The Teams Behind the Skaters At Torino 2019
Figure skating is presented through individual performances, yet every routine reflects a much larger working group. At the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final in Turin, skaters arrived with coaches, choreographers, technical specialists, medical staff and training partners who had shaped months of preparation. Their influence was visible in every element, from the speed of a step sequence to the timing of a lift.
The Palavela arena hosted Senior and Junior competitors in men’s, ladies’, pairs and ice dance. Each discipline required a different balance of athletic training and artistic direction. A singles coach might focus on jump technique and competition strategy, while a pairs or ice dance team needed constant attention to partnership, skating skills, lifts and musical interpretation.
Looking at these coaching groups adds another layer to the event experience. The names beside the rink were often familiar to skating followers, but their responsibilities extended well beyond giving instructions during a practice session. They built trust, adjusted plans under pressure and helped athletes translate demanding programs into confident performances.
The Coaching Team As A Performance Network
A modern figure-skating team rarely consists of one coach working alone. The head coach usually oversees the training plan, competition schedule and technical priorities. Around that central figure, choreographers develop the character of each program, jump specialists refine difficult elements, and conditioning professionals help athletes maintain strength and mobility throughout a long season.
At Torino 2019, these roles were especially important because the Grand Prix Final brought together skaters who had already survived a demanding qualification series. The event was the culmination of two Grand Prix assignments, meaning that athletes and their teams had little room for error. A minor adjustment to a jump entry, spin level or costume detail could influence the final result.
Coaches also serve as interpreters between the skater and the judging system. They monitor grades of execution, program component scores and technical calls, then turn that information into practical training goals. The best teams protect a skater’s identity while making precise changes that improve consistency and scoring potential.
Familiar Names Around The Rink
Several leading athletes in Turin were associated with highly respected coaching environments. Yuzuru Hanyu continued to work with Brian Orser and the coaching team at Toronto Cricket Skating and Curling Club, where technical preparation was paired with detailed attention to performance quality. Hanyu’s programs demanded control, musical sensitivity and stamina, so the team’s work extended far beyond the headline quadruple jumps.
Nathan Chen’s preparation was guided by Rafael Arutyunyan, whose coaching has been closely associated with Chen’s powerful jumping technique and competitive discipline. Chen also worked with choreographic collaborators who helped shape the dramatic contrast between his short and free programs. His success illustrated how a technically ambitious skater needs both jump security and a complete performance identity.
The Russian ladies’ field showed the strength of the Sambo-70 training system. Alina Zagitova and Anna Shcherbakova were part of the group led by Eteri Tutberidze, with Sergei Dudakov and choreographer Daniil Gleikhengauz among the figures connected to that environment. Their programs combined difficult jumping content with carefully engineered layouts, especially the strategic placement of elements late in the program.
Japan’s Rika Kihira represented another coaching model, working with Mie Hamada and a broader team of technical and choreographic specialists. Kihira’s skating required a balance between triple Axel power, speed and fluid presentation. Her team’s role was to develop reliability without allowing technical training to overshadow the elegance that made her programs distinctive.
How Coaching Groups Differ By Discipline
| Discipline | Representative coaching environment | Main priorities at a major event | What spectators may notice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men’s singles | International teams such as those around Hanyu, Chen and Kevin Aymoz | Quadruple jumps, stamina, transitions and tactical pacing | Speed into jumps, recovery after mistakes and program control |
| Ladies’ singles | Structured training groups including Tutberidze’s Sambo-70 system and Hamada’s team | Jump difficulty, consistency, musical phrasing and layout strategy | Risk management, late-program elements and performance clarity |
| Pairs | Specialist pair academies and national federation programs | Timing, throws, lifts, unison and safe partnership work | Matching edges, secure catches and seamless transitions |
| Ice dance | Montreal-based and Russian dance groups, among others | Skating skills, rhythm, connection and intricate patterns | Unison, knee action, posture and interpretation of the music |
| Junior events | Development squads supported by federation coaches and personal teams | Foundation skills, confidence and long-term athlete development | Technical promise, adaptability and composure under pressure |
Pair Coaches Build Trust In Motion
Pairs skating places unusual demands on a coaching staff. Two athletes must perform as a single unit while completing elements that require precise timing and mutual confidence. A throw jump can cover significant distance, a lift can change position rapidly, and a small difference in edge quality can disrupt an entire sequence.
For this reason, pair coaches often act as technicians, choreographers and relationship managers at once. They break down the mechanics of a lift, assess the entry into a twist and help partners communicate without interrupting the flow of the program. Safety is always central, but the finished performance must still appear effortless.
