Italian figure skating news & updates

[Sylvia]

Nationals recap:

Figura, tutti i verdetti dei Campionati Italiani 2025 di Varese

Si è chiusa tra gli applausi di una Acinque Ice Arena gremita la terza e ultima giornata dei...

www.fisg.it

On the cover is Anna Pezzetta , the only one capable of subverting the short rankings , thus conquering the first national title of her career in the senior category . A sensational performance by the seventeen-year-old from Alto Adige, capable of skating a high-profile free program, characterized by two double axels and seven perfectly executed triple jumps.

 

[Andrea82]

Selection for World University Games

Gutmann
Piredda
Negrello
Sub: Gardini

Grassl
Zich
Circelli

Paolino/Tuba
Argentieri/Riva

 

[Theatregirl1122]

For the women, is it expected the Euros result will help determine who goes to worlds? Or is Gutmann far ahead based on her international results this season?

 

[Andrea82]

For the women, is it expected the Euros result will help determine who goes to worlds? Or is Gutmann far ahead based on her international results this season?

Selections for Worlds is based on
National Championships + 3 other scores (international or from Elite National Series events. Scores are factored by 1.0 or 0.95 depending on the type of events). One of the 3 other scores must be obtained after National Championships.

I think Gutmann has only around 10 points ahead of Pezzetta based on Nationals + 2 results. So Europeans can make a difference.

 

[Sylvia]

Selection for World University Games

Gutmann
Piredda
Negrello
Sub: Gardini

Grassl
Zich
Circelli

Paolino/Tuba
Argentieri/Riva

Cross-posting here from the “2025 European Championships info” thread - FISG published their selections for both the World University Games and Europeans on social media (Dec. 28): https://x.com/fisg_it/status/1872911732982559009

Italy

Women
Gutmann Lara Naki
Pezzetta Anna
Substitutes
Piredda Marina
Negrello Ginevra

Men
Grassl Daniel
Memola Nikolaj
Rizzo Matteo
Substitutes
Frangipani Gabriele
Circelli Corey

Pairs
Conti Sara / Macii Niccolò
Ghilardi Rebecca / Ambrosini Filippo
Caldara Irma / Maglio Riccardo

Ice Dance
Guignard Charlene / Fabbri Marco
Manni Victoria / Rothlisberger Carlo
Substitutes
Paolino Giulia Isabella/Tuba Andrea
Dozzi Leia/Papetti Pietro

Source:https://www.facebook.com/fisg.it

 

[Sylvia]

FISU article on Raffaele Francesco Zich who is an Ambassador for his hometown World University Games (Jan. 9): https://www.fisu.net/2025/01/09/hometown-star-zich-ready-to-welcome-the-world-to-torino/
Excerpts:

The Torino 2025 FISU World University Games Winter will be a particularly special competition for figure-skater Raffaele Francesco Zich, a native of the north-western Italian city and local starlet, who can’t wait to welcome the world and put on a show in his hometown.
Born in Vietnam but raised in Italy from when he was just ten months old, Raffaele already had skates on by the time he was a toddler, having been inspired by his older sibling on the ice.
“My passion for figure skating was born thanks to my sister, since she also practiced it for a period of time,” he tells fisu.net. “When I was around two years old, I often went with my family to watch her training sessions. I remember I wanted to try it so badly that when I finally went out onto the ice, my parents had to fight to take me off!”

Currently enrolled at the University of Torino in a Bachelor programme in Strategic Sciences, Raffaele has been training in Switzerland for the past three months, but has fortunately been able to continue his studies online through a Dual Career programme, thus living out the very values he has been promoting as an Ambassador for the Games.
“Since becoming an Ambassador, I have been promoting the FISU World University Games andtheir values while trying to inspire young students to keep studying hard and keep their sports dreams alive, without having to choose between sports and education, just as I am doing myself,” he says.
The young talent says he cannot wait to put on his skates in the rink where he grew up training, as thousands descend upon his home province for the highly anticipated event.

The Torino 2025 FISU World University Games will take place from 13-23 January [figure skating events are Jan. 16-19]. Watch all the competitions live on fisu.tv. Click on the link to find the full schedule.

