify for a TV audience at large, it can't be denied that they do have a vital role in the development of a fine skater.

Figures mean discipline, balance, coordination, edges, flow, just to name a few components. But above all, what they mean to the skater is a strive for excellence.

The elimination of figures from high level competition could bring about the decline of the sport as we know it. Because if no longer required at the top, skaters would take a more casual attitude towards figure practice and would not be willing to spend the time practicing skills to perfection for which there is no direct reward.

OTTO HUGIN (COACH)

Even if compulsory figures were eliminated at the international level, they would still be required at national competitions. Therefore, skaters would continue to spend time learning and practicing their school figures in order to succeed within their own countries. These hours and years of wasted time would negatively affect their progress at school and their education. Since the ISU itself does not consider a total elimination of the compulsory figures it has become necessary to search for a fair compromise that has national and international validity. The time spent in exercising the compulsory figures (70% of the total training time) has to be more reasonably adjusted in relation to the final rating where they count for 30% of the total points in a competition. Moreover, the draw for the starting order in the short program should be made independent of the result of the compulsory competition. Until now the rule has been that mediocre compulsory skaters have been relegated to a poor group draw for the short program; the effect of this is felt up to the final rating since the usual group evaluation system only fails to do justice to the actual performance in the short program and in free skating.

A proposed solution of the problem:

a) Compulsory figures

The compulsory figures can be reduced from 41 to 23 figures without deleting a single element. The ISU and National Figure Tests would be as follows:

4th test No. 1, 2, 3, 5, 9 (5 figures)
3rd test No. 4, 6, 8, 14, 15 (5 figures)
2nd test No. 16, 17, 18, 19, 22, 23 (6 figures)
1st test No. 20, 21, 31, 38, 39, 40, 41 (7 figures)

b) Draw for the starting order in the short program

The right to a draw in groups 3 and 4 is based on the ranking in the 1st-12th evaluation rank in the short program/free skating program at the European or World's competition of the previous year.

Example World Competition in 1981

Group 4
Linda Fratianne, Emi Watanabi, Denise Biellmann, Anett Pötzsch , Dagmar Lurz, Elaine Zayak

Group 3
Katarina Witt, Lisa-Marie Allen, Claudia Kristofics-Binder, Deborah Cottrill, Sanda Dubravčić, Carola Weissenberg

Kristina Wegelius and Tracey Wainman would move up to take the place of the retiring Linda Fratianne and Dagmar Lurz.

c) Draw for the group of compulsory figures

The draw for the figure group to be skated would take place at the ISU Conference in June (similar to the short program). On the evening prior to the competition, the only draw to be made would be for the foot on which to skate.

This would greatly reduce the practice time and it would probably much improve the quality of the figures.