Matteo Rizzo

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Matteo Rizzo
2018 EC Matteo Rizzo 2018-01-19 21-14-11.jpg
Rizzo in 2018
Personal information
Country representedItaly Italy
Born (1998-09-05) 5 September 1998 (age 23)
Rome, Italy
Home townSesto San Giovanni, Italy
Height1.71 m (5 ft 7+1⁄2 in)
CoachLorenzo Magri, Valter Rizzo
Former coachFranca Bianconi, Ilaria Ponti, Angela Puglisi
ChoreographerShae-Lynn Bourne, Corrado Giordano, Massimo Scali
Former choreographerValter Rizzo, Vakhtang Murvanidze
Skating clubYoung Goose Academy
Former skating clubIcelab Bergamo, Sesto Ice Skate
Training locationsEgna, Italy
Former training locationsBergamo
Sesto San Giovanni
Courmayeur
Began skating2006
World standing8 (2018–19)
24 (2017–18)
35 (2016–17)
40 (2015–16)
77 (2014–15)
106 (2013–14)
ISU personal best scores
Combined total260.53
2019 World Team Trophy
Short program93.37
2019 World Figure Skating Championships
Free skate176.18
2021 CS Finlandia Trophy
Medal record
Representing  Italy
Figure skating: Men's singles
European Championships
Bronze medal – third place 2019 Minsk Men's singles
Winter Universiade
Gold medal – first place 2019 Krasnoyarsk Men's singles
World Junior Championships
Bronze medal – third place 2018 Sofia Men's singles

Matteo Rizzo (born 5 September 1998) is an Italian figure skater. He is the 2019 European bronze medalist, 2018 NHK Trophy bronze medalist, 2019 Winter Universiade champion, and 2018 Italian national champion. He has won several ISU Challenger Series medals, including gold at the 2017 CS Warsaw Cup. He is also the 2018 World Junior bronze medalist and 2017 JGP Italy champion. Rizzo represented Italy at the 2018 Winter Olympics, qualifying to the free skate and finishing 21st overall.

Personal life[]

Matteo Rizzo was born on 5 September 1998 in Rome.[1] His parents, Brunilde Bianchi and Valter Rizzo,[2] and sister, Francesca Rizzo, all competed in ice dancing.[1]

Career[]

Early years[]

Rizzo began learning to skate in 2006.[3] He competed internationally on the novice level in the 2010–2011 and 2011–2012 seasons, winning silver at the Triglav Trophy in April 2012. His junior international debut came in September 2012, at the Ice Star event in Belarus.

2013–2014 season[]

Rizzo debuted on the ISU Junior Grand Prix (JGP) series in September 2013, placing eleventh at an event in Slovakia, and won the Italian national junior title in December. In January–February 2014, making his senior international debut, he finished ninth at the Bavarian Open and fifth at the Dragon Trophy, before taking the silver medal at the Hellmut Seibt Memorial. He competed at the 2014 World Junior Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria but was eliminated after placing thirtieth in the short program.

2014–2015 season[]

Rizzo placed fifteenth at his sole JGP assignment, in Germany. Competing on the senior level from November to December, he won silver at the Merano Cup, bronze at the Warsaw Cup – his ISU Challenger Series (CS) debut – gold at the Denkova-Staviski Cup, and silver at the Italian Championships. In January 2015, he placed fourth at the 2015 European Youth Olympic Winter Festival in Austria. His final event of the season was the 2015 World Junior Championships, held in March 2015 in Tallinn, Estonia. Rizzo qualified for the free skate by placing 20th in the short program and finished 22nd overall.

2015–2016 season[]

Rizzo continued on the JGP series, placing fifth at his assignments in Austria and Spain. He earned a bronze medal at the 2015 CS Denkova-Staviski Cup and finished fifth at the 2015 CS Warsaw Cup. He reached the free skate at two ISU Championships – the 2016 Europeans in Bratislava, and the 2016 Junior Worlds in Debrecen, Hungary. He placed thirteenth at both events.

2016–2017 season[]

Rizzo competed at JGP events in Germany and Spain, finishing twelfth and eighth, respectively. He placed eleventh at the 2017 World Junior Championships in Taipei and thirtieth at the 2017 World Championships in Helsinki.

