Barbara Fusar-Poli

Barbara Fusar-Poli
Fusar-Poli in 2015
Personal information
Born (1972-02-06) 6 February 1972
Height1.68 m (5 ft 6 in)
Figure skating career
CountryItaly
PartnerMaurizio Margaglio
Skating clubAgora Skating Team, Milano
Retired2002, 2006
Medal record
Figure skating: Ice dancing
Representing  Italy
Olympic Games
Bronze medal – third place2002 Salt Lake CityIce dancing
World Championships
Gold medal – first place2001 VancouverIce dancing
Silver medal – second place2000 NiceIce dancing
European Championships
Silver medal – second place2002 LausanneIce dancing
Gold medal – first place2001 BratislavaIce dancing
Silver medal – second place2000 ViennaIce dancing
Grand Prix Final
Gold medal – first place2001-2002 KitchenerIce dancing
Silver medal – second place1999-2000 LyonIce dancing

Barbara Fusar-Poli (born 6 February 1972) is an Italian ice dancing coach and former competitor. With partner Maurizio Margaglio, she is the 2001 World champion, 2001 European champion, and 2002 Olympic bronze medalist. They won nine Italian titles and competed at three Olympics.

Personal life

Fusar-Poli was born on 6 February 1972 in Sesto San Giovanni, Italy.[1] She married her long-time boyfriend, Olympic short track competitor Diego Cattani, in June 2000. Their daughter, Giorgia, was born in 2004,[2] and their son, Christian, four years later.[3]

Competitive Career

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

Early in her career, Fusar-Poli competed with Matteo Bonfa and then Alberto Reani. After Reani retired, she asked Maurizio Margaglio to skate with her.[4] She and Margaglio began skating on the senior level in 1994-95, and enjoyed some success in the first years of their career, including winning several Grand Prix medals. In 1999-2000, they won their first medals at the European and World Championships, finishing in second place at both events. It was the first time Italy won a medal at Worlds. In their free dance that season, they used a mix of Celtic music, including selections from Lord of the Dance, the 1995 movie Bravehart, and a slow vocal section by Lorena McKennit. According to figure skating writer and historian Ellyn Kestnbaum, even though the program was theatrical, many of the steps they performed "was an attempt to translate Irish dance to the ice".[5] Kestnbaum also described their free dance as "a narrative of conflict and resolution that showcased aggressive athleticism from both partners".[5]

The following season was very successful for the duo, who won every event they entered and became the first Italians to win a World title in any discipline.[6] They were not as successful in 2001-02, dropping to second at the Europeans and finishing third at the 2002 Winter Olympics. Their medal at the Olympics was not without some controversy, after Margaglio fell during the free dance portion.[7] The result was protested by the Lithuanian team, who had finished fifth, but the protest was denied.[8] Fusar-Poli/Margaglio did not compete at the 2002 World Championships and would not return to eligible skating until the 2005-06 season.

With the 2006 Winter Olympics being held in Turin, Fusar-Poli/Margaglio decided to return and compete in their home country.[2] They did not skate in any international events prior to the Olympics, but did win the Italian National Championships. The Olympics were their first international event under the new scoring system adopted by the ISU, but, Fusar-Poli/Margaglio nonetheless held a narrow lead after the compulsory dance portion of the event, ahead of two-time world champions Tatiana Navka / Roman Kostomarov. This result was described in some news stories at the time as "shocking".[9][10] In the original dance, Fusar-Poli/Margaglio were performing a rotational lift with only seconds left in their program when Margaglio lost his balance, dropped Fusar-Poli, and fell to the ice himself. Following this conclusion to the program, Fusar-Poli stood glaring at her partner for approximately thirty seconds before the couple took their bows and left the ice.[11] They dropped to seventh overall, but moved up to sixth place after a clean free dance, and told the media that the incident at the end of the original dance had reflected their anger at the mistake rather than at each other.[12][13][14] Several years later, Fusar-Poli said that there were Swarovski crystals on the ice from the costumes of earlier competitors, but that the fall was a result of their own mistake and not the ice conditions.[15] The Olympics were Fusar-Poli/Margaglio's final competitive event together, but they continued to perform in shows.

Post-competitive career

Fusar-Poli (center) with longtime students Marco Fabbri (left) and Charlène Guignard (right) at the 2018 Skate America

Following her retirement from competitive ice dance, Fusar-Poli began working as a coach in Milan at the Agorà Ice Rink.[16][17]

Her current students include:

Her former students have included:

She has also worked as a reporter for Italian TV and Eurosport coverage of skating events.[15]

Programs

With Margaglio
Season Original dance Free dance Exhibition
2006–07
2005–06
[1]
2002–05
2001–02
[33]
  • This Business of Love
    (from The Mask)
    by Domino
2000–01
[34]
  • This Business of Love
    by Domino
1999–2000
1998–99
  • Since I Met You Baby
1997–98
1996–97
  • Italian folk music
1995–96
1994–95
  • Quickstep
  • Latin mix

Results

GP: Champions Series / Grand Prix

With Margaglio

International[35]
Event 94–95 95–96 96–97 97–98 98–99 99–00 00–01 01–02 02–03 03–04 04–05 05–06
Olympics6th3rd 6th
Worlds10th9th5th5th2nd1st
Europeans10th8th7th5th4th2nd1st2nd
GP Final5th5th2nd1st4th
GP Cup of Russia1st1st1st
GP NHK Trophy5th3rd
GP Skate America2nd3rd1st1st
GP Skate Canada7th3rd
GP Sparkassen Cup1st1st
GP Trophée Lalique6th2nd2nd
Autumn Trophy1st
Lysiane Lauret1st
Schäfer Memorial3rd
National[35]
Italian Champ.1st1st1st1st1st1st1st1st 1st

