Carolina Kostner

Carolina Kostner

Kostner at the 2008 World Figure Skating Championships
Personal information
Full name:	Carolina Kostner
Country represented:	Italy
Date of birth:	February 8, 1987 (1987-02-08) (age 24)
Place of birth:	Bolzano
Home town:	Urtijëi
Height:	1.69 m (5 ft 6 1⁄2 in)
Coach:	Michael Huth
Former coach:	Frank Carroll Christa Fassi Eduardo de Bernardis
Choreographer:	Lori Nichol
Former choreographer:	Kurt Browning Megan Smith
Skating club:	GS Fiamme Azzurre
Medal record Ladies' Figure Skating Competitor for  Italy World Championships Silver 2008 Gothenburg Ladies' singles Bronze 2005 Moscow Ladies' singles European Championships Gold 2010 Tallinn Ladies' singles Silver 2009 Helsinki Ladies' singles Gold 2008 Zagreb Ladies' singles Gold 2007 Warsaw Ladies' singles Bronze 2006 Lyon Ladies' singles Grand Prix Final Bronze 2008–2009 Goyang Ladies' singles Bronze 2007–2008 Turin Ladies' singles World Junior Championships Bronze 2003 Ostrava Ladies' singles Junior Grand Prix Final Silver 2002–2003 The Hague Ladies' singles
ISU personal best scores
Combined total:	184.68 2008 Worlds
Short program:	67.15 2007 Worlds
Free skate:	120.40 2008 Worlds

Carolina Kostner (born 8 February 1987) is an Italian figure skater. She is the 2008 World silver medalist, the 2005 World bronze medalist, the 2007, 2008 and 2010 European champion, the 2007-08 & 2008-09 Grand Prix Final Bronze Medalist , the 2003 World Junior Bronze medalist and the 2002-2003 Junior Grand Prix Final silver medalist.

As of April 2010^[update], she was ranked 6th in the world by the International Skating Union (ISU).^[1]

Personal life

Carolina Kostner was born in Bolzano, Italy and lives in Urtijëi, Italy. She began skating at age 4.^[2] Her mother, Patrizia, was a nationally ranked figure skater in the 1970s. Her father, Erwin, played ice hockey for the Italian national team at the World Championships and Olympic Games and presently coaches ice hockey teams. She has two brothers who play ice hockey in Germany.^[3] Kostner is the cousin and godchild of Isolde Kostner, a silver medalist in alpine skiing at the 2002 Winter Olympics.^[4]

Kostner speaks Ladin (a Rhaeto-Romanic language), German, Italian, English and French.^[5] In the fall of 2007, she enrolled at the University of Turin.

Kostner has been considered just like an idol star in Italy. Occasionally, she becomes paparazzi target.

From 2003-2005, Kostner dated Stéphane Lambiel^[6]. Carolina says they broke up because the fans did not like the relationship. Currently, she has romantically involved with an Italian race walker Alex Schwazer^[7][8].

Career

Kostner performs at the 2010 Worlds.

When her home rink closed in 2001, Kostner chose to work with Michael Huth in Oberstdorf, Germany, about a four-hour drive from her home in Bolzano. She made her senior debut in the 2002-2003 season, finishing 4th at the European championships. Later that year, she became the first Italian skater to medal at Junior Worlds, winning a bronze.

In the 2003-2004 season, Kostner finished 5th at the 2004 European Figure Skating Championships and at the 2004 World Figure Skating Championships. In the 2004-2005, she finished 7th at the 2005 European Figure Skating Championships before beating Michelle Kwan for the bronze medal at the 2005 World Figure Skating Championships in Moscow.^[9]

Kostner won her first European medal in 2006, and was chosen to be flag bearer for the host Italian team during the opening ceremony of the 2006 Winter Olympics.^[10] At the Olympics, she placed 9th. The next month, at the 2006 World Figure Skating Championships, she placed 12th.

Kostner missed the 2006-2007 Grand Prix season due to injury. She won the Italian national title and went on to win her first European title at the 2007 European Figure Skating Championships.^[11] She set a new personal best to finish third in the short program at the 2007 Worlds but faltered in the long program and finished 6th overall.^[12]

During the 2007-2008 season, Kostner medaled at both her Grand Prix events and went to the Grand Prix Final for the first time. At that event, she won the bronze medal. She won her second European title at the 2008 European Figure Skating Championships after winning the short program and placing second in the free skate.^[13] At the 2008 World Figure Skating Championships, Kostner won the short program and placed third in the free skate, winning the silver medal overall.^[14]

Kostner had a difficult 2008-2009 season, finishing off the podium at her first Grand Prix event, 2008 Skate Canada, losing her European title to Laura Lepistö,^[15] and placing twelfth at the 2009 World Figure Skating Championships after a disastrous long program in which she failed to land a single clean triple. As a result, Italy qualified only one ladies spot for the 2010 Olympics.^[16]

Kostner's assigned events for the 2009-10 Grand Prix series were the Trophée Eric Bompard and the 2009 Cup of China. She placed sixth in both. In December 2009, Kostner lost her national title to Valentina Marchei, which threatened her spot on the Italian team for the Vancouver Games, but the following month she rebounded to win gold at the 2010 European Figure Skating Championships, held in Tallinn, Estonia. At the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, she placed sixteenth overall after again failing in most of her jumping elements in the free skate. She was able to finish the season on a better note by placing sixth at the 2010 World Figure Skating Championships, which took place in Turin, near her hometown.

For the 2010-2011 ISU Grand Prix season, she has been assigned to the 2010 NHK Trophy and to the 2010 Skate America.

Coaching changes

In June 2009, Kostner left her long-time coach Michael Huth.^[17] She relocated to El Segundo, California to work with Frank Carroll and Christa Fassi, the widow of the late Carlo Fassi). ^[18] In the middle of the 2009-2010 season, left Carroll and began training with Christa Fassi and Eduardo de Bernardis.

In July 2010, it was reported in the German media that Kostner had returned to Oberstdorf and resumed training with Huth.^[19]

Skating technique

Kostner can land triple-triple combinations, often the triple flip - triple toe loop. She spins and jumps in the clockwise direction. She is particularly known for her great speed and use of forward cross-overs.

Public life and endorsements

Kostner's sponsors^[20] include Asics, Cepu, Grissin Bon, Milka, Lancia, Roberto Cavalli, Alto Adige and Torino Olympic Park. Kostner's Official Suppliers ^[21] include Maybelline, L'Oréal Professionnel, Fratelli Rossetti and Damiani.

Kostner has participated in the show "Winx On Ice^[22][23]" from November 2008.

Programs

Kostner performs her long program at the 2010 European Figure Skating Championships.

Competitive highlights

Kostner at the 2007 Nebelhorn Trophy.

Post-2005

• WD = Withdrawn

Pre-2005

• J = Junior level

Detailed results

Kostner at the 2010 European Figure Skating Championships.

Kostner at the 2009 European Figure Skating Championships.

Kostner at the 2008 European Figure Skating Championships.

Carolina Kostner at the 2007 European Figure Skating Championships.

Kostner at the 2006 European Figure Skating Championships.

Kostner at the 2005 World Figure Skating Championships.

References

External links

• Official Site
• Carolina Kostner at the International Skating Union