# Maurizio Zandron

Maurizio Zandron (born 15 November 1992) is an Italian-born figure skater who currently competes for Austria; he previously represented Italy until 2018. He is the winner of several medals in international competition, including gold at the 2016 Denkova-Staviski Cup, 2018 Bavarian Open, and 2018 Sofia Trophy. Additionally, Zandron is a six-time Austrian national champion (2019–21, 2023–25).

## Personal life

Maurizio Zandron was born on 15 November 1992 in Bolzano, Italy. He has an economics degree from Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Milan. Owing to his maternal great-grandmother's roots, he obtained Austrian citizenship in July 2018. His brother, Marco, competes in pair skating for Spain.

## Career
### Early years

Zandron began learning to skate in 2000. His early coaches included Melita Dona and Gabriele Minchio. His ISU Junior Grand Prix debut came in 2007. He made his first senior international appearance in early April 2010 at the Triglav Trophy. By the 2010–2011 season, he was training under Viktoria Andreeva in Bolzano and Merano.

### 2011–16

Cristina Mauri became Zandron's coach in the 2011–2012 season. He represented Italy at the 2012 World Junior Championships in Minsk, Belarus; he qualified to the final segment and finished 20th overall.
His first senior international medal, silver, came at the Denkova-Staviski Cup in December 2012. Italy initially selected him to compete at the 2013 European Championships but then decided to name Paolo Bacchini.
Zandron took bronze at the 2013 Crystal Skate of Romania, bronze at the 2015 Triglav Trophy, silver at the 2016 Cup of Tyrol, and silver at the 2016 Triglav Trophy.

### 2016–17 season

Zandron trained in Italy with Mauri and also spent time in Barrie, Ontario, Canada, where he was coached by Doug Leigh. He won his first senior international title at the Denkova-Staviski Cup in October 2016 and followed up with silver at the Merano Cup. Italy assigned him to compete at the 2017 European Championships in Ostrava, Czech Republic. Ranked 18th in the short program, he advanced to the free skate and would finish 19th overall.

### 2017–18 season

Zandron won silver at the Volvo Open Cup, silver at the Santa Claus Cup, gold at the Bavarian Open, and gold at the Sofia Trophy. He also won his fourth national bronze medal.

### 2018–19 season

Zandron received an invitation to his first Grand Prix event, the 2018 Rostelecom Cup, but had to decline due to his decision to change countries. In July 2018, an Italian newspaper reported that he would represent Austria and that, as a result, he was not allowed to compete until 12 February 2019. He planned to continue training in Milan with Cristina Mauri and to also train in Innsbruck under Claudia Houdek.

### 2019–20 season

Zandron was assigned to make his World Championship debut in Montreal, but the 2020 World Championships were cancelled as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

### 2020–21 season

With the initial assignments for the new season limited by pandemic-related travel restrictions, Zandron attended the 2020 CS Nebelhorn Trophy with other skaters training in Europe. He placed fourth. He went on to place fifth at the 2020 CS Budapest Trophy, and fourth at the Tallink Hotels Cup. Assigned to the 2021 World Championships in Stockholm, he placed twenty-ninth.

### 2021–22 season

Zandron began the season at the 2021 CS Lombardia Trophy, where he placed thirteenth. He placed fourteenth at the 2021 CS Nebelhorn Trophy, insufficient to earn a place for Austria at the 2022 Winter Olympics. He went on to place sixth at the Cup of Nice and fifth at the 2021 CS Cup of Austria.
After winning silver at the Austrian championships, he was seventeenth at the 2022 European Championships and seventeenth as well at the 2022 World Championships.

### 2022–23 season

Zandron won the Crystal Skate and placed ninth at the 2022 CS Ice Challenge before being invited to make his Grand Prix debut at the 2022 NHK Trophy. He finished eleventh of twelve skaters in Sapporo. Austrian champion again, he finished eleventh at the 2023 European Championships and twenty-fourth at the 2023 World Championships.

