Danijil Szemko
Ukrainian-Hungarian ice dancer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Danijil Leonyidovics Szemko (Ukrainian: Даниїл Леонідович Семко; born 17 May 2000) is a Ukrainian-Hungarian ice dancer. With his skating partner, Mariia Ignateva, he is a five-time Hungarian national champions (2022–26), three-time Four Nationals medalists, the 2022 CS Denis Ten Memorial Challenge bronze medalist, 2022 Jégvirág Cup champion, the 2021 Volvo Open Cup silver medalist, and a two-time Santa Claus Cup silver medalist (2022–23).
HUNDOG
L.S.D.
Ignateva and Szemko at the 2025 World Championships | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Native name | |
| Full name | Danijil Leonyidovics Szemko |
| Other names | Szemkő Dániel HUNDOG L.S.D. |
| Born | 17 May 2000 Odesa, Ukraine |
| Home town | Budapest, Hungary |
| Height | 1.92 m (6 ft 3+1⁄2 in) |
| Figure skating career | |
| Country |  Hungary |
| Partner | Mariia Ignateva (since 2021) Villő Marton (2015–20) |
| Coach | Barbara Fusar-Poli Roberto Pelizzola Lukáš Csölley |
| Skating club | Hoffmann Figure Skating Academy |
| Began skating | 2006 |
With his former skating partner, Villő Marton, he is a three-time Hungarian junior national champion (2018–20) and competed in the final segment at two World Junior Championships (2018, 2020).
Personal life
Szemko was born on 17 May 2000 in Odesa, Ukraine. He moved to Hungary in 2014 and became a Hungarian citizen in 2017.[1] In 2021, he graduated from the National University of Ukraine on Physical Education and Sport and received the specialty of a coach in figure skating.
Danijil is interested in music, theater, and clowning art. He plays the guitar and harmonica, writes songs, and performs in musical groups of Budapest.
Career
Early career
Szemko began skating in 2006. He previously competed with Yana Bardadym and Vera Gorodetskaia for his native Ukraine. Szemko teamed up with Villő Marton to represent Hungary in the 2015–16 season.
Partnership with Marton
2015–2016 season: Debut of Marton/Szemko
Marton/Szemko made their international debut on the Junior Grand Prix series, finishing fifteenth in Latvia and eleventh in Croatia. They then finished thirteenth at the NRW Trophy and seventeenth at the Santa Claus Cup. At the 2016 Four National Championships, Marton/Szemko finished fifth overall and won the Hungarian junior silver medal behind Kimberly Wei and Illias Fourati. As a result, they were assigned to the 2016 World Junior Championships, where they finished twenty-third and did not qualify for the free dance.[2]
2016–2017 season
Marton/Szemko opened the season with a thirteenth-place finish at 2016 JGP France. They then finished twelfth at the NRW Trophy and seventh at the Open d'Andorra. An injury prevented the team from competing at Four National Championships and, therefore, from earning the 2017 World Junior Championships spot.[3] Marton/Szemko recovered to win their first international medal at the 2017 Jégvirág Cup, earning silver behind Ukraine's Popova/Byelikov and ahead of Damulevičiūtė/Kizala of Lithuania. They ended their season with an eleventh-place finish at Bavarian Open.[2]
2017–2018 season: First Hungarian junior national title
