Italian figure skating news & updates

[karmena]

Sigh. Italian Ice Dance is a total mess behind Guignard/Fabbri. And I understand that Grassl wants to medal in 2026, but this coaching change just looks desperate.

... it ( coaching change) rather looks miserable

 

[clairecloutier]

Here's an interview with Ghilardi/Ambrosini, from Absolute Skating:

Absolute Skating

Welcome to Absolute Skating, information site for and by the skaters and their fans. The place to meet the person behind the skater and experience events on and behind the stage.

absoluteskating.com

Among other things, they talk about how Ondrej Hotarek's work as a coach is helping to build up Italian pairs skating.

What is Italy doing right produce so many interesting pair teams?

Filippo: For sure, the absence of Russian pairs this year has helped all those countries that usually don't stand out so much - but it wasn't so obvious [to be able to take advantage of it]: you have to be ready at the right moment, because there are many other good pairs. What is happening with the Italian movement is that we started to like pairs more as a discipline, but also Ondřej brought a big plus, when he retired and started coaching. He is really able to convey his passion, and his team with Franca Bianconi is growing a great pairs school - of which we are one of the pillars.

 

[clairecloutier]

Grassl skating onto what seems to be thin ice (but let’s see what he says in the mixed zone etc. at Euros):

“I think the coach has nothing to do with it.” Daniel Grassl about doping scandal involving Eteri Tutberidze and Kamila Valieva

Italian figure skater Daniel Grassl commented on his decision to prepare for the European Championships under the guidance of Russian coach Eteri Tutberidze.

fs-gossips.com

 

[Hedwig]

Oh well, if I had found respect in me for Grassl before it suddenly and mysteriously disappeared. So strange

 

[LeafOnTheWind]

I'll say it.

If he really thinks that Eteri wasn't in on the doping he's a moron. Is he hoping for the same training if he does think Eteri was in on the doping? Should we be asking him about his vitamins today?

 

[greenapple]

I guess I am as confused as he is. He said he left the U.S. coach because he missed his family and friends.

The guy is a lost soul and a lost cause for me with this move.

 

[On My Own]

I wonder what it will do for him in the judges' eyes. Eteri created a horrid scandal. OTOH, her students escaped every call and got highly inflated PCS for trash programs.

 

[Seerek]

The interesting detail in the article "was approved by the FISG" - is it rare for a federation to say to their top skaters "no, you can't go there"?

 

[clairecloutier]

More Italian skating news! An interview with Conti/Maccii from Absolute Skating:

Absolute Skating

Welcome to Absolute Skating, information site for and by the skaters and their fans. The place to meet the person behind the skater and experience events on and behind the stage.

absoluteskating.com

They talk about quite a few things here--definitely worth a read. Especially now that they are poised to perhaps become European champions! Also, from this interview, it sounds like they are off-ice partners as well.

ETA: Of note--in the paragraph below, there is some discussion of funding, which was also touched upon in a recent Absolute Skating interview with Deniss Vasiljevs (see OES News thread).

Niccolò: The country should also help. In Russia, the ice is paid for by the country, and coaches by the federation. In Northern Italy, even if we are professional skaters, we still have to pay for everything, and we'll keep doing it till the end of our careers. If we decide to go to a competition, we have to finance ourselves and our coach. In some other countries it's even worse, because you also have to pay the coach for every working day that he misses to come with you.
It's clear that there are a lot of shortcomings, but it doesn't look like anyone is working to fix them. Everyone always complains that there is no money: let's find it, let's do something! If you always keep doing the same things, you can't complain if the result doesn't change.

 

[Andrea82]

More Italian skating news! An interview with Conti/Maccii from Absolute Skating:

Absolute Skating

Welcome to Absolute Skating, information site for and by the skaters and their fans. The place to meet the person behind the skater and experience events on and behind the stage.

absoluteskating.com

They talk about quite a few things here--definitely worth a read. Especially now that they are poised to perhaps become European champions! Also, from this interview, it sounds like they are off-ice partners as well.

ETA: Of note--in the paragraph below, there is some discussion of funding, which was also touched upon in a recent Absolute Skating interview with Deniss Vasiljevs (see OES News thread).

Also, Conti and Macii are not (yet) in an armed force group unlike Grassl (police agent), Rizzo (prison guard), Frangipani (police agent), Ghilardi/Ambrosini (both prison guards), Guignard/Fabbri (prison guards), Gutmann (police), Beccari (prison guard) and Guarise (police agent). Being enrolled in police/military group brings with that the monthly salary attached to the position (which is not anything huge but it is still something).