## Programs

| Season | Short program | Free skating |
| 2022–23 | Earth Song by Michael Jackson | Adagio For Strings by David Zinman, Orchestra Sinfonica di Baltimora |
| 2021–22 | Earth Song by Michael Jackson Save Us by Armand Amar | Alice in Wonderland by Danny Elfman |
| 2020–21 | Earth Song by Michael Jackson | Alice in Wonderland by Danny Elfman |
| 2019–20 | That's Life by Dean Kay, Kelly Gordon performed by Shawn James In the Swing performed by the Imperial Swing Orchestra | Alice in Wonderland by Danny Elfman |
| 2016–17 | The Feeling Begins by Peter Gabriel Best of Belly Beats by Istanbul Grooves | The Artist by Ludovic Bource |
| 2011–12 | Tron: Legacy by Daft Punk | Cirque du Soleil Incantation Carrousel |
| 2010–11 | Belly Dance by Edvin Marton Hibi Haba by Edvin Marton | Cirque du Soleil Incantation Carrousel |

## Competitive highlights
### Single skating (for Austria)

* GP – Event of the ISU Grand Prix Series
* JGP – Event of the ISU Junior Grand Prix Series
* CS – Event of the ISU Challenger Series
* C – Event was cancelled
Competition placements at senior level :
| Season | 2018–19 | 2019–20 | 2020–21 | 2021–22 | 2022–23 | 2023–24 | 2024–25 |
| World Championships | | C | 29th | 17th | 24th | 27th | TBD |
| European Championships | | 28th | | 17th | 11th | 17th | 26th |
| Austrian Championships | 1st | 1st | 1st | 2nd | 1st | 1st | 1st |
| GP NHK Trophy | | | | | 11th | | |
| CS Budapest Trophy | | | 5th | | | | |
| CS Golden Spin of Zagreb | | | | | | 4th | 9th |
| CS Ice Challenge | | | | 5th | 9th | | |
| CS Lombardia Trophy | | 9th | | 13th | | | |
| CS Nebelhorn Trophy | | 10th | 4th | 14th | | | |
| CS Warsaw Cup | | | | | | 5th | 7th |
| Bavarian Open | | 6th | | | | | |
| Bellu Memorial | | | | 3rd | | | |
| Bosphorus Cup | | 3rd | | | | | |
| Challenge Cup | 6th | | | | 7th | | |
| Coupe du Printemps | 3rd | | | | | | |
| Crystal Skate of Romania | | | | | 1st | | |
| Cup of Tyrol | 2nd | | | | | | |
| Denkova-Staviski Cup | | 1st | | | | 1st | 2nd |
| Egna Spring Trophy | 4th | | | | | | |
| Halloween Cup | | 4th | | | | | |
| Merano Ice Trophy | | | | | | 4th | |
| Santa Claus Cup | | 2nd | | | | | |
| Skate Celje | | | | 1st | | | |
| Skate Victoria | 1st | | | | | | |
| Sofia Trophy | | 3rd | | 1st | | | |
| Tallink Hotels Cup | | | 4th | | | | |
| Tayside Trophy | | | | 1st | 1st | 1st | 1st |
| Trophée Métropole Nice | | | | 6th | | | |
| Volvo Open Cup | | 7th | | | | | |

### Single skating (for Italy)

Competition placements at senior level :
| Season | 2009–10 | 2010–11 | 2011–12 | 2012–13 | 2013–14 | 2014–15 | 2015–16 | 2016–17 | 2017–18 |
| European Championships | | | | | | | | 19th | |
| Italian Championships | | 7th | 6th | 3rd | 4th | | 3rd | 3rd | 3rd |
| CS Golden Spin of Zagreb | | | | | | | 16th | | |
| CS Ice Star | | | | | | | | | 8th |
| CS Lombardia Trophy | | | | | 5th | | | | 13th |
| CS Tallinn Trophy | | | | | | | 9th | 5th | 6th |
| Autumn Classic | | | | | | | 5th | | |
| Bavarian Open | | | 8th | 19th | | | 4th | | 1st |
| Challenge Cup | | | | 10th | | | | | |
| Coupe du Printemps | | | | | | 6th | | | |
| Crystal Skate of Romania | | | 10th | 6th | 3rd | | | | |
| Cup of Tyrol | | | | | | | 2nd | 7th | |
| Denkova-Staviski Cup | | | | 2nd | | | | 1st | |
| Gardena Spring Trophy | | | 4th | 6th | | | | | |
| Hellmut Seibt Memorial | | | | | | 8th | | | |
| Mentor Toruń Cup | | | | | | 6th | | | |
| Merano Cup | | | | | 4th | | 5th | 2nd | |
| Santa Claus Cup | | | | | | | | | 2nd |
| Sofia Trophy | | | | | | | | | 1st |
| Triglav Trophy | 10th | | 4th | 6th | | 3rd | 2nd | | |
| Winter Universiade | | | | | 26th | 18th | | 13th | |
| Volvo Open Cup | | | | | | | | | 2nd |
| Warsaw Cup | | | | 12th | | | | | |
Competition placements at junior level :
| Season | 2005–06 | 2006–07 | 2007–08 | 2008–09 | 2009–10 | 2010–11 | 2011–12 |
| World Junior Championships | | | | | | | 20th |
| Italian Championships | 3rd | 2nd | 2nd | | 3rd | | |
| JGP Austria | | | | | | | 7th |
| JGP Croatia | | | 22nd | | | | |
| JGP Czech Republic | | | | | | 10th | |
| JGP Great Britain | | | | | | 17th | |
| JGP Italy | | | | 28th | | | 8th |
| Cup of Nice | | | | | | | 4th |
| Merano Cup | | | 2nd | | 7th | | |
| Mont Blanc Trophy | | | | | | 4th | |
| NRW Trophy | | | | | 8th | 11th | 3rd |