Marton/Szemko began the season with a fifteenth-place finish at JGP Austria and a ninth-place finish at JGP Croatia. They medaled at all but one of the events they competed at before the 2018 World Junior Championships, earning golds at the 2017 Halloween Cup and 2018 Jégvirág Cup, bronzes at the 2017 Leo Scheu Memorial and 2017 Open d'Andorra, and a ninth-place finish at the 2017 Santa Claus Cup.[2]
Marton/Szemko won the 2018 Four National Championships ahead of the Czech Republic's Taschlerová/Taschler and Poland's Borysova/Zawadzki to earn their first junior national title. At the World Junior Championships, they were fifteenth in the short dance and twelfth in the free to finish fourteenth overall.[2]
2018–2019 season
Marton/Szemko started with a twelfth-place finish at JGP Slovenia and a thirteenth-place finish at JGP Armenia. The team finished tenth at Volvo Open Cup and earned silver at the Christmas Cup. Marton/Szemko won silver at the 2019 Four National Championships behind Taschlerová/Taschler but retained their Hungarian junior national title for a second consecutive season. At the 2019 World Junior Championships, they were twenty-third in the rhythm dance and did not advance to the free dance.[2]
2019–2020 season: End of Marton/Szemko
Marton/Szemko opened the season with an eighth-place finish at JGP France and a fifteenth-place finish at JGP Croatia. They earned bronze at Open d'Andorra and finished fifth at Santa Claus Cup. Marton/Szemko again won silver behind Taschlerová/Taschler at the 2020 Four National Championships while retaining their Hungarian junior national title. The team finished eighth at 2020 Mentor Toruń Cup. At the 2020 World Junior Championships, Marton/Szemko were seventeenth in the rhythm dance but fell to nineteenth in the free dance and remained nineteenth overall.[2]
Partnership with Ignateva
Marton/Szemko split prior to the 2020–21 season.[4] In January 2021, coach Nóra Hoffmann announced Szemko's partnership with Russian Mariia Ignateva to compete for Hungary.[5] It was subsequently announced that the team would split their time between training in Budapest under Hoffmann and in Moscow under Irina Zhuk and Alexander Svinin.[6]
2021–2022 season: Debut of Ignateva/Szemko
Ignateva/Szemko made their international competitive debut at the 2021 CS Lombardia Trophy, where they placed seventeenth. They were then sixth at the Budapest Trophy before winning silver medals at the Volvo Open Cup and the Santa Claus Cup. At the 2022 Four National Championships, Ignateva/Szemko earned the bronze medal behind Poland's Kaliszek/Spodyriev and Taschlerová/Taschler of the Czech Republic, as well as the Hungarian national title. They were assigned to the 2022 European Championships, where they finished eighteenth overall. Ignateva/Szemko competed at the Jégvirág Cup in February and won their first international title together. They finished the season making the World Championship debut, finishing twenty-second.[7]
2022–2023 season: Challenger Series bronze
Beginning the season on the Challenger circuit, Ignateva/Szemko were eighth at the 2022 CS Nepela Memorial and seventh at the 2022 CS Budapest Trophy. They won the bronze medal at the 2022 CS Denis Ten Memorial Challenge, their first Challenger medal, and then repeated as silver medalists at the Santa Claus Cup. They finished second in the standings at the 2023 Four National Championships, behind only Czechs Taschlerová/Taschler, thus winning the Hungarian national title for a second consecutive year.[7]
