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Alexia Paganini

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Alexia Paganini
Paganini at the 2018 Internationaux de France
Born (2001-11-15) November 15, 2001 (age 22)
Greenwich, Connecticut, United States
HometownZürich, Switzerland
Height1.69 m (5 ft 6+1⁄2 in)
Figure skating career
Country Switzerland (2017–2024)
 United States (until 2017)
CoachMichael Huth
Skating clubInternational Skating Club St. Moritz
Began skating2003
RetiredOctober 21, 2024

Alexia Paganini (born November 15, 2001) is a former Swiss-American figure skater who represented Switzerland in ladies' singles. She is the 2020 CS Nebelhorn Trophy silver medalist, the 2018 Halloween Cup champion, the 2017 Slovenia Open champion, and a four-time Swiss national champion (2017–2019, 2021).

Paganini represented Switzerland at the 2018 and 2022 Winter Olympics, finishing twenty-first and twenty-second, respectively.

Personal life

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Alexia Paganini was born on November 15, 2001, in Greenwich, Connecticut, United States.[1] The second of three children, she has two brothers – Kevin and Mario.[2] She holds Swiss and U.S. citizenship.[3] Her father, Celso Paganini, is from Brusio, Switzerland.[4][5] Her mother, originally from the Netherlands,[2] lived for ten years in St. Moritz, Switzerland.[6]

Career

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Early career

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Paganini began learning to skate in 2003.[2] She skated at Westchester Skating Academy for a few years under her former coach, Gilberto Viadana. She represented the United States at two international events. In April 2016, she won the junior gold medal at the Gardena Spring Trophy in Italy. In August 2016, she finished sixth at an ISU Junior Grand Prix event in France.

In January 2017, Paganini placed fifth on the junior level at the U.S. Championships. Later that year, she became interested in competing for Switzerland after a suggestion by her coach, Igor Krokavec.[7] Swiss Ice Skating became aware of her interest in April 2017 and soon contacted her.[3]

2017–2018 season: PyeongChang Olympics

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Paganini made her senior international debut and her first appearance for Switzerland at the Slovenia Open in August 2017; she outscored Australia's Kailani Craine by 2.31 points to win the gold medal. In late September, she competed at the 2017 CS Nebelhorn Trophy, the final qualifying opportunity for the 2018 Winter Olympics. Ranked sixth in the short program and third in the free skate, she obtained the bronze medal (by a margin of 0.13 over Germany's Nathalie Weinzierl) in addition to a spot for Switzerland at the Olympics. In December, the Swiss Olympic Association confirmed that Paganini would represent Switzerland at the Olympics.[8]

In January, Paganini finished seventh at the 2018 European Championships in Moscow, Russia. The following month, she competed at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea.[9] Ranked nineteenth in the short program, she advanced to the final segment and would finish twenty-first overall. She also qualified to the free skate at the 2018 World Championships, finishing twentieth at the March event in Milan, Italy.

2018–2019 season: Grand Prix debut

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Alexia Paganini began her season with an eighth-place at the CS Autumn Classic. In October, she won the International Halloween Cup after placing second in the short program behind Ivett Tóth but first in the free.

Paganini made her Grand Prix debut at the 2018 Rostelecom Cup. In the short program, she scored a personal best (63.43) and was in third place. In the free skate, she marked her personal best (119.07), and she placed fifth, to finish fourth overall with a total of 182.50 (her personal best score), behind Alina Zagitova, Sofia Samodurova, and Lim Eun-soo. Due to Carolina Kostner's withdrawal from the 2018 Internationaux de France because of injury, Paganini was chosen to replace her at the event, giving her a second Grand Prix assignment. She was eighth after the short program, tenth in the free, and finished tenth overall. In December, she won the Swiss Championships for the second time in a row.