 

[Primorskaya]

Also, Conti and Macii are not (yet) in an armed force group unlike Grassl (police agent), Rizzo (prison guard), Frangipani (police agent), Ghilardi/Ambrosini (both prison guards), Guignard/Fabbri (prison guards), Gutmann (police), Beccari (prison guard) and Guarise (police agent). Being enrolled in police/military group brings with that the monthly salary attached to the position (which is not anything huge but it is still something).

That's odd, I thought all Italian skaters did this as a matter of course.

 

[On My Own]

Well he's not on yet.

 

[Vagabond]

I'll say it.

If he really thinks that Eteri wasn't in on the doping he's a moron. Is he hoping for the same training if he does think Eteri was in on the doping? Should we be asking him about his vitamins today?

Well he's not on yet.

IMHO, he's a dope but not  on dope. YMMV.

 

[clairecloutier]

More from Grassl

Daniel Grassl: “I made the best decision that could be made for my career: I went to the academy of Eteri Tutberidze, because she is one of the best coaches in the world.”

Italian figure skater Daniel Grassl, in an interview after a short program at the European Championships, explained the transition to the team of Eteri Tutberidze and commented on his performance in the short program.

fs-gossips.com

 

[coppertop1]

More from Grassl

Daniel Grassl: “I made the best decision that could be made for my career: I went to the academy of Eteri Tutberidze, because she is one of the best coaches in the world.”

Italian figure skater Daniel Grassl, in an interview after a short program at the European Championships, explained the transition to the team of Eteri Tutberidze and commented on his performance in the short program.

fs-gossips.com

Dude, when you're in a hole, stop digging. That's crowd's reaction to Daniel was telling

 

[greenapple]

Anyone else wondering why he was sitting in the kiss and cry with just the Italian team leader and not with his new "coaches"?

 

[coppertop1]

Anyone else wondering why he was sitting in the kiss and cry with just the Italian team leader and not with his new "coaches"?

And they didn't show his coaches when he was announced and his name was on screen

 

[Gris]

And they didn't show his coaches when he was announced and his name was on screen

That's probably because he currently has no coaches listed in his ISU bio. It also says "He went to Moscow for training in December 2022 but his coaching team is still to be determined."

 

[swissskate]

That's probably because he currently has no coaches listed in his ISU bio. It also says "He went to Moscow for training in December 2022 but his coaching team is still to be determined."

There are so many coaches listed under "former coaches" in his bio that the name after Olga Ganicheva isn't even full

 

[tony]

There are so many coaches listed under "former coaches" in his bio that the name after Olga Ganicheva isn't even full

That’s not uncommon. 4 from the same camp and then 2 from the same camp. See most Montreal ice dance profiles, where they list almost the entire IAM teams in some cases.

Anyways, Grassl doesn’t have an official coaching situation even if he wants it to be Tutberidze. Italy could shut off all of his funding and assignments real quick if they don’t like the direction all of this is headed.

 

[eleonorad]

That's odd, I thought all Italian skaters did this as a matter of course.

Not so add - happy to add some context. These are called "police sports groups" or "military sports group".
Athletes can join the police/army by applying to public tenders (not sure of to translate this one), meaning public recruitment processes, where you are evaluated by certain criterias and eventually a ranking is established. Depending how many spots are available in this public tender, you might need to end up first/top 5 or 10 etc. to join.

Criterias vary for each police/army group, but it's usually a mix of sports achievements you had so far, and the potential to grow that you have in the future (also based on certain criterias).
From what I heard, it's not that easy to join these groups, you probably need help from the federation or at least your team as well, plus, these public tenders only happen once in a while. So it could be once a year, once every 2 years etc.

I know many skaters had to try multiple times before getting in.
Hope this helped!

 

[airgelaal]

Anyone else wondering why he was sitting in the kiss and cry with just the Italian team leader and not with his new "coaches"?

I think to avoid "buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu"

 

[Andrea82]

Not so add - happy to add some context. These are called "police sports groups" or "military sports group".
Athletes can join the police/army by applying to public tenders (not sure of to translate this one), meaning public recruitment processes, where you are evaluated by certain criterias and eventually a ranking is established. Depending how many spots are available in this public tender, you might need to end up first/top 5 or 10 etc. to join.

Criterias vary for each police/army group, but it's usually a mix of sports achievements you had so far, and the potential to grow that you have in the future (also based on certain criterias).
From what I heard, it's not that easy to join these groups, you probably need help from the federation or at least your team as well, plus, these public tenders only happen once in a while. So it could be once a year, once every 2 years etc.

I know many skaters had to try multiple times before getting in.
Hope this helped!

Also the number of spots per sports are already pre-determined and they are often subject of behind the scenes negotiations between federations (hence, as you said, the need of the help of the federation).
In some sports (track and field for instance) there are many more spots.