2025 World University Games in Torino competition thread in Kiss & Cry: https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/threads/2025-winter-university-games-in-turin.112442/

 

[Sylvia]

Matteo Morelli spoke to Tali/Lafornara at the JGP Final in Grenoble for IDC (Jan. 13):

Tali & Lafornara Are Focused on Their Future – Ice-dance.com

www.ice-dance.com

 

[eleonorad]

Selections for Worlds is based on
National Championships + 3 other scores (international or from Elite National Series events. Scores are factored by 1.0 or 0.95 depending on the type of events). One of the 3 other scores must be obtained after National Championships.

I think Gutmann has only around 10 points ahead of Pezzetta based on Nationals + 2 results. So Europeans can make a difference.tnk

Do we think Lara might not go anymore? I know Anna told the press she was going to JW while she was in Tallin.

 

[tony]

Do we think Lara might not go anymore? I know Anna told the press she was going to JW while she was in Tallin.

If it was ~10 points difference, then Lara was close enough at Euros-- less than 5 points behind Anna-- that she should still have the spot.

 

[Karen-W]

Do we think Lara might not go anymore? I know Anna told the press she was going to JW while she was in Tallin.

If it was ~10 points difference, then Lara was close enough at Euros-- less than 5 points behind Anna-- that she should still have the spot.

So, I'm a bit bored this morning and did the math from their fall comps, Nats & winter comps so far and Pezzetta has a .22 lead over Gutmann for the Worlds spot. They're both entered at the Merano Ice Trophy next week.

The rules are a bit complicated - the step sequence has to be subtracted from the competition total scores; but basically, if Gutmann beats Pezzetta by .23 next week, the Worlds spot will be hers.

	JGP Solidarity Ljubljana	CS Denis Ten Mem	Finlandia	Elite Series	Nationals	Euros	Merano	Total
Gutmann	0.00​	181.72​	188.57​	177.08​	171.69​	173.26​		715.24​
Pezzetta	174.97​	0.00​	0.00​	173.29​	187.80​	179.40​		715.46​

I suppose I should do this for the Men now too, lol.

 

[Andrea82]

So, I'm a bit bored this morning and did the math from their fall comps, Nats & winter comps so far and Pezzetta has a .22 lead over Gutmann for the Worlds spot. They're both entered at the Merano Ice Trophy next week.

The rules are a bit complicated - the step sequence has to be subtracted from the competition total scores; but basically, if Gutmann beats Pezzetta by .23 next week, the Worlds spot will be hers.

	JGP Solidarity	CS Denis Ten Mem	Finlandia	Elite Series	Nationals	Euros	Merano	Total
Gutmann	0.00​	181.72​	188.57​	177.08​	171.69​	173.26​		715.24​
Pezzetta	174.97​	0.00​	0.00​	173.29​	187.80​	179.40​		715.46​

I suppose I should do this for the Men now too, lol.

The regulations are not well-written. Unsurprisingly. They look like ISU documents.

It says:
For World Championships and World Team Trophy the ranking is calculated by summing the total score of the Italian Senior Elite Championships with the 3 highest total scores obtained in the A or B competitions, as indicated in Para B, art. 2 and 3, multiplied by the respective coefficients indicated in points 4 and 5.
At least one of the three competitions valid for the calculation of the ranking and related designations must be achieved in the Championships/World Team Trophy year, taking into account the deadlines indicated in point 30 of the Artistic Skating Regulations.

The problem is that the rule saying step sequences points should be subtracted from Senior scores is Article 8 which is not mentioned in the selection rule but it is mentioned in the end of the season ranking part of the regulations. Here it makes a difference because Gutmann has only Senior scores in the calculations while Pezzetta has 1 junior score (to which nothing should be subtracted if Article 8 is valid also for the assignments' ranking).

 

[Karen-W]

The regulations are not well-written. Unsurprisingly. They look like ISU documents.

It says:
For World Championships and World Team Trophy the ranking is calculated by summing the total score of the Italian Senior Elite Championships with the 3 highest total scores obtained in the A or B competitions, as indicated in Para B, art. 2 and 3, multiplied by the respective coefficients indicated in points 4 and 5.
At least one of the three competitions valid for the calculation of the ranking and related designations must be achieved in the Championships/World Team Trophy year, taking into account the deadlines indicated in point 30 of the Artistic Skating Regulations.

