# Donovan Carrillo

Donovan Daniel Carrillo Suazo (born 17 November 1999) is a Mexican figure skater. He is the 2023 NRW Trophy silver medalist, 2023 Tayside Trophy silver medalist, 2019 Philadelphia International silver medalist, and a seven-time Mexican national champion (2017–2019, 2020–2024). He has competed in the final segment at six ISU Championships – three World Championships (2018, 2021, 2024), four Four Continents (2018–2020, 2024), and the 2018 World Junior Championships. He has earned the highest placement by any Mexican skater at a World Championships and qualified to the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.

## Personal life

Carrillo was born on 17 November 1999, in Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico. Before taking up skating, he was enrolled in gymnastics and diving. His parents are physical education teachers. He has three sisters: Daphne, Daniela and Sonny.

## Skating career
### Early years

Carrillo began learning to skate in Guadalajara when he was eight years old. In 2013, he moved to León to keep training with his Coach Gregorio Nuñez.
His junior international debut came in September 2013 at a Junior Grand Prix (JGP) event in Mexico City, where he placed 15th overall.

### 2014–2015 season

Carrillo received two JGP assignments. In September, he placed twenty-first at the 2014 Czech Skate after placing twenty-first in both segments. In October, he placed twenty-second at the 2014 JGP Pokal der Blauen Schwerter. Later in the season, he won the junior men's title at the Mexican Championships.

### 2015–2016 season

In 2015, Carrillo placed eighth at the 2015 Santa Claus Cup in Budapest in the junior men's competition.

### 2016–2017 season

Returning to the JGP series, Carrillo placed thirteenth in September in Yokohama, Japan. In October, he finished ninth at a JGP competition in Dresden, Germany.
In March, he placed twenty-seventh in the short program at the 2017 World Junior Championships in Taipei, Taiwan, and did not advance to the free skate.

### 2017–2018 season

Making his senior international debut, Carrillo placed ninth at the Philadelphia Summer International in early August 2017. Later that month, he achieved his career-best JGP result, finishing seventh in Brisbane, Australia. In September, he competed at the 2017 CS Nebelhorn Trophy, the final qualifying opportunity for the 2018 Winter Olympics. He ranked nineteenth in the short program, twelfth in the free skate, and fourteenth overall, which was not enough for an Olympic spot.
In January, Carrillo qualified to the final segment at the 2018 Four Continents Championships in Taipei; he ranked twenty-second in the short program, seventeenth in the free skate, and eighteenth overall. In March, Carrillo qualified for the final segment at Junior Worlds, placing eighteenth in the short program and twenty-second in the free skate to finish twenty-first overall. Two weeks later, at the World Championships, Donovan placed twenty-fourth in the short program and qualified for the free. He placed twenty-first in the free program and finished twenty-second overall.
He trains mainly in León, Guanajuato, coached by Gregorio Núñez.

### 2018–2019 season

Carrillo started the season at 2018 JGP Bratislava, where he placed eleventh in both segments and placed eleventh overall. He was offered a second Junior Grand Prix assignment in Linz, Austria, but had to decline because he could not afford to attend the competition. He was assigned to the 2018 CS Autumn Classic International but withdrew before the event. He had sustained a right ankle injury. At the 2019 Four Continents Championships in January, he placed fourteenth in the short program (and thus qualified for the final segment), placed twentieth in the free program, and seventeenth overall. At Four Continents, Carrillo landed a triple Axel for the first time.
In February 2019, the Comisión Nacional de Cultura Física y Deporte announced that Carrillo would be granted funding beginning in March. Carrillo aggravated his ankle injury before the 2019 World Championships, and did not make the free skate.

### 2019–2020 season

Carrillo won his first international medal, a silver, at the 2019 Philadelphia Summer International. Assigned to two Challenger events, he placed tenth at the 2019 CS Autumn Classic International and seventeenth at the 2019 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb. Competing at the 2020 Four Continents Championships, Carrillo placed fifteenth with new personal bests but came up 0.20 points short of the free skate technical score necessary to qualify to compete at the 2020 World Championships.
Due to the pandemic, Carrillo could not train on ice for four months, but the delivery of a harness and spinners allowed him to continue practicing jumps at his coach's house.

### 2020–2021 season

At the International Challenge Cup, held in late February in the Netherlands, Carrillo earned the necessary technical minimum to compete at the 2021 World Championships, which took place in Stockholm in March. In Sweden, he qualified to his second Worlds free skate by placing twenty-third in the short program. Ranked nineteenth in the final segment, he would finish twentieth overall. With his placement, he qualified a men's singles quota spot for Mexico at the 2022 Winter Olympics.