In January 2019, she competed at the European Championships, held in Minsk, Belarus. Paganini scored a new personal best in the short program, 65.64, and won the bronze small medal behind Zagitova and Samodurova. She said she was "really happy with my performance. I actually was nervous but tried not to show it."[10] Paganini placed seventh in the free skate and finished sixth overall. She concluded the season at the 2019 World Championships, where she made multiple errors in the short program and placed thirty-third, failing to qualify for the free skate.

2019–2020 season

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Paganini began the season with a sixth place at the 2019 CS Autumn Classic International. At her first Grand Prix, the 2019 Skate Canada International, she placed ninth.[11] She was seventh at the 2019 Rostelecom Cup.[12] In December, she won her third straight Swiss national title and was named to the Swiss team for the European Championships. In January, she placed fourth at the championships.[13][14] She was also named to the Swiss 2020 Worlds team, but the competition was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.[15]

In June, she announced she was changing coaches to train with Stéphane Lambiel in Champéry.[16] Paganini subsequently attributed the switch to the effects of the pandemic in the United States and her desire for "a change and for everything to be a bit more professional and organized."[15]

2020–2021 season

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With pandemic-related travel restrictions in place, Paganini began the season at the 2020 CS Nebelhorn Trophy, an event attended only by ladies training in Europe. She was the top-ranked competitor attending and was pegged as the pre-event favorite.[17][18] Paganini led after the short program but fell twice in the free and cut her right hand on the blade of her skate, placing third in that segment and second overall.[18]

Paganini was assigned to compete at the 2020 Internationaux de France, but the event was cancelled due to the pandemic.[19]

At the 2021 World Championships in Stockholm, Paganini placed twenty-fifth in the short program after popping a planned triple loop into an invalid double and narrowly missed advancing to the free skate.[20]

On June 11, 2021, Paganini announced on social media that she'd discontinued training under Stéphane Lambiel in Champéry and relocated her training base to Zürich to train with Gheorghe Chiper and his coaching team.[21]

2021–2022 season: Beijing Olympics

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Paganini began the season at the 2021 CS Lombardia Trophy, where she placed second in the short program but dropped to fourth place after the free skate.[22] She next competed at the 2021 CS Nebelhorn Trophy, seeking to qualify a berth for Switzerland at the 2022 Winter Olympics after failing to do so at the World Championships. She was second in the short program and fifth in the free skate, placing fourth overall and taking the fourth of six available spots.[23]

Paganini was originally scheduled to compete at 2021 Skate Canada International but later withdrew. She won her fourth Swiss national title in November.[24] Beginning the new year at the 2022 European Championships in Tallinn, Paganini was tenth.[25]

Assigned to her second Swiss Olympic team, Paganini placed nineteenth in the short program of the women's event, qualifying to the free skate. Both parts of her jump combination were called underrotated.[26] She was twenty-second in the free skate and finished twenty-second overall.[27] After on Instagram, Paganini said she was "incredibly grateful" to have been a two-time Olympian.[28] Paganini concluded the season with a nineteenth place at the 2022 World Championships, expressing satisfaction with the result after having come down with the flu in the week beforehand.[29]

2022–2023 season

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Paganini began the season finishing fifth at the 2022 CS Finlandia Trophy. She placed fifth in the short program at the 2022 CS Budapest Trophy but withdrew before the free skate, citing medical reasons. In her lone Grand Prix appearance, she came ninth at the 2022 MK John Wilson Trophy.[24]

2023–2024 season

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Beginning the season on the 2023-24 ISU Challenger Series, Paganini finished fifth at the 2023 CS Nebelhorn Trophy, fourteenth at the 2023 CS Finlandia Trophy, and thirteenth at the 2023 CS Warsaw Cup.[24]

She then closed the season with a fourth-place finish at the 2024 Swiss Championships.[24]

In October 2024, Paganini announced her retirement from competitive figure skating.[30]

