Franca Bianconi
Italian figure skater and coach
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Franca Anna Bianconi Manni[1] (born 3 March 1962) is an Italian figure skating coach and former competitor. She competed at the 1980 Winter Olympics.
Personal life
Bianconi was born on 3 March 1962 in Milan, Italy.[1][2] She is the mother of Italian ice dancer Victoria Manni.[3]
Career
Bianconi began skating at age six in Milan.[4] During her career, she was coached mainly by Franca Invernizzi in Milan and also spent time in Colorado training under Carlo Fassi and in Lake Placid under Tommy Litz.[4]
Bianconi debuted at the European and World Championships in 1977. She was selected to represent Italy at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York, and finished 19th.[2] She retired from competition in 1981 and became a coach.[4]
Following her competitive career, Bianconi become a figure skating coach and is based at S.S.D. S.r.l. Icelab in Bergamo.[1]
Her current students include:
- Matteo Rizzo (since he was six years old)[5]
- Rebecca Ghilardi / Filippo Ambrosini (the 2023 European silver medalists)[6]
- Annika Hocke / Robert Kunkel (the 2023 European bronze medalists)[7]
Her former students include:
- Paola Tosi[4]
- Antonio Moffa[4]
- Valentina Marchei (as a singles skater)[8]
- Roberta Rodeghiero[9]
- Stefania Berton / Ondřej Hotárek (the 2013 European bronze medalists)[10]
- Valentina Marchei / Ondřej Hotárek[11]
- Kristen Spours[12]
- Victoria Manni[13]
Competitive highlights
| International | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Event | 76–77 | 77–78 | 78–79 | 79–80 | 80–81 |
| Winter Olympics | 19th | ||||
| World Championships | 19th | 24th | |||
| European Championships | 18th | 18th | 23rd | 17th | |
| National | |||||
| Italian Championships | |||||