The problem is that the rule saying step sequences points should be subtracted from Senior scores is Article 8 which is not mentioned in the selection rule but it is mentioned in the end of the season ranking part of the regulations.

Well, I was just going off what you summarized here - https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/threads/italian-figure-skating-news-updates.104247/post-6644065 - so, the question is, are the step sequences subtracted or not?

Criteria for selection for ISU Championships

In Senior Single category, the step sequence score is subtracted from the total score .

 

[Andrea82]

Well, I was just going off what you summarized here - https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/threads/italian-figure-skating-news-updates.104247/post-6644065 - so, the question is, are the step sequences subtracted or not?

Yes, I know. But after re-reading it, I am not sure anymore.
They have a whole section for end of the year ranking. In which step sequences are substracted from Senior scores.
Then there is a section for ISU championship selections which refers to previous section but explicitly mention only some articles from previous section. The one about step sequence is not mentioned. But neither the one about what happen if you miss Nationals.
In the same section about ISU championship assignments, in the article about selection for Junior Worlds they explicitly say that if you use a Senior score, step sequence is deduced. The same is not written in the article about selection for Senior Worlds.

After re-reading it, and applying word by word, what they wrote, I would say "not substract".
But I wouldn't be bet money on it.

 

[Karen-W]

Yes, I know. But after re-reading it, I am not sure anymore.
They have a whole section for end of the year ranking. In which step sequences are substracted from Senior scores.
Then there is a section for ISU championship selections which refers to previous section but explicitly mention only some articles from previous section. The one about step sequence is not mentioned. But neither the one about what happen if you miss Nationals.
In the same section about ISU championship assignments, in the article about selection for Junior Worlds they explicitly say that if you use a Senior score, step sequence is deduced. The same is not written in the article about selection for Senior Worlds.

After re-reading it, and applying word by word, what they wrote, I would say "not substract".
But I wouldn't be bet money on it.

Okay, but the problem for Gutmann & Pezzetta is that one of Pezzetta's scores is from a JGP, so how do you compare the scores fairly? I'll recalculate, but I think that both of Anna's JGP scores were appreciably better than her Challenger or Elite Series events, which will certainly disadvantage her in this race for the Worlds assignment.

 

[Andrea82]

Okay, but the problem for Gutmann & Pezzetta is that one of Pezzetta's scores is from a JGP, so how do you compare the scores fairly? I'll recalculate, but I think that both of Anna's JGP scores were appreciably better than her Challenger or Elite Series events, which will certainly disadvantage her in this race for the Worlds assignment.

Yes, that is why it would make sense to deduct the step sequence scores as is done in the end-of-year rankings.
If the rationale applies to the end-of-year ranking, it would be strange if it did not apply to the selection ranking of the ISU championships. Therefore, at the beginning of September, I thought it was a foregone conclusion that the same rationale applied. However, there is no longer any mention of this in the selection section. On purpose? Or because they consider it to be implicit? Who knows!

The ranking document is an attachment to another document. In the main document they say that if there is a gap of less than 20 points in the ranking, the selection committee can pick without following the order of the ranking.
So I guess this solve the problem...the selection committee can select Gutmann and Pezzetta regardless on how they compute the ranking....

 

[Karen-W]

Yes, that is why it would make sense to deduct the step sequence scores as is done in the end-of-year rankings.
If the rationale applies to the end-of-year ranking, it would be strange if it did not apply to the selection ranking of the ISU championships. Therefore, at the beginning of September, I thought it was a foregone conclusion that the same rationale applied. However, there is no longer any mention of this in the selection section. On purpose? Or because they consider it to be implicit? Who knows!

The ranking document is an attachment to another document. In the main document they say that if there is a gap of less than 20 points in the ranking, the selection committee can pick without following the order of the ranking.
So I guess this solve the problem...the selection committee can select Gutmann and Pezzetta regardless on how they compute the ranking....

LOL - well, honestly, I think that as tight as the scores are, the selection committee should probably be given a little bit of discretion to look at how their scores are trending as the season progresses and make as fair a choice as possible that will give them the best shot of earning the right to compete for a 2nd Oly spot at the Olympic Qualifying Event.