Programs

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Season Short program Free skating Exhibition
2023–2024
2022–2023
[31]
2021–2022
[32]
2020–2021
[15]
2019–2020
[33]
2018–2019 [2]
2017–2018
[34]
2016–2017
[1][35]
2015–2016
[1]
2014–2015
2013–2014
2012–2013

Competitive highlights

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GP: Grand Prix; CS: Challenger Series; JGP: Junior Grand Prix

For Switzerland

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Paganini at the 2018 Internationaux de France
International[24]
Event 17–18 18–19 19–20 20–21 21–22 22–23 23–24
Olympics 21st 21st
Worlds 20th 33rd C 25th 19th
Europeans 7th 6th 4th C 9th
GP France 10th C
GP Rostelecom Cup 4th 7th
GP Skate Canada 9th WD
GP Wilson Trophy 9th
CS Autumn Classic 8th 6th
CS Budapest WD
CS Cup of Tyrol C
CS Finlandia 5th 14th
CS Lombardia 4th
CS Nebelhorn 3rd 2nd 4th WD 5th
CS Warsaw Cup 13th
Challenge Cup WD
Halloween Cup 1st
Santa Claus Cup WD
Slovenia Open 1st
Swiss Open WD
National
Swiss Champ. 1st 1st 1st C 1st 4th
TBD = Assigned; WD = Withdrew; C = Event cancelled

For the United States

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International: Junior[24]
Event 12–13 13–14 14–15 15–16 16–17
JGP France 6th
Gardena Trophy 1st
National[1]
U.S. Champ. 2nd I 8th N 2nd N 5th J
Eastern Sectionals 1st I 1st N 1st N 1st J
North Atlantic Reg. 14th V 1st I 2nd N 2nd N
Levels: V = Juvenile; I = Intermediate; N = Novice; J = Junior

Pairs with Fourati for the United States

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National[36]
Event 11–12
Eastern Sect. 8th V
Levels: V = Juvenile

Detailed results

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ISU personal best scores in the +5/-5 GOE System [37]
Segment Type Score Event
Total TSS 192.88 2020 Europeans
Short program TSS 68.82 2020 Europeans
TES 28.12 2020 Europeans
PCS 24.45 2020 Europeans
Free skating TSS 124.06 2020 Europeans
TES 49.54 2020 Europeans
PCS 49.75 2020 Europeans

Senior level

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Small medals for short and free programs awarded only at ISU Championships. Personal bests highlighted in bold.

