Karel Zelenka

Karel Zelenka (born March 31, 1983) is a Czech-Italian former competitive figure skater. He is a five-time (2003–2007) Italian national champion and competed at the 2006 Winter Olympics. He qualified to the free skate at eleven ISU Championships – three World, three World Junior, and five European Championships – and finished in the top ten twice.

Karel Zelenka
Zelenka in 2007
Born (1983-03-31) March 31, 1983
Louny, Czechoslovakia
Height1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Figure skating career
CountryItaly
CoachKarel Zelenka Sr., Mirco Botta, Edoardo De Bernardis
Skating clubAgora Skating Team
Began skating1988
Retired2010

Personal life

Zelenka was born in 1983 in Louny, Czechoslovakia.[1] His father is a figure skating coach.[2] The family moved to Italy when the younger Zelenka was six years old.[2] He received Italian citizenship in January 2006.[3]

Career

Zelenka debuted on the ISU Junior Series (ISU Junior Grand Prix) in 1997. He won the Italian junior title in the 1998–99 season and was sent to his first ISU Championship – 1999 Junior Worlds in Zagreb, Croatia, where he finished 20th after qualifying to the final segment.

Zelenka placed 19th at the 2000 Junior Worlds in Oberstdorf, Germany, and 8th at the 2001 Junior Worlds in Sofia, Bulgaria. In October 2001, he won the silver medal at his JGP assignment in Poland.

Zelenka won the first of his five consecutive senior national titles in the 2002–03 season. He reached the free skate at the 2003 European Championships in Malmö but was eliminated after the short program at the 2003 World Championships in Washington, D.C.

Zelenka competed at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin; he placed 25th in the short program and missed qualifying to the free skate by one spot. He achieved his career-best ISU Championship placement, 7th, at the 2007 European Championships in Warsaw.

He trained in Milan, Italy; Oberstdorf, Germany; and Switzerland.[4][5][6]

Programs
Season Short program Free skating
2009–10
[1]
  • Burn the Floor
    • Cheek to Cheek
    • Let Yourself Go
    • Top Hat
    • White Tie and Tails
2008–09
[7]
  • Burn the Floor
    • Cheek to Cheek
    • Let Yourself Go
    • Top Hat
    • White Tie and Tails
2007–08
[8]
  • Blues for Klook
    by Eddy Louiss
2006–07
[9]
  • Blues for Klook
    by Eddy Louiss
2005–06
[3]
  • Alexander
    by Vangelis
2004–05
[10]
  • Elements
    by Frank Nimsgren
2003–04
[11]
  • Lord of the Dance
    by Ronan Hardiman
2002–03
[12]
  • Quixote
    by Magnus Fiennes
    performed by Bond
2000–01
[13]

Competitive highlights

GP: Grand Prix; JGP: Junior Grand Prix

International[14]
Event 98–99 99–00 00–01 01–02 02–03 03–04 04–05 05–06 06–07 07–08 08–09 09–10
Olympics25th
Worlds25th20th25th17th16th
Europeans19th16th19th7th15th23rd
GP Cup of China6th
GP Skate America10th12th
GP Skate Canada10th
Finlandia Trophy7th16th
Golden Spin10th4th6th
Nebelhorn Trophy5th
Nepela Memorial3rd
NRW Trophy13th
Schäfer Memorial4th
Triglav Trophy4th
International: Junior[14]
Junior Worlds20th19th8th
JGP Germany12th5th
JGP Italy6th
JGP Norway15th8th
JGP Poland2nd
JGP Slovakia14th
JGP Slovenia10th
National[14]
Italian Champ.1st J2nd2nd2nd1st1st1st1st1st2ndWD3rd
J = Junior level; WD = Withdrew

References
  1. "Karel ZELENKA: 2009/2010". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 13 November 2011.
  2. Mittan, Barry (2 February 2006). "Italy's Zelenka Aims for Olympics". SkateToday.
  3. "Karel ZELENKA: 2005/2006". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 15 June 2006.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  4. "Interview with Karel Zelenka". figureskating-online. 10 March 2008. Archived from the original on 16 March 2012.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  5. "Interview with Karel Zelenka, July 2008 in Oberstdorf". figureskating-online. 1 August 2008. Archived from the original on 16 March 2012.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  6. "Karel Zelenka: "my life without skates? Impossible"". ArtOnIce.it. 9 February 2007. Retrieved 3 January 2012.
  7. "Karel ZELENKA: 2008/2009". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 2 June 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  8. "Karel ZELENKA: 2007/2008". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 29 May 2008.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  9. "Karel ZELENKA: 2006/2007". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 2 July 2007.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  10. "Karel ZELENKA: 2004/2005". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 5 April 2005.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  11. "Karel ZELENKA: 2003/2004". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 6 June 2004.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  12. "Karel ZELENKA: 2002/2003". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 14 October 2003.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  13. "Karel ZELENKA: 2000/2001". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 26 April 2001.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  14. "Competition Results: Karel ZELENKA". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 7 March 2016.
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