Ivan Righini

Ivan Righini, previously Ivan Vadimovich Bariev (, born 16 April 1991) is a retired Italian competitive figure skater and current choreographer. He is a two-time Bavarian Open champion and a four-time Italian national champion. He has reached the free skate at four ISU Championships, achieving his best result, sixth, at the 2016 Europeans.

Competed for Russia as Ivan Bariev, he won four silver medals on the ISU Junior Grand Prix series, two Russian junior national titles, and bronze at the 2011 Golden Spin of Zagreb.

Personal life 
Ivan Bariev was born on 16 April 1991 in Moscow, Russia. In 2013, he adopted his mother's former surname, Righini. In addition to Russian, he also holds Italian citizenship. His brother, Filip, is ten years younger.

Career

Early career 
Bariev began learning to skate in 1994. He debuted on the ISU Junior Grand Prix (JGP) series in September 2007, winning silver medals in Romania and Croatia. In late October 2007, he underwent surgery on the meniscus in his right knee. He finished seventh at both the JGP Final and the 2008 World Junior Championships.

The following season, Bariev was awarded silver medals at JGP events in the Czech Republic and South Africa. He finished fourth at the JGP Final. His first senior international medal, bronze, came at the 2011 Golden Spin of Zagreb. He made his final competitive appearances for Russia in late October 2012, at the Cup of Nice.

2013–14 season 
In 2013, Righini stated his intention to compete for Italy. He received the Russian federation's permission in May 2013. The International Skating Union requires that skaters who change federations sit out a certain period of time. For Righini, this period ended on 29 October 2013.

Righini debuted for Italy at the 2013 Merano Cup, placing fifth, and then won bronze at the 2013 Golden Spin of Zagreb. After winning the men's title at the 2014 Italian Championships, he took gold at the 2014 Bavarian Open. Righini was selected for the 2014 World Championships in Saitama, Japan. Placing 14th in the short program, he qualified for the free skate, in which he placed twelfth, and finished thirteenth overall.

2014–15 season 
Righini opened the 2014–15 figure skating season with an eighth-place finish at the 2014 CS Nebelhorn Trophy.

He then went on to make his Grand Prix debut. He received assignments to the 2014 Rostelecom Cup and 2014 NHK Trophy, then placed eleventh and tenth, respectively. Righini went on to finish seventh at the 2014 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb.

At the 2015 Italian Championships, Righini won a second consecutive gold medal. He then won gold at the 2014 International Challenge Cup.

Righini then finished eighth and twenty-fifth at the 2015 European Championships and 2015 World Championships, respectively.

2015–16 season 
Righini planned to start the 2015-16 season at the 2015 Nepela Trophy, but had to withdraw due to a foot injury. He withdrew from the 2015 Cup of Nice after the short program since his blade was broken during the warm-up.

Righini then went on to compete on the Grand Prix series at the 2015 Cup of China and the 2015 Rostelecom Cup, where he placed tenth and eighth, respectively.

At the 2015 CS Warsaw Cup, Righini would go on to place sixth. 

At the 2016 Italian Championships, Righini went on to win his third consecutive title as well as also win gold at the 2016 Bavarian Open.

Righini then went on to place sixth at the 2016 Europeans and twelfth at the 2016 World Championships.

2016–17 season 
Righini opened the 2016–17 figure skating season with a tenth-place finish at the 2016 CS Finlandia Trophy and an eleventh-place finish at the 2016 Trophée de France.

He then went on to win his fourth consecutive national title at the 2017 Italian Championships. 

Righini was selected to compete at the 2017 Winter Universiade where he placed fifth.

He would then go to place twelfth at the 2017 European Championships. Although selected to compete at the 2017 World Championships, Righini withdrew due to a long-term nagging injury. He was replaced by Matteo Rizzo.

2017–18 season 
Righini began the 2017–18 figure skating season with an eleventh-place finish at the 2017 CS Lombardia Trophy and fourth-place finish at the 2017 CS Minsk-Arena Ice Star. He then went on to place fifth at the 2017 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb.

At the 2018 Italian Championships, Righini won the silver medal behind Matteo Rizzo. As a result, Rizzo was given the sole Italian men's spot at the 2018 Winter Olympics.

Righini retired from competitive figure skating following that season.

Post-competitive career 
Following his retirement, Righini became a coach and choreographer. In fall of 2022, he announced that he had begun coaching at the Amodio Figure Skating Academy in Vaujany, France, alongside Florent Amodio. He currently coaches Luc Economides.

As a choreographer, Righini has worked with:
 Başar Oktar
 Georgii Reshtenko
 Mikhail Shaidorov
 Ekaterina Kurakova
 Vladimir Samoilov
 Kimmy Repond
 Maria Pavlova / Alexei Sviatchenko

Programs

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

For Italy

For Russia

References

External links

  
 

Italian male single skaters
Russian male single skaters
Russian emigrants to Italy
1991 births
Living people
Figure skaters from Moscow
Competitors at the 2011 Winter Universiade
Competitors at the 2017 Winter Universiade