2023–24 season
Date Event SP FS Total
15–17 December 2023 2024 Swiss Championships 4
53.13 		4
100.55 		4
153.68
November 16–19, 2023 2023 CS Warsaw Cup 14
51.44 		12
96.00 		13
147.44
October 4–8, 2023 2023 CS Finlandia Trophy 6
59.60 		17
83.84 		14
143.44
September 20–23, 2023 2023 CS Nebelhorn Trophy 5
58.61 		5
110.35 		5
168.96
2022–23 season
Date Event SP FS Total
November 11–13, 2022 2022 MK John Wilson Trophy 11
54.63 		10
102.26 		9
156.89
October 13–16, 2022 2022 CS Budapest Trophy 5
54.29
WD
WD
October 4–9, 2022 2022 CS Finlandia Trophy 7
57.09 		6
108.62 		5
165.71
2021–22 season
Date Event SP FS Total
March 21–27, 2022 2022 World Championships 13
63.09 		19
106.93 		19
170.02
February 15–17, 2022 2022 Winter Olympics 18
61.06 		21
107.85 		21
168.91
January 10–16, 2022 2022 European Championships 9
62.32 		10
115.78 		10
178.10
November 27–28, 2021 2021 Swiss Championships 1
64.82 		1
110.41 		1
175.23
September 22–25, 2021 2021 CS Nebelhorn Trophy 2
65.65 		5
114.83 		4
180.48
September 10–12, 2021 2021 CS Lombardia Trophy 2
62.14 		5
109.34 		4
171.48
2020–21 season
Date Event SP FS Total
March 22–28, 2021 2021 World Championships 25
57.23
- 		25
57.23
September 23–26, 2020 2020 CS Nebelhorn Trophy 1
63.60 		3
105.25 		2
168.85
2019–20 season
Date Event SP FS Total
January 24–25, 2020 2020 European Championships 4
68.82 		4
124.06 		4
192.88
December 7–8, 2019 2019 Swiss Championships 1
61.19 		1
115.99 		1
177.18
November 15–17, 2019 2019 Rostelecom Cup 4
65.12 		9
114.57 		7
179.69
October 25–27, 2019 2019 Skate Canada 9
60.68 		9
105.52 		9
166.20
September 12–14, 2019 2019 CS Autumn Classic 4
58.87 		8
99.46 		6
158.33
2018–19 season
Date Event SP FS Total
March 18–24, 2019 2019 World Championships 33
50.51 		- -
January 21–27, 2019 2019 European Championships 3
65.64 		7
114.26 		6
179.90
December 14–16, 2018 2018 Swiss Championships 2
54.54 		1
119.62 		1
174.16
November 23–25, 2018 2018 Internationaux de France 8
56.88 		10
99.63 		10
156.51
November 16–18, 2018 2018 Rostelecom Cup 3
63.43 		5
119.07 		4
182.50
October 19–21, 2018 2018 International Halloween Cup 2
53.23 		1
103.90 		1
157.13
September 20–22, 2018 2018 CS Autumn Classic 7
56.07 		8
101.75 		8
157.82
2017–18 season
Date Event SP FS Total
March 19–25, 2018 2018 World Championships 19
57.86 		22
91.80 		20
149.66
February 14–25, 2018 2018 Winter Olympics 19
55.26 		22
101.00 		21
156.26
January 15–21, 2018 2018 European Championships 9
54.95 		9
106.67 		7
161.62
December 15–16, 2017 2017 Swiss Championships 1
59.54 		1
101.37 		1
160.91
September 27–30, 2017 2017 CS Nebelhorn Trophy 6
53.59 		3
102.39 		3
155.98
September 1–3, 2017 2017 Slovenia Open 3
53.60 		1
108.67 		1
162.27

