The “Palavela” in Torino is a symbol of Italian and international ice skating and is one of the most prominent facilities for this sport. Now it is taking centre stage at the Torino 2025 FISU Games – as figure skaters and dancers show off their skills there. The first day brought the first highlights, and it was only the beginning!
Figure Skater Take the Scene on and off the Ice
What an incredible night it was at the Palavela in Torino! Thirty-two individual skating champions competed in the short programme. Just 2 minutes and 40 minutes to show the jury and the audience their performances. Watching these great athletes, one tends to forget the fact that in addition to training for perfection, they are also students. Focused, determined and with a great desire to learn and grow. Yuma Kagiyama, the first classified with 106.82 points, studies sports science at Chukyo University in Japan. Reconciling competitive sport and studying is not always easy: “I had to miss classes to train, but I’m doing my best to be able to study”. The athlete, already an Olympic silver medallist in 2022, can count on the stellar experience of Carolina Kostner in his team as assistant coach and choreographer.
Japan then continued to celebrate with Shun Sato coming in second place. He has been studying Political Science and Economics at Meiji University since 2023. He is 20 years old and is graceful on the ice, although the animal that represents him to his fans is the clumsy panda.
On the other hand, Daniel Grassl is playing at home and finished in third place. The athlete from Merano (Trentino Alto Adige), who is already preparing for the Games in Milano-Cortina, trains and studies film making in Torino. Study and sport: “It’s complicated to reconcile everything because we train five hours a day and it’s very difficult to think about going home and studying. But I try to give my best in everything I do,” he said.
Ice Dance in the Sign of Upbeat Music and Loud Cheering
The temperature may be freezing but the spirits are high on the PalaVela ice rink for the rhythm dance competition. The upbeat music, sparkling costumes and amazing talent on display are more than enough to warm up the atmosphere in Torino for the first half of the ice dance contest – which will be completed by the free dance segment tomorrow evening – and the cheering and clapping of a small but mighty group of schoolchildren is giving the impression of a much bigger crowd than the actual turnout in the venue.
The first on the ice are the Armenian skaters Kristina Dobroserdova and Alessandro Pellegrini – both enrolled in Russian universities based in Moscow – followed by Italy’s Carlotta Argentieri – a law student from the University of Torino – and Francesco Riva, who dazzled the public with a compilation of Abba songs that made it impossible not to sing along.
Then comes Emese Csiszer and Mark Shapiro’s stunning performance set to Salt-N-Pepa’s What a man: the Hungarian pair both study in Grenoble, and raise money to train on a crowdfunding platform.
Almost no time to take in the incredible energy of Philomene Sabourin and Raul Bermejo, representing Spain, andthe second Italian pair takes the ice for a number filled with gorgeous lifts, earning a 65.84 which temporarily places them on the highest step of the podium, more than 10 points ahead of the closest competitors. Their joy is short lived, though, as Spanish Sofia Val and Asaf Kasimov – perhaps the best dressed of the afternoon – snatch first place from them with a mesmerizing dance set to I was made for loving you by Kiss and firmly position themselves at the top of the chart, where they’ll remain until the end.
Sweden’s retro costumes and 60’s music – much enjoyed by the audience – aren’t enough to land them farther up than 9th, but their disappointment is swiftly replaced by Lou Terreaux and Noe Perron’s joy as the French partners score a season best of 65.17 and climb the ranks to third place.
Polish Sofiia Dovhal – who hails from Odessa, Ukraine, and only just became a polish citizen at the end of 2024 – and Wiktor Kulesza obtain 7th place, while French Eva Bernard and Amedeo Bonetto, both students at Grenoble University, only manage to score 10th.
Ukrainian nationals Mariia Pinchuk and Mykyta Pogorielov, from Kharkiv State Academy of Physical Education, end the lineup with a well-deserved fourth placement.