2017–2018 season[]

Rizzo began his season in September, at two senior-level competitions. After placing fifth at the 2017 CS Lombardia Trophy with a new free skate personal best, he finished fourth at the 2017 CS Nebelhorn Trophy, qualifying Italy a spot in the men's discipline at the 2018 Winter Olympics.

In October, Rizzo competed at two JGP events. He placed second in the short program at the JGP Poland in Gdańsk, but his placement in the free skate (tenth) dropped him to sixth overall. Ranked second in the short and first in the free, he won the gold medal at JGP Italy in Egna, setting new personal bests for the short program as well as his overall score.

Returning to the senior level, Rizzo won gold at the 2017 CS Warsaw Cup, having placed first in both segments ahead of Switzerland's Stéphane Walker and Canada's Liam Firus. In December, he won the national title and was selected to represent Italy at the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea. Rizzo competed in both parts of the team event as part of the Italian team, placing fifth in the short program and fourth in the free skate, while Team Italy finished fourth overall.[4] He finished twenty-first in the men's event.

Returning to the junior level one final time, Rizzo competed at the 2018 World Junior Championships and won the bronze medal after placing sixth in both programs. This was the first World Junior medal for an Italian man.[5] At the 2018 World Championships in Milan, Rizzo placed seventeenth.

2018–2019 season[]

Beginning the season at the 2018 CS Lombardia Trophy, Rizzo ranked fourth in the short with a personal best score of 85.51 and fourth in the free, finishing fourth overall. He then competed at the 2018 CS Finlandia Trophy, where he finished sixth. In his Grand Prix debut event, he placed fourth at 2018 Skate America and third at 2018 NHK Trophy. Rizzo's bronze medal at the NHK Trophy was the first Grand Prix medal for an Italian male skater.[6] In December he took gold at the 2018 Denkova-Staviski Cup, and the silver medal at 2019 Italian Championships, behind Daniel Grassl.

Competing at the 2019 European Championships, Rizzo debuted a new free skate to a medley of Queen songs. He placed tenth in the short program and third in the free skate, winning the bronze medal overall with a personal best score of 247.08 points and achieving his first podium finish at a senior-level ISU Championship. In his free skate, he successfully landed a quad toe loop for the first time. Rizzo was the first Italian man to win a European medal since Samuel Contesti in 2009.[7][6]

Rizzo next participated in the 2019 Winter Universiade in Krasnoyarsk, Russia. Introducing the quad toe loop into the short program, he finished second there, and then place first in the free skate to win the gold medal with a total of 273.54 points.[8] At the World Championships in Japan, Rizzo placed fifth in the short program with a new personal best score, tenth in the free, and seventh overall. He concluded the season as part of Team Italy at the 2019 World Team Trophy, where he placed fourth among the men competing and Team Italy finished sixth overall.[9]

2019–2020 season[]

In the summer, Rizzo trained at the Toronto Cricket, Skating & Curling Club under Brian Orser, working to acquire more quadruple jumps for the coming season.[6] Rizzo began the season with two Challengers, winning bronze at the 2019 CS Lombardia Trophy and silver at the 2019 CS Ondrej Nepela Memorial. He attempted the quad loop in competition for the first time.

For his first Grand Prix assignment, Rizzo competed at the 2019 Skate Canada International. In the short program, he placed eighth after underrotating his quadruple toe loop and falling on his combination jump.[10] Despite a number of errors in the free skate, he moved up to finish in sixth place overall.[11] At the 2019 Cup of China, Rizzo placed third in the short program despite falling on his triple Lutz and consequently missing his combination.[12] Fourth in the free skate, he remained in third place overall and won the bronze medal.[13]

After winning the silver medal at the Italian Championships, Rizzo competed at the 2020 European Championships, where he placed seventh in the short program after some minor jump errors.[14] Fifth in the free skate, he rose to fifth place overall, but remarked that it had been "a tough season for me because it’s between the Olympics."[15] Rizzo was also assigned to compete at the 2020 World Championships, but these were cancelled as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.[16]