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Alexia Paganini". IceNetwork.com. Archived from the original on July 1, 2018.
  2. ^ a b c d "Alexia PAGANINI: 2018/2019". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on January 5, 2019.
  3. ^ a b "Alexia Paganini gagne son billet pour PyeongChang" [Alexia Paganini wins ticket to PyeongChang]. Swiss Telegraphic Agency (in French). Le Matin (Switzerland). September 30, 2017. Archived from the original on November 5, 2017.
  4. ^ "Alexia Paganini si qualifica per le Olimpiadi invernali del 2018" [Alexia Paganini qualifies for the 2018 Winter Olympics]. Il Bernina (in Italian). October 4, 2017. Archived from the original on November 5, 2017.
  5. ^ Meier, Sarah (22 February 2018). "Alexia Paganini - die neue Hoffnungsträgerin auf dem Eis". Schweizer Illustrierte (in German). Archived from the original on June 16, 2018.
  6. ^ Gisi, Emanuel (February 20, 2018). "Alexia Paganini tanzt für die Schweiz". blick.ch (in German). Archived from the original on June 16, 2018.
  7. ^ Kolb, Albert René (August 18, 2017). "Schweizer Hoffnung aus den USA" [Swiss hope from the United States]. Der Landbote (in German). Archived from the original on November 5, 2017.
  8. ^ "Eiskunstläuferin Alexia Paganini vertritt die Schweiz in PyeongChang" [Figure skater Alexia Paganini to represent Switzerland in PyeongChang] (in German). Swiss Olympic Association. December 22, 2017. Archived from the original on December 23, 2017.
  9. ^ "Athlete Profile - Alexia PAGANINI". pyeongchang2018.com. Archived from the original on April 20, 2018.
  10. ^ Slater, Paula (January 23, 2019). "Alina Zagitova: 'I need to be confident in myself'". Golden Skate.
  11. ^ Slater, Paula (October 27, 2019). "Russia's Trusova snags gold in Grand Prix debut at 2019 Skate Canada". Golden Skate.
  12. ^ Slater, Paula (November 16, 2019). "Trusova dominates ladies in Moscow for second consecutive Grand Prix gold". Golden Skate.
  13. ^ Slater, Paula (January 24, 2020). "Kostornaia leads Russian sweep at Europeans". Golden Skate.
  14. ^ Slater, Paula (January 25, 2020). "Kostornaia takes gold in Russian sweep at Europeans". Golden Skate.
  15. ^ a b c Flade, Tatjana (August 10, 2020). "Switzerland's Paganini sets new goals after coaching change". Golden Skate.
  16. ^ "Instagram video by Lina Fedorova". June 24, 2020.
  17. ^ "2020 NEBELHORN TROPHY". International Figure Skating. September 19, 2020.
  18. ^ a b Jiwani, Rory (September 26, 2020). "Eva-Lotta Kiibus takes Nebelhorn Trophy". Olympic Channel.
  19. ^ "Grand Prix of France figure skating event canceled due to coronavirus". Olympic Channel. 20 October 2020.
  20. ^ "ISU World Figure Skating Championships 2021 Results – Ladies". International Skating Union.
  21. ^ Paganini, Alexia (June 11, 2021). "hi guys, just wanted to share that i will continue my training in Zurich, Switzerland with Gheorghe Chiper and his team. I would like to thank Stephane Lambiel and the rest of the skating school for guiding me this past season. looking forward to competing ❤️❤️" (Instagram). Archived from the original on 2021-12-24.
  22. ^ "Lombardia Trophy 2021". Federazione Italiana Sport del Ghiaccio.
  23. ^ Flade, Tatjana (September 25, 2021). "Liu pockets Nebelhorn gold; seals third spot for U.S. women". Golden Skate.
  24. ^ a b c d e f "Competition Results: Alexia PAGANINI". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on September 26, 2018.
  25. ^ Slater, Paula (January 15, 2022). "Valieva leads Russian sweep in European debut". Golden Skate.
  26. ^ Penny, Brandon (February 15, 2022). "As it happened: ROC, U.S. skaters star in women's short program". NBC Sports.
  27. ^ Penny, Brandon (February 17, 2022). "Re-live every moment of the historic Olympic women's free skate". NBC Sports.
  28. ^ Paganini, Alexia (February 17, 2022). "incredibly grateful that i get to call myself a 2x olympian. its been a long hard journey qualifying for this event with many ups and downs and i'm so happy i was able to come here and do what i love" (Instagram).
  29. ^ Paganini, Alexia (March 25, 2022). "worlds 2022 ✔️ just want to thank everyone for their immense support this week and this whole season, it means an insane amount to me. ❤️❤️" (Instagram).
  30. ^ Paganini, Alexia. "hi everyone, i just wanted to share that i've officially retired from competitive skating and am looking forward to focusing on performances in ice shows and other exciting projects ❤️". Instagram. Instagram. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
  31. ^ "Alexia PAGANINI: 2022/2023". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on November 17, 2022.
  32. ^ "Alexia PAGANINI: 2021/2022". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on August 31, 2021.
  33. ^ "Alexia PAGANINI: 2019/2020". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on September 17, 2019.
  34. ^ "Alexia PAGANINI: 2017/2018". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on May 29, 2018.
  35. ^ Lewis, Amber (January 14, 2017). "Paganini balances elegance with technical prowess in podium push". icemusings.com.
  36. ^ "Alexia PAGANINI / Ilias FOURATI". SkatingScores.
  37. ^ "SUI-Alexia PAGANINI". Skating Scores.
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