# Jari Kessler

Jari Kessler (born 29 November 1996) is a Croatian and Italian figure skater. For Croatia, he is the 2020 NRW Trophy champion, 2022 Jegvirag Cup silver medalist, 2022 Merano Ice Trophy bronze medalist, and four-time Croatian national champion (2020, 2023–25). He represented Italy until spring 2019, winning three senior international medals.

## Personal life

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

## Career
### Early career and skating for Italy

Kessler began figure skating in 2009. His first skating coach was Ludmila Mladenova. 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.
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.
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.

### 2019–20 season

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

#### 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.

#### 2021–22 season

Kessler started the season by competing on the 2021–22 ISU Challenger Series, finishing fifteenth at the 2021 CS Nebelhorn, 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.
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.

#### 2022–23 season

Kessler began the season by competing at the 2022 CS Nebelhorn Trophy, where he finished sixth. He would then go on to win gold at the 2023 Croatian Championships.
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.
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.
Making his World Championship debut at the 2023 World Championships in Saitama, Japan, Kessler finished thirty-first.

#### 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.
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.
Kessler subsequently competed at the 2024 Bavarian Open and the 2024 Merano Cup, finishing ninth and seventh, respectively.
Selected to compete at the 2024 World Championships in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, Kessler would finish in twenty-ninth place.

#### 2024–25 season

Kessler began the season with a twelfth-place finish at the 2024 CS Nebelhorn Trophy.

## Programs

| Season | Short program | Free skating | Exhibition |
| 2024–2025 | In This Shirt by The Irrepressibles choreo. by Elisabetta Leccardi | November by Max Richter Spiegel im Spiegel by Arvo Pärt performed by Angèle Dubeau choreo. by Ekaterina Ivleva | Volevo essere un duro by Lucio Corsi |
| 2023–2024 | Angela by The Lumineers choreo. by Drew Meekins | November by Max Richter Spiegel im Spiegel by Arvo Pärt performed by Angèle Dubeau choreo. by Ekaterina Ivleva | |
| 2022–2023 | Angela by The Lumineers choreo. by Drew Meekins | The Home of Dark Butterflies Forgiveness Memories in Water Spring Arrives by Panu Aaltio choreo. by Barbara Riboldi | |
| 2021–2022 | Mess Is Mine by Vance Joy arranged by Hugo Chouinard choreo. by Benoît Richaud | The Scent of Love (from The Piano) by Michael Nyman arranged by Hugo Chouinard choreo. by Barbara Riboldi | |

## Competitive highlights

* JGP – Event of the ISU Junior Grand Prix Series
* CS – Event of the ISU Challenger Series

### Single skating (for Croatia)

Competition placements at senior level :
| Season | 2019–20 | 2020–21 | 2021–22 | 2022–23 | 2023–24 | 2024–25 |
| World Championships | | | | 21st | 29th | TBD |
| European Championships | | | 31st | 19th | 27th | 34th |
| Croatian Championships | 1st | | | 1st | 1st | 1st |
| CS Budapest Trophy | | 7th | 7th | | | |
| CS Golden Spin of Zagreb | | | 19th | | 11th | |
| CS Ice Challenge | | | 13th | | | |
| CS Nebelhorn Trophy | | | 15th | 6th | | 12th |
| Bavarian Open | | | | | 9th | |
| Bellu Memorial | | | 5th | 1st | | 2nd |
| Challenge Cup | | 12th | | | | |
| Dragon Trophy | | | | 3rd | | |
| Jégvirág Cup | | | 2nd | | | |
| Merano Ice Trophy | | | 3rd | | 7th | |
| NRW Trophy | | 1st | | | 3rd | |
| Tallink Hotels Cup | | | | 4th | | |
| Tirnavia Ice Cup | | | | | 3rd | |
| Volvo Open Cup | | | | | | 3rd |

### Single skating (for Italy)

Competition placements at senior level :
| Season | 2015–16 | 2016–17 | 2017–18 | 2018–19 |
| Italian Championships | | 4th | 8th | 5th |
| CS Alpen Trophy | | | | 16th |
| CS Golden Spin of Zagreb | | | 18th | |
| Challenge Cup | | | 7th | |
| Coupe de Printemps | | | 10th | |
| Cup of Tyrol | 6th | 14th | | |
| Dragon Trophy | | | | 6th |
| Egna Spring Trophy | 5th | | 3rd | 5th |
| Golden Bear of Zagreb | | 8th | | 3rd |
| Hellmut Seibt Memorial | 11th | | | |
| Merano Cup | | 11th | | |
| Mentor Cup | 6th | 15th | 3rd | 9th |
| Santa Claus Cup | | 8th | | |
Competition placements at junior level :
| Season | 2012–13 | 2013–14 | 2014–15 | 2015–16 |
| Italian Championships | | 14th | 11th | 4th |
| Bavarian Open | | | 8th | |
| Crystal Skate of Romania | | | 4th | |
| Denkova-Staviski Cup | | | 4th | |
| Dragon Trophy | 5th | | | |
| Golden Bear of Zagreb | | | | 2nd |
| Leu Scheu Memorial | | | | 9th |
| Lombardia Trophy | 10th | | | |
| Merano Cup | | | 6th | |
| Santa Claus Cup | | | | 4th |
| Sportland Trophy | | | 4th | |

## Detailed results

ISU personal best scores in the +5/-5 GOE System :
| Segment | Type | Score | Event |
| Total | TSS | 197.99 | 2022 CS Nebelhorn Trophy |
| Short program | TSS | 72.97 | 2022 CS Nebelhorn Trophy |
| Short program | TES | 36.57 | 2021 CS Nebelhorn Trophy |
| Short program | PCS | 37.08 | 2022 CS Nebelhorn Trophy |
| Free skating | TSS | 125.60 | 2021 CS Cup of Austria |
| Free skating | TES | 59.42 | 2021 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb |
| Free skating | PCS | 70.80 | 2021 CS Cup of Austria |
ISU personal best scores in the +3/-3 GOE System :
| Segment | Type | Score | Event |
| Total | TSS | 151.94 | 2017 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb |
| Short program | TSS | 50.87 | 2017 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb |
| Short program | TES | 21.67 | 2017 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb |
| Short program | PCS | 30.20 | 2017 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb |
| Free skating | TSS | 101.07 | 2017 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb |
| Free skating | TES | 46.57 | 2017 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb |
| Free skating | PCS | 56.50 | 2017 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb |
Results in the 2024–25 season :
| Date | Event | SP | SP | FS | FS | Total | Total |
| Date | Event | P | Score | P | Score | P | Score |
| Sep 19–21, 2024 | 2024 CS Nebelhorn Trophy | 12 | 69.59 | 13 | 122.14 | 12 | 191.73 |
| Dec 21–22, 2024 | 2025 Croatian Championships | 1 | 49.41 | 1 | 95.86 | 1 | 145.27 |
| Jan 16-19, 2025 | 2025 Volvo Open Cup | 3 | 63.90 | 2 | 115.39 | 3 | 179.29 |
| Jan 28 – Feb 2, 2025 | 2025 European Championships | 34 | 50.83 | — | — | 34 | 50.83 |
| Feb 18–23, 2025 | 2025 Bellu Memorial | 3 | 68.35 | 2 | 141.31 | 2 | 209.66 |