2020–2021 season[]

With pandemic-related travel restrictions in place, Rizzo made his season debut at the 2020 CS Nebelhorn Trophy, an event attended by only skaters training in Europe. He was tipped as one of the pre-event favourites.[17] Third after the short program, he was seventh in the free and ended up fifth overall.[18] Following the competition, he announced that he was parting ways with longtime coach Franca Bianconi.[19] On October 20th, Rizzo announced on Instagram that he had relocated his training base to Egna, Italy to train under coach Lorenzo Magri, alongside main domestic rival Daniel Grassl.[20] He was assigned to compete at the 2020 Internationaux de France, but this event was cancelled due to the pandemic.[21]

After taking the silver medal at the Italian championships, Rizzo was assigned to compete at the 2021 World Championships in Stockholm, where he placed eleventh.[22] Rizzo and Grassl's placements qualified two berths for Italian men at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.[23] They were both subsequently named to the Italian team for the 2021 World Team Trophy.[24] He announced on April 11 that he had been unable to leave Italy for the event location in Osaka, and therefore withdrew from participation.[25] He subsequently stated that he had withdrawn after a positive COVID-19 test.[26]

2021–2022 season[]

Rizzo returned to his former coach Franca Bianconi, and also added retired pairs skater Ondřej Hotárek to his team.[27] He made his season debut at the 2021 CS Finlandia Trophy, where he overcame a poor short program to win the free skate and place sixth overall. The following weekend he won the 2021 Budapest Trophy.[28]

On the Grand Prix, Rizzo's first assignment was the 2021 NHK Trophy, where he placed sixth in the short program. He was third in the free skate, rising to fifth place overall despite popping one of his two planned quad jumps. Rizzo expressed satisfaction at having received a score over 170 points in the free segment with only one quad jump.[29] At the 2021 Rostelecom Cup, he was ninth in the short program, and rose to fifth place again after a second-place free skate.[30]

Programs[]

Season Short program Free skating Exhibition
2021–2022
[31]
2020–2021
[32]
  • Arranged Piece
    by
  • A chi mi dice
    by Blue
    choreo. by Valter Rizzo, Corrado Giordani
2019–2020
[6]
2018–2019
[33]
  • Volare
    performed by Luca Longobardi
2017–2018
[1]
2016–2017
[3]
2015–2016
[35]
  • Malagueña
    by Ernesto Lecuona
    performed by Brian Setzer
2014–2015
[36]
  • Neph
  • Buckjump
2013–2014
[37]
  • The Kid
  • Meeting the Millionaire
  • City Lights
  • Nonsense Song

Competitive highlights[]

GP: Grand Prix; CS: Challenger Series; JGP: Junior Grand Prix

International[28]
Event 10–11 11–12 12–13 13–14 14–15 15–16 16–17 17–18 18–19 19–20 20–21 21–22
Olympics 21st
Worlds 30th 17th 7th C 11th
Europeans 13th 9th 3rd 5th
GP Cup of China 3rd
GP France C
GP NHK Trophy 3rd 5th
GP Rostelecom Cup 5th
GP Skate America 4th
GP Skate Canada 6th
CS Denkova-Stav. 3rd
CS Finlandia Trophy 6th 6th
CS Lombardia Trophy 5th 4th 3rd
CS Nebelhorn Trophy 4th 5th
CS Ondrej Nepela 4th 2nd
CS Warsaw Cup 3rd 5th 6th 1st
Bavarian Open 9th 5th
Budapest Trophy 1st
Cup of Tyrol 2nd
Denkova-Staviski 1st 1st
Dragon Trophy 5th
Golden Bear 4th
Hellmut Seibt 2nd 6th 7th
Merano Cup 2nd 2nd
Shanghai Trophy 1st
Toruń Cup 1st
Winter Universiade 1st
International: Junior[28]
Junior Worlds 30th 22nd 13th 11th 3rd
JGP Austria 5th
JGP Germany 15th 12th
JGP Italy 1st
JGP Poland 6th
JGP Slovakia 11th
JGP Slovenia 8th
JGP Spain 5th
EYOF 4th
Bavarian Open 4th
Crystal Skate 6th
Ice Star 4th
Lombardia Trophy 3rd 2nd
Santa Claus Cup 5th
International: Advanced novice[38]
Bavarian Open 3rd
Gardena 7th
NRW Trophy 9th
Mont Blanc 2nd
Triglav Trophy 2nd
National[28]
Italian Champ. 4th J 5th J 1st J 2nd 2nd 2nd 1st 2nd 2nd 2nd 2nd
Team events
Olympics 4th T
5th P
World Team
Trophy		 6th T
4th P		 WD
J = Junior level; TBD = Assigned; WD = Withdrew; C = Event cancelled
T = Team result; P = Personal result; Medals awarded for team result only.