Conti/Macii took part to the last public tender for pair skating (by Fiamme Azzurre) in 2021 and lost out to Ghilardi and Ambrosini*

Candidates need to pass the physical and attitudinal tests too as they are then officially employed by the armed groups (and after retirement from sport, they can switch to active service). There have been cases of problematic situations. For instance, Beccari was first declared "not passed" by the medical commission but then she won the appeal against the decision.
Grassl was declared not suitable by the attitudinal commission in first instance (Frangipani won the public tender which "should" have been won by Grassl) and again he got it overturned by a judicial appeal.


* Ranking was computed based on the following criteria:
medal at the Olympic Games: up to 30.00 points;
medal at the World Championships: up to 25.00 points;
world record: 25.00 points;
world cup winner: 20.00 points;
medal at the European Championships: up to 15.00 points;
European record: 15.00 points;
European cup winner: 12.00 points;
medal at the Universiade and Mediterranean Games: up to 12.00 points;
Italian champion: 12.00 points;
Italian record: 15.00 points;
winner of Coppa Italia: 10.00 points;
classified from second to tenth place in the Italian championships of the category: from 6.00 points to 10.00 points;
ranked from eleventh to twentieth place in the Italian category championships: up to 5.00 points.
degree certificate: 2.00 points;
post-graduate specialization course: 0.5 points;
qualification to practice the profession: 0.5 points;
secondary school diploma: 1.00 points;
sports specialist technician certificate: 1.00 points.

 

[Sk8swan]

About the army sports groups they weren't interested in figure skating athletes up until Carolina brought attention to the sport. She was the first figure skater to be recruited. After her it hasn't been equally easy for the top skaters to join the army sports clubs: some of them were "lucky" and got in without having achieved any major results, others like Della Monica & Guarise had to become a 2-time Olympians before getting a spot. It's a tricky matter, first the army clubs needs to get interested in the sport and willing to found you, then they come up with a basically ad hoc official competition notice but then you have to pass all the required tests, which is not as granted.

 

[kwanfan1818]

Kostner was before Faiella?

 

[Andrea82]

Kostner was before Faiella?

Kostner joined Fiamme Azzurre in 2005. Faiella/Scali were enrolled by Police in 2009.

Cappellini and Lanotte (Fiamme Azzure) 2008
Bacchini (Fiame Oro) 2010
Hotarek (Fiamme Azzurre) 2011 * I assume Berton was in the same year
Marchei (Aeronautica) 2013

 

[Andrea82]

Quotes in Italian media from the president of Ice Sport Federation (he comes from hockey):

“Lui ha un impegno fra quattro anni e vuole prepararsi al meglio. Questa sotto il profilo tecnico è una grande scelta” = “He [Grassl] has an objective in four years and wants to prepare as well as possible. From a technical point of view, this is a great choice”

“non aver trovato alcun documento che testimoni come la signora Eteri Tutberidze abbia sostenuto la guerra. Se qualcuno dovesse trovare e mostrarmi un documento di questo genere, allora io sarò il primo che andrà a dire a Daniel di interrompere la sua collaborazione” = “ we have not found any documents saying how Mrs. Eteri Tutberidze supported the war. If someone were to find and show me such a document, then I will be the first to tell Daniel to stop working with him ”

On her role in Valieva's case: "Ci sono dei sospetti. Però, signori, quanti sospetti abbiamo in ogni campo? Sospettato non significa colpevole. Il giorno in cui dovesse arrivare una pronuncia, è evidente come la signora Tutberidze non potrà più allenare nessuno e non potrà più entrare in una pista di ghiaccio, quindi il problema non si porrà”. = "There are some suspects. But, how many suspicions do we have in each field? Suspected doesn't mean guilty. The day a ruling arrives, it is evident that Mrs. Tutberidze will no longer be able to train anyone and she will no longer be able to enter an ice rink, so the problem will not arise”

 

[Wyliefan]

On her role in Valieva's case: "Ci sono dei sospetti. Però, signori, quanti sospetti abbiamo in ogni campo? Sospettato non significa colpevole. Il giorno in cui dovesse arrivare una pronuncia, è evidente come la signora Tutberidze non potrà più allenare nessuno e non potrà più entrare in una pista di ghiaccio, quindi il problema non si porrà”. = "There are some suspects. But, how many suspicions do we have in each field? Suspected doesn't mean guilty. The day a ruling arrives, it is evident that Mrs. Tutberidze will no longer be able to train anyone and she will no longer be able to enter an ice rink, so the problem will not arise”

How naive can you get?

 

[karmena]

....naive? it rather seems he ( and Grassl) are brainwashed

 

[Wyliefan]

I meant, he's naive to think that Eteri won't be able to coach after a ruling arrives. She'll no more be out of the picture than Sappenfield is.