Ignateva/Szemko finished tenth at the 2023 European Championships, and then twentieth at the 2023 World Championships.[7]
Following the season, the team relocated to Milan, Italy, where Barbara Fusar-Poli became their head coach.[8]
2023–2024 season: Grand Prix debut
Ignateva/Szemko appeared at two Challenger events, coming ninth at the 2023 CS Budapest Trophy and eighth at the 2023 CS Denis Ten Memorial Challenge. They were invited to make their Grand Prix debut at the 2023 Grand Prix of Espoo, where they finished tenth.[7]
After retaining the Hungarian national title, Ignateva/Szemko were fourth at both the Bosphorus Cup and the International Challenge Cup. They were twenty-fifth at the 2024 European Championships and twenty-fourth at the 2024 World Championships.[7]
2024–2025 season
Ignateva/Szemko started the season by competing on the 2024–25 ISU Challenger Series, finishing sixth at the 2024 CS Lombardia Trophy and fifth at the 2024 CS Budapest Trophy. They then went on to win gold at the 2024 Mezzaluna Cup and bronze at the 2024 Santa Claus Cup.[7]
In December, Ignateva/Szemko competed at the 2025 Four National Championships, where they finished in fourth place. They followed this up with a silver medal win at the 2025 Ephesus Cup. Selected to compete at the 2025 European Championships in Tallinn, Estonia, Ignateva/Szemko finished the event in fourteenth place.[9]
The team then went on to finish fourth at the Road to 26 Trophy, a test event for the 2026 Winter Olympics. They subsequently closed the season with a twenty-fourth place finish at the 2025 World Championships in Boston, Massachusetts, United States.[9]
2025–26 season
Ignateva/Szemko opened their season by finishing sixth at the 2025 CS Lombardia Trophy. They then went on to compete at the final Olympic qualifying event, the 2025 Skate to Milano. Ignateva/Szemko finished sixth overall and were named as the second alternates for the 2026 Winter Olympic ice dance team.[9][10]
They subsequently won silver at the 2025 Budapest Trophy. In November, Ignateva/Szemko won bronze at the 2025 NRW Trophy, finished fourteenth at the 2025 CS Warsaw Cup, and won the silver medal at the 2025 Santa Claus Cup. The following month, they won the bronze medal at the 2026 Four National Championships.[9]
In January, Ignateva/Szemko competed at the 2026 European Championships in Sheffield, England, United Kingdom, finishing in fifteenth place overall.[9]
Programs
With Ignateva
| Season | Rhythm dance | Free dance |
|---|---|---|
| 2025–2026 [11] |
| |
| 2024–2025 [12] |
| |
| 2023–2024 [8] |
|
|
| 2022–2023 [13] |
|
|
| 2021–2022 [6] |
|
|
With Marton
Competitive highlights
- GP – Event of the ISU Grand Prix Series
- CS – Event of the ISU Challenger Series
- TBD – Assigned
- WD – Withdrew from competition
Ice dance with Mariia Ignateva
| Season | 2021–22 | 2022–23 | 2023–24 | 2024–25 | 2025–26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| World Championships | 22nd | 20th | 24th | 24th | 21st |
| European Championships | 18th | 10th | 25th | 14th | 15th |