The Chinese pairs tradition provided a strong example of this specialist approach. Teams connected with coaches such as Zhao Hongbo benefited from a deep national training structure built around skating skills, acrobatics, partnership and presentation. At a competition like Torino 2019, the visible result was not simply a successful throw or lift; it was the impression that both skaters shared one centre of balance.
Coaches also manage the emotional pressure that comes with pairs competition. A mistake by one partner can affect both athletes immediately. The staff must therefore prepare the team to reset quickly, maintain communication and preserve the rhythm of the program even when an element does not go as planned.
Ice Dance Depends On Detail And Connection
Ice dance coaching is often less visible to casual viewers because the discipline does not include jumps like those in singles or pairs. Its difficulty lies in edge quality, body alignment, intricate steps, speed changes and the ability of two skaters to remain connected while interpreting prescribed rhythms.
The Montreal training environment, associated with coaches and choreographers including Marie-France Dubreuil, Patrice Lauzon and Romain Haguenauer, has had a major influence on contemporary ice dance. Teams such as Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron, along with Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue, demonstrated how dance coaching can combine rigorous skating technique with distinctive theatrical presentation.
A dance team’s staff may spend hours examining the angle of a shoulder, the timing of a turn or the distance between partners. These adjustments can be too subtle to recognize individually, yet together they determine whether a pattern looks controlled or rushed. Choreographers also ensure that the music is expressed through the whole body rather than through isolated gestures.
Russian ice dance programs offered a different but equally detailed approach. Teams connected with Alexander Zhulin emphasized strong skating, formal structure and powerful interpretation. Across the discipline, the central coaching challenge remained the same: create unity without making the partners appear rigid or identical.
Practice Sessions Reveal The Working Method
Competition practice is one of the clearest ways to observe a coaching team. During a scheduled session, a head coach may stand close to the boards, calling out timing cues or watching a particular element. A choreographer might focus on musical accents, while another specialist tracks jump entries, skating speed or the quality of a landing.
The atmosphere can change quickly. A successful run-through may be followed by a quiet technical discussion, while a missed element may prompt an immediate decision about whether to repeat it. Experienced coaches know that excessive repetition can drain an athlete before the event, so they choose carefully which corrections deserve attention.
Body language is part of the process. A coach may use a hand signal to indicate more speed, point toward a corner where a transition begins or offer a brief word before the skater returns to the ice. These exchanges are short because practice time is limited, but they reveal the partnership built over years of training.
For spectators attending the Palavela, practice sessions offered a different perspective from the formal event program. They showed skaters in working mode, testing difficult content, adjusting spacing and receiving immediate feedback. The session also made clear that polished performances are created through repetition, observation and constant refinement.
Junior Teams Shape The Next Generation
The Junior Grand Prix Final placed developing skaters beside the established names of the Senior competition. Their coaching teams often had a dual responsibility: prepare athletes for an important international event while protecting long-term development. A junior result mattered, but so did building sound technique, physical resilience and confidence.
At this stage, coaches may prioritize skating fundamentals over maximum difficulty. Strong edges, stable body positions and efficient jumping mechanics provide a foundation for future programs. Choreographers also help younger athletes find music and movement that feel natural rather than forcing them into an adult style before they are ready.
Federation support can be particularly important for junior competitors. National teams may provide specialist camps, sports-science services, international competition experience and access to choreographic resources. Personal coaches remain central, but the athlete’s development becomes a shared project involving several layers of expertise.
The Junior Final therefore offered more than a separate competition category. It showed how coaching systems renew themselves. Some skaters were already developing recognizable identities, while others were still learning how to manage travel, media attention, practice schedules and the emotional intensity of a major championship.
What To Watch When Following The Teams
Understanding the coaching role can make the competition easier to read. The following details help connect what happens in the rink with the preparation carried out away from the spotlight:
- Watch how a skater responds after a missed element; the speed of recovery often reflects training in competition management.
- Compare practice footage with the final performance to see which technical adjustments survived under pressure.
- Notice the division of labour between the coach at the boards, the choreographer and any specialist who joins the discussion.
- In pairs and ice dance, look for matching edges, shared timing and communication as evidence of long-term partnership work.
- Follow official results and program components to see how technical decisions interact with presentation and skating quality.
A successful coaching team is not defined by a single famous name. It is the system that helps an athlete arrive prepared, understand the demands of the event and remain composed when the program becomes unpredictable. At Torino 2019, that system included national training centres, private clubs, international choreographers and specialists whose work was often completed long before the audience entered the arena.
The performances at Palavela can be revisited through event results, schedules, competitor information and exhibition-gala coverage. Explore the Torino 2019 event archive to see the skaters, disciplines and moments that brought these coaching partnerships to the ice.