Detailed results[]

Small medals for short and free programs awarded only at ISU Championships. At team events, medals awarded for team results only.

2021–22 season
Date Event SP FS Total
November 26–28, 2021 2021 Rostelecom Cup 9
77.45 		2
173.02 		5
250.47
November 12–14, 2021 2021 NHK Trophy 6
84.78 		3
171.06 		5
255.84
October 14–17, 2021 2021 Budapest Trophy 2
72.94 		1
161.46 		1
234.40
October 7–10, 2021 2021 CS Finlandia Trophy 19
62.57 		1
176.18 		6
238.75
2020–21 season
Date Event SP FS Total
March 22–28, 2021 2021 World Championships 11
83.30 		11
162.07 		11
245.37
December 12–13, 2020 2020 Italian Championships 3
74.81 		2
174.13 		2
248.94
September 23–26, 2020 2020 CS Nebelhorn Trophy 3
77.15 		7
136.99 		5
214.14
2019–20 season
Date Event SP FS Total
January 20-26, 2020 2020 European Championships 7
79.07 		5
157.94 		5
237.01
December 12–15, 2019 2019 Italian Championships 1
82.08 		2
161.68 		2
243.76
November 8–10, 2019 2019 Cup of China 3
81.72 		4
160.16 		3
241.88
October 25–27, 2019 2019 Skate Canada 9
70.12 		5
153.66 		6
223.78
October 3–5, 2019 2019 Shanghai Trophy 1
87.76 		3
160.77 		1
248.53
September 19–21, 2019 2019 CS Ondrej Nepela Memorial 4
75.87 		1
156.83 		2
232.70
September 13–15, 2019 2019 CS Lombardia Trophy 5
71.76 		3
155.62 		3
227.38
2018–19 season
Date Event SP FS Total
April 11–14, 2019 2019 World Team Trophy 6
87.64 		5
172.89 		6T/4P
260.53
March 18–24, 2019 2019 World Championships 5
93.37 		10
164.29 		7
257.66
March 7–9, 2019 2019 Winter Universiade 2
90.78 		1
182.76 		1
273.54
January 21–27, 2019 2019 European Championships 10
81.41 		3
165.67 		3
247.08
December 13–16, 2018 2019 Italian Championships 1
87.20 		2
154.42 		2
241.62
Nov. 27 – Dec. 2, 2018 2018 Denkova–Staviski Cup 1
85.52 		1
139.86 		1
225.38
November 9–11, 2018 2018 NHK Trophy 4
77.00 		3
147.71 		3
224.71
October 19–21, 2018 2018 Skate America 5
78.09 		5
147.72 		4
225.81
October 4–7, 2018 2018 CS Finlandia Trophy 6
76.53 		7
141.15 		6
217.68
September 12–16, 2018 2018 CS Lombardia Trophy 4
85.51 		4
142.46 		4
227.97
2017–18 season
Date Event Level SP FS Total
March 19–25, 2018 2018 World Championships Senior 18
77.43 		17
148.01 		17
225.44
March 5–11, 2018 2018 World Junior Championships Junior 6
70.24 		6
141.34 		3
211.58
February 14–23, 2018 2018 Winter Olympics Senior 23
75.63 		19
156.78 		21
232.41
February 9–12, 2018 2018 Winter Olympics (team event) Senior 5
77.77 		4
156.11 		4T
January 15–21, 2018 2018 European Championships Senior 6
78.26 		9
141.17 		9
219.43
December 13–16, 2017 2018 Italian Championships Senior 1
84.82 		1
158.38 		1
243.20
November 22–25, 2017 2018 Cup of Tyrol Senior 3
73.70 		2
149.73 		2
223.43
November 16–19, 2017 2017 CS Warsaw Cup Senior 1
75.64 		1
157.34 		1
232.98
October 10–14, 2017 2017 JGP Italy Junior 2
77.24 		1
151.94 		1
229.18
October 4–7, 2017 2017 JGP Poland Junior 2
74.51 		10
118.28 		6
192.79
September 27–30, 2017 2017 CS Nebelhorn Trophy Senior 5
72.97 		2
150.30 		4
223.27
September 14–17, 2017 2017 CS Lombardia Trophy Senior 6
71.67 		3
155.35 		5
227.02
2016–17 season
Date Event Level SP FS Total
Mar. 29 – Apr. 2, 2017 2017 World Championships Senior 30
63.14 		- 30
63.14
March 15–19, 2017 2017 World Junior Championships Junior 13
68.53 		11
128.94 		11
197.47
February 14–19, 2017 2017 Bavarian Open Senior 5
65.39 		3
129.79 		5
195.18
December 14–17, 2016 2017 Italian Championships Senior 2
74.47 		2
142.27 		2
216.74
November 17–20, 2016 2016 CS Warsaw Cup Senior 3
66.55 		6
129.48 		6
196.03

