The 24-year-old from Milan, in Espoo, Finland, wins the free and is beaten only by the French Siao Him Fa. From 1891, in an Italian key, only Fassi is better
Matteo Rizzo is splendid silver at the European Championships in Espoo. And the blue party continues in Finland. After the historic brace in the artistic pairs, here is a new tricolor medal in the men’s individual. The 24-year-old Milanese, already bronze in Minsk 2019, wins the free and, after a few fluctuating seasons, after having regained that national title in December that had been missing for four editions, he returns to demonstrate what he’s made of. The bearer of the Fiamme Azzurre, second on Wednesday in the short, wins the free: only the 21-year-old French Adam Siao Him Fa, parents of Mauritius, for the first time on the podium, remains ahead of him. For less than eight points (267.77 to 259.92), but with merit. The bronze, surprisingly enough, goes to the Swiss Lukas Britschgi (248.01). And if the absence of Russian specialists in couples was decisive, in this case it was a little less so.
The race
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It is another triumph for the IceLab Bergamo school chaired by Federica Pesenti. In fact, it is there that Matteo trains. And it is a new success for Franca Bianconi who, together with her father Valter, has been following Matteo since he was a child. The blue misses the initial quadruple toe loop, but then – on the notes played by Bruno Mars – quadruple loop and triple axel in combination included, it’s a machine. In a review whose first edition dates back to Hamburg 1891, only the legendary Carlo Fassi, gold in Dortmund 1953 and Bolzano 1954, did better in an Italian key. Rizzo also succeeds Daniel Grassl, second in Tallinn 2022 and sixth here, recovering two positions compared to the first segment of the race, sixth. A good result, considering the difficult moment that the 20-year-old from Merano is going through. Italy in the specialty, with Gabriele Frangipani tenth, will count on three representatives also in Budapest 2023.
Danza
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Meanwhile, for the blue team, the European Championships certainly don’t end here. Because the loot, on Saturday, could become even more prestigious. Until the success – unprecedented – in the medal. Charlene Guignard-Marco Fabbri, in fact, will rightfully go hunting for the title of the dance. The pair led by Barbara Fusar Poli, reigning bronze, won the Rhythm Dance ahead of the British Lilah Fear-Lewis Gibson by one and a half points (85.53 to 84.12). The Finns Juulia Turkkila-Matthias Versluis (77.56) are more detached, a couple coached by Maurizio Margaglio who, together with Barbara, at the beginning of the 2000s, was world champion and Olympic bronze. Victoria Manni-Carlo Roethlisberger’s eleventh place was also good in the Italian home.
January 27, 2023 (change January 27, 2023 | 22:07)
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