### 2021–2022 season

Carrillo started the season at the Skating Club of Boston's Cranberry Cup, where he finished in ninth place. Competing at the Festival Abierto Mexicano, Carrillo won the gold medal and became the first Mexican skater ever to land a quadruple jump, the quadruple Salchow, in a competition. At the 2021 U.S. Classic, Carrillo finished in fifth place with new personal bests. At the 2021 CS Finlandia Trophy, he became the first Mexican to land a quadruple Salchow in combination in an international competition. Scoring a new personal best in his free skate, Carrillo finished in fifteenth.
After winning his fourth national title at the Mexican championships, Carrillo was named to the Mexican Olympic team and opted to withdraw from the 2022 Four Continents Championships to minimize the risk of catching COVID-19 in the interim. Shortly afterward, he was named one of Mexico's flagbearers for the opening ceremonies, alongside alpine skier Sarah Schleper. Carrillo scored a new personal best of 79.69 in the short program of the Olympic men's event, placing nineteenth and becoming the first Mexican skater to qualify for the free skate segment at the Olympic Games. He called it "a dream come true." Placing twenty-second in the free skate, he finished twenty-second overall.
Carrillo was scheduled to finish the season at the 2022 World Championships in Montpellier but was forced to withdraw after his skates were lost in transit.

### 2022–2023 season

Carrillo finished eighth at the 2022 CS U.S. Classic and then was invited to make his senior Grand Prix debut at the 2022 Skate America. He finished twelfth at the event.
Carrillo missed the rest of the 2022–23 figure skating season due to an ankle injury that required surgery, which he had done in December.

### 2023–2024 season

In July 2023, Carrillo announced that he had relocated to Toronto, Ontario, to train at the Thornhill Figure Skating Club, coached by Jonathan Mills and Myke Gillman.
He started the season with a fifth-place finish at the 2023 Cranberry Cup International, before coming eleventh at the 2023 CS Autumn Classic International. Carrillo won the silver medal at Tayside Trophy in October and silver medal at the NRW Trophy a month later.
Carrillo was fifteenth at both the Four Continents and World Championships.

### 2024–2025 season

Carrillo began the season at the Asian Open Figure Skating Trophy, finishing in sixth place. In September, Carrillo won his seventh national title at the Mexican Figure Skating Championships. Going on to compete on the 2024–25 Grand Prix circuit, Carrillo finished twelfth at 2024 Skate America.

