Jari Kessler

Croatian-Italian figure skater (born 1996) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jari Kessler (born 29 November 1996) is a Croatian and Italian figure skater. For Croatia, he is a five-time Croatian national champion (2020, 2023–26) and has won medals at 14 international competitions, including gold at the 2020 NRW Trophy, 2023 Bellu Memorial, and 2025 Tayside Trophy.

Born (1996-11-29) 29 November 1996 (age 29)
Height1.72 m (5 ft 7+12 in)
Country Croatia (since 2019)
 Italy (2012–19)
Quick facts Personal information, Born ...
Jari Kessler
Jari Kessler at the 2024 World Championships
Personal information
Born (1996-11-29) 29 November 1996 (age 29)
Home townCaldaro, Italy
Height1.72 m (5 ft 7+12 in)
Figure skating career
Country Croatia (since 2019)
 Italy (2012–19)
DisciplineMen's singles
CoachAngelina Turenko
Alisa Mikonsaari
Skating clubKK Leda
Began skating2009
Medal record
Representing  Croatia
Croatian Championships
Gold medal – first place 2020 Zagreb Singles
Gold medal – first place 2023 Zagreb Singles
Gold medal – first place 2024 Zagreb Singles
Gold medal – first place 2025 Zagreb Singles
Gold medal – first place 2026 Zagreb Singles
Close

He represented Italy until spring 2019, winning three senior international medals.

Personal life

Kessler was born in Cles, Italy.[1] He played pond hockey before switching to figure skating.[2]

Career

Early career and skating for Italy

Kessler began figure skating in 2009. His first skating coach was Ludmila Mladenova.[3] Originally competing for Italy, he moved up to the junior ranks for the 2012–13 figure skating season. He would eventually make his senior international debut in January 2016, at the Mentor Toruń Cup in Poland.[4]

Kessler's first senior medals came in the 2017–18 season. He won bronze at the Mentor Toruń Cup, in January, and another bronze at the Egna Spring Trophy, in April.[4]

In October 2018, he took bronze at the Golden Bear of Zagreb in Croatia. The Egna Spring Trophy in March 2019 was his final competition for Italy.[4]

For Croatia

2019–20 season

Kessler competed at the 2020 Croatian Championships where he won his first national title.[5]

2020–21 season: International debut for Croatia

Coached by Lorenzo Magri, Angelina Turenko, Alisa Mikonsaari, and Eva Martinek, Kessler made his international debut for Croatia at the 2020 CS Budapest Trophy, where he placed seventh. In November, he would win gold at the NRW Trophy in Germany. He subsequently finished the season with a twelfth-place finish at the 2021 International Challenge Cup.[6]

2021–22 season

Kessler started the season by competing on the 2021–22 ISU Challenger Series, finishing fifteenth at the 2021 CS Nebelhorn Trophy, thirteenth at the 2021 CS Cup of Austria, and nineteenth at the 2021 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb. He also finished seventh at the 2021 Budapest Trophy which took place between the first two Challenger Series events.[6]

In January, Kessler competed at the 2022 European Championships in Tallinn, Estonia, finishing thirty-first in the short program, failing to advance to the free skate segment. In February, he took bronze at the Merano Ice Trophy, silver at the Jegvirag Cup, and placed fifth at the 2021 Bellu Memorial.[6]

2022–23 season

Kessler began the season by competing at the 2022 CS Nebelhorn Trophy, where he finished sixth.[6] He would then go on to win gold at the 2023 Croatian Championships.[7]

Going on to compete at the 2023 European Championships in Espoo, Finland, Kessler qualified for the free skate segment after finishing nineteenth in the short program. He would also finish nineteenth in the free skate and nineteenth overall.[6]

In February, Kessler won the bronze medal at the 2023 Dragon Trophy, finished fourth at the 2023 Tallink Hotels Cup, and won gold at the 2023 Bellu Memorial.[6]

Making his World Championship debut at the 2023 World Championships in Saitama, Japan, Kessler finished thirty-first.[6]

2023–24 season

Kessler started the season by winning bronze at the 2023 Tirnavia Ice Cup and at the 2023 NRW Trophy. In December, Kessler placed eleventh at the 2023 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb before winning his third national title at the 2024 Croatian Championships.[6]

One month later, Kessler competed at the 2024 European Championships in Kaunas, Lithuania, where he placed twenty-seventh in the short program and did not advance to the free skate segment.[6]

Kessler subsequently competed at the 2024 Bavarian Open and the 2024 Merano Cup, finishing ninth and seventh, respectively.[6]

Selected to compete at the 2024 World Championships in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, Kessler would finish in twenty-ninth place.[6]

2024–25 season

Kessler performing his short program at the 2025 World Championships

Kessler began the season with a twelfth-place finish at the 2024 CS Nebelhorn Trophy. He then went on to win his second consecutive national title at the 2025 Croatian Championships.[6]

After winning the bronze medal at the 2025 Volvo Open Cup, Kessler competed at the 2025 European Championships in Tallinn, Estonia. He placed thirty-fourth in the short program and did not advance to the free skate segment. Kessler then went on to win gold at the 2025 Dragon Trophy, bronze at the 2025 Merano Ice Trophy, and silver at the 2025 Bellu Memorial.[6]

