Carolina Kostner facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Carolina Kostner |
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Kostner in 2014
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| Personal information | |
| Country represented |  Italy |
| Born | 8 February 1987 Bolzano, Italy |
| Home town | Ortisei, Italy |
| Height | 1.69 m |
| Coach | Alexei Mishin, Michael Huth |
| Skating club | G.S. Fiamme Azzurre |
| Began skating | 1990 |
Carolina Kostner (born February 8, 1987) is a famous Italian figure skater. She won a bronze medal at the 2014 Winter Olympics. Carolina also became the World Champion in 2012. She is a five-time European champion. She won these titles in 2007, 2008, 2010, 2012, and 2013. In 2011, she was the Grand Prix Final champion.
Carolina has won many other medals. These include five more World Championship medals. She also has six more European Championship medals. She earned three more Grand Prix Final medals. In 2003, she won a bronze medal at the World Junior Championships. She is also a nine-time Italian national champion. Carolina has won 11 medals at the European championships. This makes her the most decorated singles skater in that competition's history.
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About Carolina Kostner
Carolina Kostner was born in Bolzano, Italy. She grew up in Urtijëi (also known as Ortisei). She has two brothers, Martin and Simon Kostner. Simon plays ice hockey.
Her Family and Background
Sports and art run in Carolina's family. Her mother, Patrizia, was a nationally ranked figure skater. She later became an art teacher. Her father, Erwin Kostner, played ice hockey for the Italian national team. He competed in the Olympic Games. One of her grandfathers directed an Art Academy. Carolina is also the cousin and goddaughter of Isolde Kostner. Isolde won a silver medal in alpine skiing at the 2002 Winter Olympics.
Languages and Education
Carolina's first language is Ladin. She also speaks German, Italian, English, and French. In 2007, she started studying art history. She took most of her classes through correspondence. During a break from skating, she also attended a classical ballet school.
Carolina's Skating Journey
Carolina started learning to skate when she was four years old. She once said that figure skating was a great mix for her. It combined her family's love for sports and art. In 2001, her home rink was damaged by a landslide. After that, Carolina decided to train with Michael Huth in Oberstdorf, Germany. This town was about a four-hour drive from her home.
Starting Senior Competitions (2002-2005)
Carolina began competing internationally as a senior skater in 2002. She won gold at two events that September. These were the 2002 Nebelhorn Trophy and the 2002 Ondrej Nepela Memorial. In January 2003, she placed fourth at the 2003 European Figure Skating Championships. The next month, she made history. She became the first Italian skater to win a medal at the Junior Worlds. She earned a bronze medal at the 2003 World Junior Figure Skating Championships.
In the 2003–2004 season, she finished fifth at both the European and World Championships. The following season, in 2005, she placed seventh at the European Championships. She then won a bronze medal at the World Championships in Moscow. She even beat Michelle Kwan for that medal.
Olympic Debut and First European Title (2006-2008)
In 2006, Carolina won her first European medal. She was chosen to carry the flag for Italy at the opening ceremony of the 2006 Winter Olympics. She placed ninth at those Olympics. The next month, she finished 12th at the World Championships.
Carolina missed the 2006–2007 Grand Prix season due to an injury. But she came back strong. She won the Italian national title. Then, she won her first European title at the 2007 European Championships. At the 2007 Worlds, she started well. She was third after the short program. However, she struggled in the long program and finished sixth overall.
In the 2007–2008 season, Carolina won medals at both her Grand Prix events. She went to the Grand Prix Final for the first time. There, she earned a bronze medal. She won her second European title at the 2008 Europeans. At the 2008 Worlds, she won the short program. She finished third in the free skate, earning a silver medal overall.
Challenges and Changes (2008-2011)
The 2008–2009 season was tough for Carolina. She did not win a medal at her first Grand Prix event. She lost her European title to Laura Lepistö. At the 2009 World Championships, she finished 12th. This meant Italy only got one spot for the 2010 Olympics. After eight years with coach Michael Huth, Carolina changed coaches. She moved to California to work with Frank Carroll.
In the 2009–2010 season, she placed sixth at her Grand Prix events. She later left Frank Carroll. She continued training with Christa Fassi and Edoardo De Bernardis. In December 2009, she lost her national title. This put her spot for the Vancouver Olympics at risk. But she bounced back. The next month, she won gold at the 2010 European Championships. At the 2010 Winter Olympics, she finished 16th. She ended the season by placing sixth at the 2010 World Championships. Carolina later said this Olympic experience made her question if she should continue. But she realized how much she loved skating.
Feeling homesick, Carolina returned to Oberstdorf in July 2010. She started training with Michael Huth again.
For the 2010–2011 Grand Prix season, she had a left knee injury. She couldn't practice some jumps until late 2010. Still, she won a bronze medal at Skate America. She also won the NHK Trophy for the second time. At the 2010–11 Grand Prix Final, she won a silver medal. She also won silver at the 2011 European Championships. At the 2011 Worlds in Moscow, she won a bronze medal. This was her first World medal since 2008. She won medals at all her events that season. She then took a break to recover from her injury.
