Italian · Bolzano, Italy · Born 8 February 1987Italy's most decorated figure skater, the 2012 World Champion and 2014 Olympic bronze medalist, who holds the record for most European Championship medals by a singles skater.
Carolina Kostner became Italy's first-ever World champion in ladies' singles figure skating at the 2012 Nice Championships, then won Olympic bronze at Sochi 2014 to add another national first — all while accumulating 11 European Championship medals, more than any singles skater in that competition's history. She became the first Italian skater to medal at the World Junior Championships in 2003, and beat Michelle Kwan for World Championship bronze in Moscow in 2005. Kostner won her first European title in 2007 and went on to become the most decorated singles skater in European Championship history with 11 medals, including five titles. She reached the pinnacle of her career at the 2012 World Championships in Nice, becoming Italy's first-ever World champion in ladies' singles, before serving a 16-month ban in 2014-15 for admitting she had lied to anti-doping testers who came looking for her then-boyfriend, Olympic race walker Alex Schwazer. Despite the ban costing her two full seasons, Kostner returned to competition and continued winning European medals through 2018. Her crowning Olympic achievement came at the 2014 Sochi Games, where she won bronze to become Italy's first-ever Olympic medalist in ladies' singles figure skating, retiring after the 2018 World Championships and going on to become Technical Director of the Fiamme Azzurre sports group and a choreographer for skaters including 2026 world champion Yuma Kagiyama.
Becoming Italy's first-ever World Champion and Olympic medalist in ladies' singles figure skating
How They Played
Fast, artistically refined skater renowned for speed across the ice and consistent triple-triple combinations, particularly the triple flip-triple toe loop
Lasting Impact
The most decorated figure skater in Italian history, celebrated for artistry and longevity across a career spanning four Olympic cycles
Career Honours
- 2012 World Champion
- 2014 Olympic Bronze Medal
- 5x European Champion, 11x European medalist (record)
- First Italian World Champion in ladies' singles
Italian Athletes