In March, Kessler competed at the 2025 World Championships, held in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. He placed thirty-fourth in the short program and did not advance to the free skate segment.[6]

2025–26 season

Kessler opened his season by competing at the ISU Skate to Milano, where he finished in thirteenth place. He subsequently placed eleventh at the 2025 CS Nepela Memorial. In October, Kessler won gold at both at the 2025 Tayside Trophy and the 2025 Golden Bear of Zagreb. He then followed up these results with a seventh-place finish at the 2025 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb.[6]

In January, Kessler competed at the 2026 European Championships in Sheffield, England, United Kingdom, finishing in fourteenth place overall. The following week, he placed sixth at the 2026 Merano Ice Trophy.[6]

Programs

More information Season, Short program ...
Season Short program Free skating Exhibition
2025–2026
[8][9]
2024–2025
[10]
2023–2024
[11]
2022–2023
[1]
2021–2022
[3]
Close

Competitive highlights

Single skating (for Croatia)

More information Season, 2019–20 ...
Competition placements at senior level[6]
Season 2019–20 2020–21 2021–22 2022–23 2023–24 2024–25 2025–26
World Championships 31st 29th 34th
European Championships 31st 19th 27th 34th 14th
Croatian Championships 1st 1st 1st 1st 1st
CS Budapest Trophy 7th 7th
CS Golden Spin of Zagreb 19th 11th 7th
CS Ice Challenge 13th
CS Nebelhorn Trophy 15th 6th 12th
CS Nepela Memorial 11th
Bavarian Open 9th
Bellu Memorial 5th 1st 2nd
Challenge Cup 12th
Dragon Trophy 3rd 1st
Golden Bear of Zagreb 1st
Jégvirág Cup 2nd
Merano Ice Trophy 3rd 7th 3rd 6th
NRW Trophy 1st 3rd
Skate to Milano 13th
Tallink Hotels Cup 4th 2nd
Tayside Trophy 1st
Tirnavia Ice Cup 3rd
Volvo Open Cup 3rd
Close

Single skating (for Italy)

More information Season, 2015–16 ...
Close
More information Season, 2012–13 ...
Close

Detailed results

More information Segment, Type ...
ISU personal best scores in the +5/-5 GOE System[6]
Segment Type Score Event
Total TSS214.452025 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb
Short program TSS75.562025 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb
TES37.322025 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb
PCS39.452025 CS Nepela Memorial
Free skating TSS138.892025 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb
TES61.792025 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb
PCS78.102025 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb
Close
More information Segment, Type ...
ISU personal best scores in the +3/-3 GOE System[4]
Segment Type Score Event
Total TSS151.942017 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb
Short program TSS50.872017 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb
TES21.672017 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb
PCS30.202017 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb
Free skating TSS101.072017 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb
TES46.572017 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb
PCS56.502017 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb
Close
More information Date, Event ...
Results in the 2024–25 season[6]
Date Event SP FS Total
P Score P Score P Score
Sep 19–21, 2024 Germany 2024 CS Nebelhorn Trophy 12 69.59 13 122.14 12 191.73
Dec 21–22, 2024 Croatia 2025 Croatian Championships 1 49.41 1 95.86 1 145.27
Jan 16-19, 2025 Latvia 2025 Volvo Open Cup 3 63.90 2 115.39 3 179.29
Jan 28 – Feb 2, 2025 Estonia 2025 European Championships 34 50.83 N/a N/a 34 50.83
Feb 6–9, 2025 Slovenia 2025 Dragon Trophy 1 67.37 1 130.86 1 198.23
Feb 13–16, 2025 Italy 2025 Merano Ice Trophy 2 73.40 3 134.58 3 207.98
Feb 18–23, 2025 Romania 2025 Bellu Memorial 3 68.35 2 141.31 2 209.66
Mar 24–30, 2025 United States 2025 World Championships 34 61.44 N/a N/a 34 61.44
Close
More information Date, Event ...
Results in the 2025–26 season[6]
Date Event SP FS Total
P Score P Score P Score
Sep 18–21, 2025 China 2025 Skate to Milano 12 66.50 14 124.04 13 190.54
Sep 25–27, 2025 Slovakia 2025 CS Nepela Memorial 8 74.48 12 136.33 11 210.81
Oct 11–12, 2025 United Kingdom 2025 Tayside Trophy 6 62.83 1 141.53 1 204.36
Oct 24–27, 2025 Croatia 2025 Golden Bear of Zagreb 1 72.74 1 134.43 1 207.17
Dec 3–6, 2025 Croatia 2025 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb 8 75.56 6 138.89 7 214.45
Dec 20-21, 2025 Croatia 2026 Croatian Championships 1 74.79 1 140.60 1 215.39
Jan 13–18, 2026 United Kingdom 2026 European Championships 20 66.32 13 135.14 14 201.46
Jan 22–25, 2026 Italy 2026 Merano Ice Trophy 5 68.78 6 123.35 6 192.13
Feb 19-22, 2026 Estonia 2026 Tallink Hotels Cup 2 69.26 2 139.12 2 208.38
Close

References

Related Articles

Wikiwand AI