## Programs

| Season | Short program | Free skating | Exhibition |
| 2024–2025 | Hip Hip Chin Chin (Yaziko Club Mix) by Club des Belugas The Beat Hip Hip Chin Chin (Samba) by Watazu Hip Hip Chin Chin by Club des Belugas ft. Brenda Boykin Hip Hip Chin Chin (Smooth Return Mix) by Club des Belugas choreo. by Romain Haguenauer | Tres Palabras by Osvaldo Farrés Deja Que Salga la Luna by José Alfredo Jiménez La Bikina by Rubén Fuentes choreo. by Myke Gillman | NUEVAYoL EoO BAILE INoLVIDABLE CAFé CON RON LA MuDANZA by Bad Bunny Los Luchadores by Sonora Santanera Bailen Rochas y Chetas by Nene Malo Después de la Playa by Bad Bunny |
| 2023–2024 | SexyBack by Justin Timberlake and Timbaland 4 Minutes by Madonna, Justin Timberlake and Timbaland choreo. by Benoît Richaud | Bésame Mucho by Consuelo Velázquez Historia de un amor by Carlos Eleta Almarán Cuba by DJ Rebel and Robert Abigail choreo. by Myke Gillman | The Hills Starboy Can't Feel My Face Save Your Tears Blinding Lights by The Weeknd |
| 2022–2023 | Georgia on My Mind What'd I Say by Ray Charles Sleep by Coke Beats choreo. by Benoît Richaud | James Bond: Gun Barrel (from No Time To Die) by Hans Zimmer The Name's Bond...James Bond (from Casino Royale) by David Arnold Skyfall by Adele Another Way to Die (from Quantum Of Solace) by Jack White and Alicia Keys James Bond Theme by Monty Norman and John Barry arranged by Moby choreo. by Benoît Richaud | Los Luchadores by Sonora Santanera Bailen Rochas y Chetas by Nene Malo Después de la Playa by Bad Bunny |
| 2021–2022 | Black Magic Woman by Carlos Santana Shake It by Carlos Santana choreo. by Benoît Richaud | Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps by Osvaldo Farrés performed by Daniel Boaventura & Carlos Rivera Sway performed by Dean Martin María performed by Ricky Martin Bailar by Deorro choreo. by Gregorio Nuñez | |
| 2020–2021 | In the Mood by Glenn Miller choreo. by Gregorio Nuñez | Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps by Osvaldo Farrés performed by Daniel Boaventura & Carlos Rivera Sway Mix by Pedro Infante performed by Michael Bublé | Pinball by Akira Kiteshi Canción del Mariachi by Los Lobos and Antonio Banderas El Mariachi Loco by Mariachi de la Ciudad de México de Pepe Villela |
| 2019–2020 | In the Mood by Glenn Miller choreo. by Gregorio Nuñez | Aranjuez performed by Il Divo choreo. by Gregorio Nuñez | Pinball by Akira Kiteshi Canción del Mariachi by Los Lobos and Antonio Banderas El Mariachi Loco by Mariachi de la Ciudad de México de Pepe Villela |
| 2018–2019 | Jazz Machine by Black Machine Picante by Vanessa Mae | Ya lo se que tu te vas by Juan Gabriel | Capone by Ronan Hardiman choreo. by Gregorio Núñez |
| 2017–2018 | Capone by Ronan Hardiman choreo. by Gregorio Núñez | Hasta Que Te Conocí by Juan Gabriel performed by Raul di Blasio choreo. by Gregorio Núñez | |
| 2016–2017 | Mambo Mix by Perez Prado choreo. by Gregorio Núñez | Hasta Que Te Conocí by Juan Gabriel performed by Raul di Blasio choreo. by Gregorio Núñez | |
| 2015–2016 | Mexican Danzones Mix choreo. by Gregorio Núñez | Mambo Mix by Perez Prado choreo. by Gregorio Núñez | |
| 2014–2015 | Mexican Danzones Mix choreo. by Gregorio Núñez | The Prince of Egypt by Hans Zimmer The Mummy by Jerry Goldsmith choreo. by Gregorio Núñez | |

## Competitive highlights

* GP – Event of the ISU Grand Prix Series
* JGP – Event of the ISU Junior Grand Prix Series
* CS – Event of the ISU Challenger Series
Competition placements at senior level :
| Season | 2017–18 | 2018–19 | 2019–20 | 2020–21 | 2021–22 | 2022–23 | 2023–24 | 2024-25 |
| Winter Olympics | | | | | 22nd | | | |
| World Championships | 22nd | 33rd | | 20th | | | 15th | TBD |
| Four Continents Championships | 18th | 17th | 15th | | | | 15th | 11th |
| Mexican Championships | 1st | 1st | 1st | | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st |
| GP Skate America | | | | | | 12th | | 12th |
| CS Autumn Classic | | | 10th | | | | 11th | |
| CS Finlandia Trophy | | | | | 15th | | | |
| CS Golden Spin of Zagreb | | | 17th | | | | | |
| CS Nebelhorn Trophy | 14th | | | | | | | |
| CS U.S. Classic | | | | | 5th | 8th | | |
| Asian Open Trophy | | | | | | | | 6th |
| Challenge Cup | | | 10th | 9th | | | | |
| Cranberry Cup | | | | | 9th | | 5th | |
| NRW Trophy | | | | | | | 2nd | 2nd |
| Philadelphia Summer | 9th | | 2nd | | | | | |
| Tayside Trophy | | | | | | | 2nd | |
Competition placements at junior level :
| Season | 2013–14 | 2014–15 | 2015–16 | 2016–17 | 2017–18 | 2018–19 |
| World Junior Championships | | | | 27th | 21st | |
| Mexican Championships | | 1st | | | | |
| JGP Australia | | | | | 7th | |
| JGP Czech Republic | | 21st | | | | |
| JGP Germany | | 22nd | | 9th | | |
| JGP Japan | | | | 13th | | |
| JGP Mexico | 15th | | | | | |
| JGP Slovakia | | | | | | 11th |
| Santa Claus Cup | | | 8th | | | |