| Hungarian Championships | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st | |
| GP Finland | 10th | ||||
| CS Budapest Trophy | 6th | 7th | 9th | ||
| CS Denis Ten Memorial | 3rd | 8th | |||
| CS Lombardia Trophy | 17th | 6th | 6th | ||
| CS Nepela Memorial | 8th | ||||
| CS Warsaw Cup | 14th | ||||
| Bosphorus Cup | 4th | ||||
| Budapest Trophy | 2nd | ||||
| Challenge Cup | 3rd | 4th | |||
| Jégvirág Cup | 1st | ||||
| Mezzaluna Cup | 1st | ||||
| NRW Trophy | 3rd | ||||
| Road to 26 Trophy | 4th | ||||
| Santa Claus Cup | 2nd | 2nd | 3rd | 2nd | |
| Skate to Milano | 6th | ||||
| Volvo Open Cup | 2nd |
Ice dance with Villö Marton
| International: Junior[2] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Event | 15–16 | 16–17 | 17–18 | 18–19 | 19–20 |
| Junior Worlds | 23rd | 14th | 23rd | 19th | |
| JGP Armenia | 13th | ||||
| JGP Austria | 15th | ||||
| JGP Croatia | 11th | 9th | 15th | ||
| JGP France | 13th | 8th | |||
| JGP Latvia | 15th | ||||
| JGP Slovenia | 12th | ||||
| Bavarian Open | 11th | 11th | |||
| Christmas Cup | 2nd | ||||
| Halloween Cup | 1st | ||||
| Jégvirág Cup | 2nd | 1st | |||
| Leo Scheu | 3rd | ||||
| Mentor Toruń Cup | 8th | ||||
| NRW Trophy | 13th | 12th | |||
| Open d'Andorra | 7th | 3rd | 3rd | ||
| Santa Claus Cup | 17th | WD | 9th | 5th | |
| Volvo Open Cup | 10th | ||||
| National[2] | |||||
| Hungarian Champ. | 2nd J | 1st J | 1st J | 1st J | |
Detailed results
Ice dance with Mariia Ignateva
| Segment | Type | Score | Event |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total | TSS | 174.95 | 2024 CS Budapest Trophy |
| Short program | TSS | 71.75 | 2024 CS Budapest Trophy |
| TES | 43.01 | 2022 CS Denis Ten Memorial Challenge | |
| PCS | 30.58 | 2024 CS Budapest Trophy | |
| Free skating | TSS | 105.70 | 2025 European Championships |
| TES | 61.53 | 2022 CS Denis Ten Memorial Challenge | |
| PCS | 45.80 | 2024 CS Budapest Trophy |
| Date | Event | RD | FD | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | Score | P | Score | P | Score | ||
| Sep 10–12, 2021 |  2021 CS Lombardia Trophy |
18 | 51.96 | 17 | 77.95 | 17 | 129.91 |
| Oct 14–17, 2021 | 2021 Budapest Trophy |
7 | 60.76 | 6 | 89.62 | 6 | 150.68 |
| Nov 3–7, 2021 |  2021 Volvo Open Cup |
2 | 63.91 | 2 | 95.58 | 2 | 159.49 |
| Dec 6–12, 2021 | 2021 Santa Claus Cup |
2 | 71.05 | 2 | 106.76 | 2 | 177.81 |
| Dec 16–18, 2021 |  2022 Four Nationals Championships |
3 | 69.79 | 3 | 98.44 | 3 | 168.23 |
| Dec 16–18, 2021 | 2022 Hungarian Championships[a] |
1 | N/a | 1 | N/a | 1 | N/a |
| Jan 10–16, 2022 |  2022 European Championships |
19 | 60.41 | 18 | 90.42 | 18 | 150.83 |
| Feb 11–13, 2022 | 2022 Jégvirág Cup |
1 | 66.97 | 1 | 90.50 | 1 | 157.47 |
| Feb 24–27, 2022 |  2022 Challenge Cup |
5 | 58.64 | 3 | 94.43 | 3 | 153.07 |
| Mar 21–27, 2022 |  2022 World Championships |
22 | 62.12 | N/a | N/a | 22 | 62.12 |
| Date | Event | RD | FD | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | Score | P | Score | P | Score | ||
| Sep 29 – Oct 1, 2022 | 2022 CS Nepela Memorial |
9 | 56.87 | 8 | 90.52 | 8 | 147.39 |
| Oct 13–16, 2022 | 2022 CS Budapest Trophy |
9 | 56.07 | 7 | 94.47 | 7 | 150.54 |
| Oct 26–29, 2022 |  2022 CS Denis Ten Memorial Challenge |
3 | 70.20 | 3 | 104.03 | 3 | 174.23 |
| Nov 28 – Dec 4, 2022 | 2021 Santa Claus Cup |
2 | 68.55 | 2 | 107.84 | 2 | 176.39 |