 

[Karen-W]

Irony of ironies - if we do count the step sequences at their best competitions, Pezzetta's lead over Gutmann grows to 2.08 points -

	JGP Ljubljana	CS Denis Ten Mem	Finlandia	Elite Series 2	Nationals	Euros	Merano	Total
Gutmann	0.00​	188.86​	198.49​	183.64​	171.69​	181.51​		740.55​
Pezzetta	179.76​	0.00​	0.00​	181.85​	194.83​	186.19​		742.63​

So, basically, it comes down to how they skate at Merano Trophy next week. Gutmann is really hurt by having a bad Nats. I suspect, if she stays close to Pezzetta or even beats her by less than the margin necessary to pull ahead of her, then she'll get the Worlds spot.

As far as the men are concerned, I'm not bothering with any calculation that subtracts the step sequence since they're all fully senior. Worlds should be Grassl & Memola. Rizzo's really bad Nats and a mediocre Euros sealed the deal in Memola's favor. (Frangi's even further back at 921.xx points, in case ANL reads this and thinks I didn't bother to look at his scores, lol).

	Shanghai	CS Budapest	CS Nepela	NHK Trophy	Nationals	FISU Winter	Euros	Total
Grassl	0.00​	0.00​	267.08​	264.85​	272.29​	280.56​	237.74​	1084.78​
Memola	230.91​	0.00​	233.42​	0.00​	264.54​	0.00​	262.61​	991.48​
Rizzo	0.00​	247.26​	0.00​	246.56​	230.22​	0.00​	241.21​	965.25​

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

Personally, I would love to send Anna. That would be my choice. But then I think Lara has been steady this season even winning a GP medal where Anna is hit or miss it seems still. So just be hoping of course for a hit in Boston.

Lara being steady I don’t think would accomplish two Italian skaters for next season…. Anna, if she did her best would but there in lays the risk.

 

[Wyliefan]

I'm Team Anna, of course, but Lara has had a good season and she just MIGHT be able to manage it. It really is a tough decision.

 

[Sk8swan]

Maths aside, I think they'll send Lara to Worlds as Anna is already doing Junior Worlds.

 

[Sk8swan]

Long interview with Matteo Guarise
He talks about Lucrezia's injury and surgery. Hopefully she will manage to be back on the ice sometimes in March...

 

[Andrea82]

Irony of ironies - if we do count the step sequences at their best competitions, Pezzetta's lead over Gutmann grows to 2.08 points -

	JGP Ljubljana	CS Denis Ten Mem	Finlandia	Elite Series 2	Nationals	Euros	Merano	Total
Gutmann	0.00​	188.86​	198.49​	183.64​	171.69​	181.51​		740.55​
Pezzetta	179.76​	0.00​	0.00​	181.85​	194.83​	186.19​		742.63​

So, basically, it comes down to how they skate at Merano Trophy next week. Gutmann is really hurt by having a bad Nats. I suspect, if she stays close to Pezzetta or even beats her by less than the margin necessary to pull ahead of her, then she'll get the Worlds spot.

Gutmann's score at Nationals is 180.92 with the step sequence.

And both have been removed from Merano Trophy's updated entry list

https://app-cdn.sportity.com/ada17d9b-60a7-47b3-a1a5-fd74aec5ac2d/b5b31b24-043a-4d1d-9269-5cb0aa545046_Women.pdf

 

[Karen-W]

Gutmann's score at Nationals is 180.92 with the step sequence.

And both have been removed from Merano Trophy's updated entry list

https://app-cdn.sportity.com/ada17d9b-60a7-47b3-a1a5-fd74aec5ac2d/b5b31b24-043a-4d1d-9269-5cb0aa545046_Women.pdf

LOL - whoops! You're right. I forgot to fix the formula for her Nats score!

That does put her ahead of Pezzetta now, by 7.15 points - still within the 20 point cushion, but I'd say that she gets the Worlds nod.

	JGP Ljubljana	CS Denis Ten Mem	Finlandia	Elite Series 2	Nationals	Euros	Total
Gutmann	0.00​	188.86​	198.49​	183.64​	180.92​	181.51​	749.78​
Pezzetta	179.76​	0.00​	0.00​	181.85​	194.83​	186.19​	742.63​

 

[Andrea82]

LOL - whoops! You're right. I forgot to fix the formula for her Nats score!