## Detailed results

ISU personal best scores in the +5/-5 GOE System :
| Segment | Type | Score | Event |
| Total | TSS | 228.27 | 2022 World Championships |
| Short program | TSS | 83.10 | 2022 World Championships |
| Short program | TES | 44.02 | 2022 World Championships |
| Short program | PCS | 39.08 | 2022 World Championships |
| Free skating | TSS | 145.17 | 2022 World Championships |
| Free skating | TES | 72.16 | 2023 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb |
| Free skating | PCS | 76.00 | 2022 World Championships |
ISU personal best scores in the +3/-3 GOE System :
| Segment | Type | Score | Event |
| Total | TSS | 205.03 | 2017 CS Minsk-Arena Ice Star |
| Short program | TSS | 74.19 | 2017 CS Minsk-Arena Ice Star |
| Short program | TES | 40.44 | 2017 CS Minsk-Arena Ice Star |
| Short program | PCS | 33.75 | 2017 CS Minsk-Arena Ice Star |
| Free skating | TSS | 135.22 | 2016 CS Tallinn Trophy |
| Free skating | TES | 68.20 | 2016 CS Tallinn Trophy |
| Free skating | PCS | 70.00 | 2017 CS Minsk-Arena Ice Star |

### Single skating (for Austria)

Results in the 2023–24 season :
| Date | Event | SP | SP | FS | FS | Total | Total |
| Date | Event | P | Score | P | Score | P | Score |
| Oct 14–15, 2023 | 2023 Tayside Trophy | 1 | 75.87 | 1 | 140.41 | 1 | 216.28 |
| Nov 7–12, 2023 | 2023 Denkova-Staviski Cup | 3 | 61.80 | 1 | 141.42 | 1 | 203.22 |
| Nov 16–19, 2023 | 2023 CS Warsaw Cup | 7 | 70.25 | 5 | 137.34 | 5 | 207.59 |
| Dec 6–9, 2023 | 2023 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb | 7 | 64.63 | 4 | 139.59 | 4 | 204.22 |
| Dec 13–17, 2023 | 2024 Austrian Championships | 1 | 74.32 | 1 | 150.02 | 1 | 224.34 |
| Jan 8–14, 2024 | 2024 European Championships | 22 | 65.47 | 16 | 137.44 | 17 | 202.91 |
| Feb 22–25, 2024 | 2024 Merano Ice Trophy | 4 | 71.21 | 3 | 135.72 | 4 | 206.93 |
| Mar 18–24, 2024 | 2024 World Championships | 27 | 69.59 | — | — | 27 | 69.59 |
Results in the 2024–25 season :
| Date | Event | SP | SP | FS | FS | Total | Total |
| Date | Event | P | Score | P | Score | P | Score |
| Oct 12–13, 2024 | 2024 Tayside Trophy | 1 | 70.54 | 2 | 138.74 | 1 | 209.28 |
| Nov 5-10, 2024 | 2024 Denkova-Staviski Cup | 3 | 70.61 | 2 | 146.47 | 2 | 217.08 |
| Nov 20–24, 2024 | 2024 CS Warsaw Cup | 7 | 65.88 | 6 | 135.73 | 7 | 201.61 |
| Dec 4–7, 2024 | 2024 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb | 9 | 70.32 | 9 | 128.51 | 9 | 198.83 |
| Dec 11–15, 2024 | 2025 Austrian Championships | 1 | 61.67 | 1 | 136.36 | 1 | 198.03 |
| Jan 28 – Feb 2, 2025 | 2025 European Championships | 26 | 63.79 | — | — | 26 | 63.79 |