## Detailed results

ISU personal best scores in the +5/-5 GOE System :
| Segment | Type | Score | Event |
| Total | TSS | 232.67 | 2024 World Championships |
| Short program | TSS | 80.19 | 2024 World Championships |
| Short program | TES | 43.89 | 2024 World Championships |
| Short program | PCS | 36.61 | 2024 Skate America |
| Free skating | TSS | 152.48 | 2024 World Championships |
| Free skating | TES | 76.72 | 2024 World Championships |
| Free skating | PCS | 75.76 | 2024 World Championships |
ISU personal best scores in the +3/-3 GOE System :
| Segment | Type | Score | Event |
| Total | TSS | 200.76 | 2018 World Championships |
| Short program | TSS | 68.13 | 2018 World Championships |
| Short program | TES | 35.63 | 2018 World Championships |
| Short program | PCS | 32.50 | 2018 World Championships |
| Free skating | TSS | 132.63 | 2018 World Championships |
| Free skating | TES | 68.50 | 2018 Four Continents Championships |
| Free skating | PCS | 65.78 | 2018 World Championships |

### Senior level

Results in the 2017–18 season :
| Date | Event | SP | SP | FS | FS | Total | Total |
| Date | Event | P | Score | P | Score | P | Score |
| 3–6 Aug 2017 | 2017 Philadelphia Summer International | 7 | 65.12 | 9 | 119.13 | 9 | 184.45 |
| 27–30 Sep 2017 | 2017 CS Nebelhorn Trophy | 19 | 55.83 | 12 | 121.83 | 14 | 177.66 |
| 22–28 Jan 2018 | 2018 Four Continents Championships | 22 | 59.07 | 17 | 126.84 | 18 | 185.91 |
| 19–25 Mar 2018 | 2018 World Championships | 24 | 68.13 | 21 | 132.63 | 22 | 200.76 |
Results in the 2018–19 season :
| Date | Event | SP | SP | FS | FS | Total | Total |
| Date | Event | P | Score | P | Score | P | Score |
| 7–10 Feb 2019 | 2019 Four Continents Championships | 14 | 71.16 | 20 | 103.54 | 17 | 174.70 |
| 18–24 Mar 2019 | 2019 World Championships | 33 | 54.99 | — | — | 33 | 54.99 |
Results in the 2019–20 season :
| Date | Event | SP | SP | FS | FS | Total | Total |
| Date | Event | P | Score | P | Score | P | Score |
| 31 Jul – 3 Aug 2019 | 2019 Philadelphia Summer International | 2 | 69.08 | 4 | 127.71 | 2 | 196.79 |
| 12–14 Sep 2019 | 2019 CS Autumn Classic International | 8 | 65.94 | 10 | 109.05 | 10 | 174.99 |
| 4–7 Dec 2019 | 2019 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb | 17 | 66.59 | 18 | 117.28 | 17 | 183.87 |
| 4–9 Feb 2020 | 2020 Four Continents Championships | 13 | 73.13 | 16 | 127.96 | 15 | 201.09 |
| 20–23 Feb 2020 | 2020 International Challenge Cup | 7 | 68.93 | 11 | 117.63 | 10 | 186.56 |
Results in the 2020–21 season :
| Date | Event | SP | SP | FS | FS | Total | Total |
| Date | Event | P | Score | P | Score | P | Score |
| 26–28 Feb 2021 | 2021 International Challenge Cup | 11 | 61.45 | 8 | 129.15 | 9 | 190.60 |
| 22–28 Mar 2021 | 2021 World Championships | 23 | 73.91 | 19 | 130.87 | 20 | 204.78 |
Results in the 2021–22 season :
| Date | Event | SP | SP | FS | FS | Total | Total |
| Date | Event | P | Score | P | Score | P | Score |
| 11–15 Aug 2021 | 2021 Cranberry Cup International | 8 | 63.70 | 10 | 106.38 | 9 | 170.08 |
| 14–17 Sep 2021 | 2021 U.S. International Classic | 4 | 77.48 | 7 | 130.93 | 5 | 208.41 |
| 7–10 Oct 2021 | 2021 CS Finlandia Trophy | 21 | 61.06 | 14 | 131.48 | 15 | 192.54 |
| 8–10 Feb 2022 | 2022 Winter Olympics | 19 | 79.69 | 22 | 138.44 | 22 | 218.13 |
Results in the 2022–23 season :
| Date | Event | SP | SP | FS | FS | Total | Total |
| Date | Event | P | Score | P | Score | P | Score |
| 12–16 Sep 2022 | 2022 CS U.S. Classic | 9 | 68.10 | 10 | 113.34 | 8 | 181.44 |
| 21–23 Oct 2022 | 2022 Skate America | 10 | 69.18 | 11 | 119.10 | 12 | 188.28 |
Results in the 2023–24 season :
| Date | Event | SP | SP | FS | FS | Total | Total |
| Date | Event | P | Score | P | Score | P | Score |
| 9–13 Aug 2023 | 2023 Cranberry Cup International | 8 | 68.68 | 5 | 128.84 | 5 | 197.52 |
| 14–17 Sep 2023 | 2023 CS Autumn Classic International | 12 | 49.15 | 11 | 104.53 | 11 | 153.68 |
| 14–15 Oct 2023 | 2023 Tayside Trophy | 2 | 73.36 | 3 | 127.75 | 2 | 201.11 |
| 16–19 Nov 2023 | 2023 NRW Trophy | 2 | 69.34 | 2 | 136.36 | 2 | 205.70 |
| 27 Nov – 3 Dec 2023 | 2024 Mexican Championships | 1 | 84.74 | 1 | 139.13 | 1 | 223.87 |
| 30 Jan – 4 Feb 2024 | 2024 Four Continents Championships | 14 | 67.66 | 14 | 134.81 | 15 | 202.47 |
| 18–24 Mar 2024 | 2024 World Championships | 15 | 80.19 | 14 | 152.48 | 15 | 232.67 |
Results in the 2024–25 season :
| Date | Event | SP | SP | FS | FS | Total | Total |
| Date | Event | P | Score | P | Score | P | Score |
| 2–6 Sep 2024 | 2024 Asian Open Trophy | 9 | 65.96 | 5 | 138.46 | 6 | 204.42 |
| 18–20 Oct 2024 | 2024 Skate America | 9 | 67.48 | 12 | 128.32 | 12 | 195.80 |
| 13–17 Nov 2024 | 2024 NRW Trophy | 3 | 62.56 | 2 | 131.45 | 2 | 194.01 |
| 18–24 Nov 2024 | 2025 Mexican Championships | 1 | 69.87 | 1 | 139.41 | 1 | 209.28 |
| 19–23 Feb 2025 | 2025 Four Continents Championships | 13 | 68.50 | 12 | 140.23 | 11 | 208.73 |