That does put her ahead of Pezzetta now, by 7.15 points - still within the 20 point cushion, but I'd say that she gets the Worlds nod.

	JGP Ljubljana	CS Denis Ten Mem	Finlandia	Elite Series 2	Nationals	Euros	Total
Gutmann	0.00​	188.86​	198.49​	183.64​	180.92​	181.51​	749.78​
Pezzetta	179.76​	0.00​	0.00​	181.85​	194.83​	186.19​	742.63​

I went back to the 2023/24 document and in that case, they said step sequence must be subtracted. Actually it was that for Nationals the Step Sequence was kept in, for other competitions it was subtracted.
LOL!

 

[Karen-W]

I went back to the 2023/24 document and in that case, they said step sequence must be subtracted. Actually it was that for Nationals the Step Sequence was kept in, for other competitions it was subtracted.
LOL!

LMAO - this is NUTS! But, okay, so, if we subtract the step sequence from all the comps but Nats, here's what we get for the calculation...

	JGP Ljubljana	CS Denis Ten Mem	Finlandia	Elite Series 2	Nationals	Euros	Total
Gutmann	0.00​	181.72​	188.57​	177.08​	180.92​	173.26​	724.47​
Pezzetta	174.97​	0.00​	0.00​	173.29​	194.83​	179.40​	722.49​

Lara comes out ahead by 1.98 points. Any way we slice it - the selection committee can assign whomever they want because they're within 20 points of each other.

 

[kwanfan1818]

If the Selection Committee doesn't like the Grassl, Memola results -- there's > 20 points between each of them, so no discretionary selection -- they should have done some more home cooking at Nationals .

 

[Karen-W]

If the Selection Committee doesn't like the Grassl, Memola results -- there's > 20 points between each of them, so no discretionary selection -- they should have done some more home cooking at Nationals .

I'd be scared AF to send Memola over Rizzo, to be honest. He's had some really bad SPs this season - bad enough to not get him to the FS. And if that happens, they'd be relying on Daniel to finish Top 10 in order to TRY for the 2nd spot at the OQE. Rizzo's had issues with the FS, but his SPs have usually been in the low 80s, which should be enough for the FS.

 

[kwanfan1818]

If the selection criteria say that the Selection Committee can override scores only if there is less than a 20-point difference, they are just have to deal with the fright.

 

[Andrea82]

If the Selection Committee doesn't like the Grassl, Memola results -- there's > 20 points between each of them, so no discretionary selection -- they should have done some more home cooking at Nationals .

for Men they have set a 30 points gap. So they can still play with Memola and Rizzo based on Karen's numbers.

Article 32 - In the event that the difference in ranking points between two or more athletes competing for the designation is less than or equal to

• 30 points in the men's category
• 20 points in the women's category
• 20 points in the pairs category

the Technical Commission may propose the nomination of athletes in the next ranking positions. The ISU ranking and, for the Junior World Championships, YOG and EYOF, the performance of the compulsory elements in the Short Programme will also be taken into account in the selection.

 

[Karen-W]

for Men they have set a 30 points gap. So they can still play with Memola and Rizzo based on Karen's numbers.

Article 32 - In the event that the difference in ranking points between two or more athletes competing for the designation is less than or equal to

• 30 points in the men's category
• 20 points in the women's category
• 20 points in the pairs category

the Technical Commission may propose the nomination of athletes in the next ranking positions. The ISU ranking and, for the Junior World Championships, YOG and EYOF, the performance of the compulsory elements in the Short Programme will also be taken into account in the selection.

Except that if we subtract the step sequence from all of the scores except Nationals, that gives Memola a 34.06 advantage.

	Shanghai	CS Budapest	CS Nepela	NHK Trophy	Nationals	FISU Winter	Euros	Total
Grassl	0.00​	0.00​	257.25​	256.01​	272.29​	271.12​	234.58​	1056.67​
Memola	224.67​	0.00​	224.91​	0.00​	264.54​	0.00​	254.62​	968.74​
Rizzo	0.00​	236.96​	0.00​	236.59​	230.22​	0.00​	230.91​	934.68​