Maurizio Margaglio facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Maurizio Margaglio
Margaglio in 2019
Personal information
Country represented	Italy
Born	(1974-11-16) 16 November 1974 (age 50)
Residence	Courmayeur, Italy
Height	1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Partner	Barbara Fusar-Poli
Former partner	Claudia Frigoli
Former coach	Roberto Pelizzola P. Mezzadri Natalia Linichuk
Former choreographer	Ludmila Vlasova
Skating club	Agora Skating Team, Milano
Retired	2002, 2006
ISU personal best scores
Combined total	183.46 2006 Olympics
Comp. dance	38.78 2006 Olympics
Original dance	51.73 2006 Olympics
Free dance	92.95 2006 Olympics
Medal record Figure skating: Ice dancing Representing  Italy Olympic Games Bronze 2002 Salt Lake City Ice dancing World Championships Gold 2001 Vancouver Ice dancing Silver 2000 Nice Ice dancing European Championships Silver 2002 Lausanne Ice dancing Gold 2001 Bratislava Ice dancing Silver 2000 Vienna Ice dancing Grand Prix Final Gold 2001-2002 Kitchener Ice dancing Silver 1999-2000 Lyon Ice dancing

Maurizio Margaglio was born on November 16, 1974. He is an Italian ice dancing coach and a former top figure skater. He is best known for his amazing performances with his skating partner, Barbara Fusar-Poli. Together, they became World champions in 2001. They also won the European championship in 2001. In 2002, they earned a bronze medal at the Olympic Games. They were also Italian champions nine times and competed in three Olympic Games.

Skating Career

Maurizio Margaglio and partner Barbara Fusar-Poli compete at the 2001 Grand Prix Final

Maurizio Margaglio started skating when he was ten years old. He went straight into ice dancing. Early in his career, he won three Italian junior championships with his first partner, Claudia Frigoli.

Partnering with Barbara Fusar-Poli

Barbara Fusar-Poli asked Maurizio to skate with her after her previous partner stopped. They began skating together at the senior level in the 1994-95 season. They quickly found success, winning several medals in the Grand Prix series.

In the 1999-2000 season, they won their first medals at major championships. They finished second at both the European Championships and the World Championships. This was a big moment for Italy, as it was the first time the country won a medal at the World Championships in figure skating.

For their free dance that season, they used a mix of Celtic music. This included songs from Lord of the Dance and the movie Braveheart. They also used a slow song by Lorena McKennit. A figure skating historian, Ellyn Kestnbaum, noted that their program tried to bring Irish dance moves to the ice. She also said their free dance showed a story of conflict and resolution. It highlighted the strong athleticism of both skaters.

Becoming World Champions

The next season, 2000-01, was incredibly successful for Maurizio and Barbara. They won every competition they entered. They made history by becoming the first Italian skaters to win a World title in any figure skating discipline.

However, the 2001-02 season was a bit tougher. They finished second at the European Championships. Then, at the 2002 Winter Olympics, they earned a bronze medal. This Olympic medal came with some discussion because Maurizio fell during their free dance. Another team protested the result, but it was not changed. After the Olympics, Fusar-Poli and Margaglio did not compete at the 2002 World Championships. They took a break from competitive skating until the 2005-06 season.

Return for the Home Olympics

With the 2006 Winter Olympics happening in Turin, Italy, Maurizio and Barbara decided to return to compete in their home country. They did not compete in any international events before the Olympics. However, they did win the Italian National Championships.

The Olympics was their first international event using a new scoring system. Despite this, they had a small lead after the first part of the event, the compulsory dance. This was a surprise to many, as they were ahead of two-time world champions Tatiana Navka and Roman Kostomarov.

In the original dance, something unexpected happened. With only seconds left in their program, Maurizio lost his balance during a lift. He dropped Barbara and fell to the ice himself. After this, Barbara looked at Maurizio for about thirty seconds before they bowed and left the ice. They dropped to seventh place overall.

They moved up to sixth place after a clean free dance. They told the media that their reaction after the fall was because they were angry at the mistake, not at each other. Years later, Barbara said there were tiny Swarovski crystals on the ice from other skaters' costumes. But she also said the fall was their own mistake. The 2006 Olympics was their last competition together. However, they continued to perform in skating shows.

Coaching Career

In 2010, Maurizio Margaglio started working as a coach. He helped both senior and junior Finnish synchronized skating teams. In 2011, he signed a three-year contract to lead and develop Finland's ice dancing program. He was also named an Olympic Youth Coach. Today, he coaches in Helsinki, Finland, alongside Neil Brown.

Current Students

Maurizio coaches several talented ice dance teams, including:

• Darya Grimm / Michail Savitskiy
• Natacha Lagouge / Arnaud Caffa
• Yuka Orihara / Juho Pirinen
• Juulia Turkkila / Matthias Versluis

Former Students

Some of his former students include:

• Paulina Ramanauskaitė / Deividas Kizala
• Allison Reed / Saulius Ambrulevičius
• Chelsea Verhaegh / Sherim van Geffen

Personal Life

Maurizio Margaglio was born in Milan, Italy. His mother was a housewife, and his father was an accountant.

By 1998, he started a relationship with German figure skater Jyrina Lorenz. They are now married and have three sons. Their sons are named Gabriel (born in 2007), Sebastian (born in 2009), and Julian (born in 2012 in Helsinki).

Images for kids

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  Margaglio in 2019