World Champion and Olympic Medalist (2011-2014)
As a top finisher at the 2011 Worlds, Carolina could compete in three Grand Prix events in 2011. She won silver at Skate America and gold at the Cup of China. This made her the first skater to qualify for the Grand Prix Final. She then won silver at the Trophée Eric Bompard. Carolina then won her first gold medal at the Grand Prix Final. She was the first Italian single skater to win this title.
Carolina won the 2012 Europeans. This was her fourth European title. Her next competition was the 2012 International Challenge Cup, which she also won. At the 2012 World Championships in Nice, France, Carolina won the gold medal. She became Italy's first World champion in ladies' singles.
In July 2012, Carolina thought about retiring. But she decided to continue competing until the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. She withdrew from her Grand Prix events that season. This was because she needed more time to get ready. In December 2012, she announced her return. At the 2013 European Championships, she won gold. This was her fifth European title. She then won her fifth World medal, a silver, at the 2013 World Championships.
In June 2013, Carolina began training for the 2013–2014 season. She won bronze at the 2013 Cup of China. She then won silver at the 2013 Cup of Russia. In January 2014, she changed her competitive programs. At the 2014 European Championships, she won a bronze medal. This was her ninth medal in a row at that competition.
At the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, Carolina was in third place after the short program. She won the bronze medal after the free skate. She later said this medal ceremony was very emotional. She felt her competitive career was complete. One month later, at the 2014 World Championships, she placed second in the short program. She made some mistakes in her free skate. She finished in third place overall.
Break from Skating (2014-2016)
In summer 2014, Carolina announced she would take a break from skating. In January 2015, she received a suspension from competition. This was related to an investigation involving another athlete. The suspension was for 16 months. In October 2015, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) changed her suspension to 21 months. It was backdated to April 1, 2014. This meant Carolina could compete again from January 1, 2016. She participated in a pro-am competition in January 2016.
Return to Competition (2016-2018)
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In November 2016, Carolina announced her return to competitive skating. She began training with Alexei Mishin. She said she was not focused on new medals. Instead, she wanted to learn more about skating.
She won gold at her first event back, the 2016 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb. She then won a bronze medal at the 2017 European Championships. At the 2017 World Championships, she finished sixth overall.
For the 2017-18 Grand Prix series, she finished second at both her events. This qualified her for the Grand Prix Final, where she placed fourth. In January 2018, she won her 11th medal at the European Championships. This set a record for a singles skater.
At the 2018 Olympic Games, Carolina helped Italy finish fourth in the team event. In the individual ladies' event, she finished fifth overall. After the Olympics, she was chosen to be the flag bearer for the closing ceremonies. She then competed at the World Championships in Milan. She set a new personal best score in the short program, taking first place. However, she made mistakes in the free skate and finished fourth overall.
Later Career (2018-2019)
In September 2018, Carolina withdrew from the Japan Open. In October, she withdrew from her Grand Prix events. This was due to pain in her left hip. In December, she announced she was still recovering. She would not go to the Europeans. Later, she announced she would not compete at the 2019 World Figure Skating Championships.
After Competing
After her competitive skating career, Carolina started working with her longtime choreographer, Lori Nichol. She helps choreograph programs for other skaters. Some skaters she has worked with include Nicole Schott, Lee Hae-in, Yuma Kagiyama, and Rebecca Ghilardi/Filippo Ambrosini. In summer 2023, she also joined Yuma Kagiyama's coaching team.
Sponsors and Shows
Carolina has had many sponsors throughout her career. These include companies like Asics, Lancia, and Herbalife. She also worked with fashion designers like Roberto Cavalli.
Carolina designed her own costumes from 2010 to 2014. She performed in the show Winx On Ice starting in 2008. She also performed in Opera on Ice in October 2011. This show was broadcast in 40 countries.
Programs
Carolina Kostner performed many different programs throughout her career. Each season, she had a short program, a free skating program, and often an exhibition program. These programs featured music from various composers and artists.
| Season | Short program | Free skating | Exhibition |
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| 2018–2019 |
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| 2017–2018 |
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| 2016–2017 |
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| 2015–2016 |
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| 2014–2015 |
Did not compete this season |
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| 2013–2014 |
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| 2012–2013 |
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| 2011–2012 |
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| 2010–2011 |
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| 2009–2010 |
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| 2008–2009 |
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| 2007–2008 |
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| 2006–2007 |
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| 2005–2006 |
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| 2004–2005 |
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| 2003–2004 |
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| 2002–2003 |
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| 2000–2001 |
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Images for kids
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Kostner (right) at the podium in 2014 Sochi Olympics.
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Kostner with Lipnitskaya (left) and Mao Asada (center) at the 2014 World Championships podium
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Kostner (center left) with the 2012 World Championships gold medalists
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Kostner at the 2012 World Championships.
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Kostner at the 2010 European Championships
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Kostner at the 2008 European Championships
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See also
In Spanish: Carolina Kostner para niños