References[]

  1. ^ a b c "Matteo RIZZO: 2017/2018". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 16 November 2017.
  2. ^ Golinsky, Reut (2 November 2017). "Catching up with Franca Bianconi". Absolute Skating.
  3. ^ a b "Matteo RIZZO: 2016/2017". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 30 May 2017.CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  4. ^ Slater, Paula (12 February 2019). "Canada takes gold at 2018 Olympics in figure skating team event". Golden Skate.
  5. ^ Slater, Paula (10 March 2018). "Alexey Erokhov wins Junior World men's title". Golden Skate.
  6. ^ a b c d Flade, Tatjana (11 June 2019). "Italy's Rizzo to train with Orser in the summer". Golden Skate.
  7. ^ Slater, Paula (January 26, 2019). "Fernandez snags seventh consecutive European title". Golden Skate.
  8. ^ Jiwani, Rory (March 7, 2019). "MATTEO RIZZO CLAIMS WINTER UNIVERSIADE MEN'S SINGLES TITLE". Olympic Channel.
  9. ^ Slater, Paula (12 April 2019). "Team USA gains momentum on day two at World Team Trophy". Golden Skate.
  10. ^ Slater, Paula (October 26, 2019). "Japan's Yuzuru front-runner at 2019 Skate Canada". Golden Skate.
  11. ^ Slater, Paula (October 27, 2019). "Hanyu takes first Skate Canada gold in Kelowna". Golden Skate.
  12. ^ Slater, Paula (November 8, 2019). "Han Yan leads men at Cup of China after two-year hiatus". Golden Skate.
  13. ^ Slater, Paula (November 9, 2019). "Boyang Jin wins first Grand Prix gold on home ice". Golden Skate.
  14. ^ Slater, Paula (January 22, 2020). "Brezina: 'Maybe it is a 'bye-bye' and maybe not'". Golden Skate.
  15. ^ Slater, Paula (January 23, 2020). "Russia's Aliev claims gold in Graz". Golden Skate.
  16. ^ Ewing, Lori (March 11, 2020). "World figure skating championships cancelled in Montreal". CBC Sports.
  17. ^ "2020 NEBELHORN TROPHY". International Figure Skating. September 19, 2020.
  18. ^ Jiwani, Rory (September 25, 2020). "Deniss Vasiljevs claims biggest win at Nebelhorn Trophy". Olympic Channel.
  19. ^ Rizzo, Matteo (October 5, 2020). "Purtroppo determinate situazioni non posso nascere e concludersi nello stesso luogo" (Instagram). Archived from the original on 2021-12-24.
  20. ^ Rizzo, Matteo (October 20, 2020). "My new home