| Dec 16–18, 2022 | 2023 Four Nationals Championships |
2 | 67.07 | 2 | 103.98 | 2 | 171.05 |
| Dec 16–18, 2022 | 2023 Hungarian Championships[a] |
1 | N/a | 1 | N/a | 1 | N/a |
| Jan 23–29, 2023 |  2023 European Championships |
10 | 65.04 | 9 | 102.04 | 10 | 167.08 |
| Mar 20–26, 2023 |  2023 World Championships |
20 | 63.88 | 20 | 93.63 | 20 | 157.51 |
| Date | Event | RD | FD | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | Score | P | Score | P | Score | ||
| Oct 13–15, 2023 | 2023 CS Budapest Trophy |
11 | 57.45 | 8 | 95.51 | 9 | 152.96 |
| Nov 2–5, 2023 | 2023 CS Denis Ten Memorial Challenge |
8 | 59.53 | 7 | 87.63 | 8 | 147.16 |
| Nov 17–19, 2023 | 2023 Grand Prix of Espoo |
10 | 57.57 | 10 | 89.83 | 10 | 147.40 |
| Nov 27 – Dec 3, 2023 |  2023 Bosphorus Cup |
4 | 65.91 | 4 | 106.31 | 4 | 172.22 |
| Dec 14–16, 2023 |  2024 Four Nationals Championships |
2 | 65.58 | 4 | 96.74 | 4 | 162.32 |
| Dec 14–16, 2023 | 2024 Hungarian Championships[a] |
1 | N/a | 1 | N/a | 1 | N/a |
| Jan 8–14, 2024 |  2024 European Championships |
25 | 55.04 | N/a | N/a | 25 | 55.04 |
| Feb 22–25, 2024 | 2024 Challenge Cup |
4 | 67.30 | 4 | 101.56 | 4 | 168.86 |
| Mar 18–24, 2024 |  2024 World Championships |
24 | 64.59 | N/a | N/a | 24 | 64.59 |
| Date | Event | RD | FD | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | Score | P | Score | P | Score | ||
| Sep 13–15, 2024 | 2024 CS Lombardia Trophy |
7 | 67.33 | 5 | 103.75 | 6 | 171.08 |
| Oct 11–13, 2024 | 2024 CS Budapest Trophy |
4 | 71.75 | 6 | 103.20 | 5 | 174.95 |
| Oct 25–27, 2024 | 2024 Mezzaluna Cup |
2 | 68.93 | 1 | 113.95 | 1 | 182.88 |
| Nov 27 – Dec 2, 2024 | 2024 Bosphorus Cup |
4 | 64.28 | 2 | 108.79 | 3 | 173.07 |
| Dec 13–14, 2024 |  2025 Four Nationals Championships |
3 | 67.85 | 4 | 106.65 | 4 | 174.50 |
| Dec 13–14, 2024 | 2025 Hungarian Championships[a] |
1 | N/a | 1 | N/a | 1 | N/a |
| Jan 20–24, 2025 | 2025 Ephesus Cup |
2 | 67.48 | 2 | 104.34 | 2 | 171.82 |
| Jan 28 – Feb 2, 2025 | 2025 European Championships |
14 | 67.10 | 14 | 105.70 | 14 | 172.80 |
| Feb 19–20, 2025 | 2025 Road to 26 Trophy |
4 | 68.89 | 4 | 103.64 | 4 | 172.53 |
| Mar 25–30, 2025 |  2025 World Championships |
24 | 65.09 | N/a | N/a | 24 | 65.09 |
| Date | Event | RD | FD | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | Score | P | Score | P | Score | ||
| Sep 11–14, 2025 | 2025 CS Lombardia Trophy |
6 | 62.33 | 7 | 96.90 | 6 | 159.23 |
| Sep 18–21, 2025 |  2025 ISU Skate to Milano |
7 | 64.58 | 3 | 103.15 | 6 | 167.73 |
| Oct 10–12, 2025 | 2025 Budapest Trophy |
2 | 73.14 | 2 | 111.98 | 2 | 185.12 |
| Nov 13–16, 2025 |  2025 NRW Trophy |
3 | 67.09 | 2 | 105.22 | 3 | 172.31 |
| Nov 19–23, 2025 | 2025 CS Warsaw Cup |
12 | 65.73 | 15 | 98.43 | 14 | 164.14 |
| Nov 26–30, 2025 | 2025 Santa Claus Cup |
3 | 70.74 | 1 | 109.76 | 2 | 180.50 |
| Dec 11–13, 2025 | 2026 Four Nationals Championships |
3 | 72.49 | 3 | 107.28 | 3 | 179.77 |
| Dec 11–13, 2025 | 2026 Hungarian Championships[a] |
1 | N/a | 1 | N/a | 1 | N/a |
| Jan 13–18, 2026 |  2026 European Championships |
14 | 67.74 | 15 | 103.89 | 15 | 171.63 |
| Mar 24–29, 2026 | 2026 World Championships |
21 | 68.71 | N/a | N/a | 21 | 68.71 |
- The Hungarian Championships are contested as part of the Four Nationals Championships.