### Junior level

Results in the 2013–14 season :
| Date | Event | SP | SP | FS | FS | Total | Total |
| Date | Event | P | Score | P | Score | P | Score |
| 4–7 Sep 2013 | 2013 JGP Mexico | 15 | 31.52 | 17 | 53.65 | 15 | 85.17 |
Results in the 2014–15 season :
| Date | Event | SP | SP | FS | FS | Total | Total |
| Date | Event | P | Score | P | Score | P | Score |
| 3–6 Sep 2014 | 2014 JGP Czech Republic | 21 | 34.39 | 21 | 58.62 | 21 | 93.01 |
| 1–4 Oct 2014 | 2014 JGP Germany | 22 | 38.38 | 22 | 70.79 | 22 | 109.17 |
Results in the 2015–16 season :
| Date | Event | SP | SP | FS | FS | Total | Total |
| Date | Event | P | Score | P | Score | P | Score |
| 8–11 Sep 2015 | 2015 Santa Claus Cup | 5 | 46.51 | 9 | 75.95 | 8 | 122.46 |
Results in the 2016–17 season :
| Date | Event | SP | SP | FS | FS | Total | Total |
| Date | Event | P | Score | P | Score | P | Score |
| 8–11 Sep 2016 | 2016 JGP Japan | 12 | 53.64 | 12 | 102.04 | 13 | 155.68 |
| 5–8 Oct 2016 | 2016 JGP Germany | 11 | 54.78 | 10 | 114.37 | 9 | 169.15 |
| 13–19 Mar 2017 | 2017 World Junior Championships | 27 | 53.92 | — | — | 27 | 53.92 |
Results in the 2017–18 season :
| Date | Event | SP | SP | FS | FS | Total | Total |
| Date | Event | P | Score | P | Score | P | Score |
| 23–26 Aug 2017 | 2017 JGP Australia | 9 | 51.61 | 5 | 121.80 | 7 | 173.41 |
| 5–11 Mar 2018 | 2018 World Junior Championships | 19 | 61.37 | 22 | 107.31 | 21 | 168.68 |
Results in the 2018–19 season :
| Date | Event | SP | SP | FS | FS | Total | Total |
| Date | Event | P | Score | P | Score | P | Score |
| 22–25 Aug 2018 | 2018 JGP Slovakia | 11 | 58.09 | 11 | 107.60 | 11 | 165.69 |