With Reani

Event 1992–93 1993–94
World Championships22nd17th
European Championships17th
Italian Championships1st
Nations Cup6th
Piruetten6th

With Bonfa

Event 1989–90 1990–91
World Junior Championships15th10th

Bibliography

  • Kestnbaum, Ellyn (2003). Culture on Ice: Figure Skating and Cultural Meaning. Middleton, Connecticut: Wesleyan Publishing Press. p. 248. ISBN 0-8195-6641-1.

References

  1. 1 2 "Barbara FUSAR POLI / Maurizio MARGAGLIO: 2005/2006". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 25 April 2006.
  2. 1 2 "Italians win compulsories, Belbin-Agosto sixth".
  3. ↑ Elfman, Lois (9 March 2017). "Fusar-Poli, Caruso embrace teaching roles". IceNetwork.com.
  4. ↑ Mittan, J. Barry (1997). "Barbara Fusar-Poli and Maurizio Margaglio". jbmittan.com. Archived from the original on May 13, 2012.
  5. 1 2 Kestnbaum, Ellyn (2003). Culture on Ice: Figure Skating and Cultural Meaning. Middleton, Connecticut: Wesleyan Publishing Press. p. 248. ISBN 0-8195-6641-1.
  6. ↑ "Italians win first skating gold". BBC News. March 24, 2001.
  7. ↑ "Anissina and Peizerat edge out Russians for gold".{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  8. ↑ "Lithuania ice dance protest rejected". BBC News. February 21, 2002.
  9. ↑ "Italians hold shock ice dance lead". CNN.
  10. ↑ Shipley, Amy (February 18, 2006). "Belbin, Agosto Stand Sixth in Ice Dancing". The Washington Post.
  11. ↑ "Slam dancing: Americans move up to second as competition repeatedly falls".
  12. ↑ "Fusar Poli-Margaglio make up, stay up".
  13. ↑ "Belbin-Agosto, 'Glare' put ice dancing on our map".
  14. ↑ "Ice dance pair continues Russian figure-skating dominance". The New York Times. February 21, 2006.
  15. 1 2 "Rings and rinks: The glare, TV ratings and Sasha". Ice Network. February 16, 2010.
  16. ↑ Castellaro, Barbara; Sciarrillo, Laura (July 22, 2012). "Barbara Fusar Poli to work with Igor Shpilband at the Novi Ice Arena". ArtOnIce.it.
  17. ↑ Castellaro, Barbara (October 31, 2012). "Barbara Fusar Poli: tra l'Italia e il Michigan" [Barbara Fusar-Poli: Between Italy and Michigan]. ArtOnIce.it (in Italian).
  18. ↑ "Charlene GUIGNARD / Marco FABBRI: 2024/2025". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 16 September 2024.
  19. ↑ "Mariia IGNATEVA / Danyil SEMKO: 2024/2025". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 30 March 2025.
  20. ↑ "Hanna JAKUCS / Alessio GALLI: 2024/2025". International Skating Union. International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 28 March 2025. Retrieved 31 May 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  21. ↑ "Charise MATTHAEI / Max LIEBERS: 2025/2026". International Skating Union. International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 17 September 2025. Retrieved 1 October 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  22. ↑ "Adelina GALYAVIEVA / Louis THAURON: 2020/2021". International Skating Union. International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 28 March 2025. Retrieved 31 May 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  23. ↑ "Tanja KOLBE / Stefano CARUSO: 2013/2014". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 19 June 2014.
  24. ↑ "Misato KOMATSUBARA / Andrea FABBRI". International Skating Union. International Skating Union. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
  25. ↑ "Misato KOMATSUBARA / Timothy KOLETO: 2017/2018". International Skating Union. International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 25 October 2017. Retrieved 31 May 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  26. ↑ "Natalia MITIUSHINA / Matteo ZANNI: 2007/2008". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 2008-10-09.
  27. ↑ "Carolina MOSCHENI / Francesco FIORETTI". ISU. February 16, 2021.
  28. ↑ "Carolina MOSCHENI / Adam LUKACS: 2014/2015". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 20 May 2015.
  29. ↑ "Lucie MYSLIVECKOVA / Lukas CSOLLEY: 2017/2018". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 29 May 2018.
  30. ↑ "Maria Sofia PUCHEROVA / Nikita LYSAK: 2024/2025". International Skating Union. International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 28 March 2025. Retrieved 31 May 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  31. ↑ "Jasmine TESSARI / Francesco FIORETTI: 2019/2020". International Skating Union. International Skating Union. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
  32. ↑ "Jasmine TESSARI / Stephane WALKER: 2021/2022".
  33. ↑ "Barbara FUSAR POLI / Maurizio MARGAGLIO: 2001/2002". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 2 June 2002.
  34. ↑ "Barbara FUSAR POLI / Maurizio MARGAGLIO: 2000/2001". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 19 April 2001.
  35. 1 2 "Barbara FUSAR POLI / Maurizio MARGAGLIO". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 4 November 2016.
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