Federica Faiella (born 1 February 1981) is an Italian former competitive ice dancer. With partner Massimo Scali, she is the 2010 World bronze medalist, a two-time (2009–2010) European silver medalist, and six-time (2003–2005, 2007–2009) Italian national champion. They also won eleven Grand Prix medals.

Career

Early career Faiella began skating at the age of ten. She competed with Luciano Milo, with whom she was the Junior Grand Prix Final champion in the 1997–1998 season. She and Scali trained at the same rink under the same coach. After Milo quit skating, she briefly partnered with a French skater.

Partnership with Scali

Faiella teamed up with Massimo Scali in 2001. Despite skating together for only a brief period of time, Faiella/Scali were able to qualify for the 2002 Winter Olympics, where they finished 18th.

In their second season of competition together, Faiella/Scali won Italian nationals for the first time, and placed in the top ten at the European Championships. A year later, they moved into the top ten at Worlds. In the years leading up to the 2006 Winter Olympics, they continued to make steady progress up the ranks. Prior to the 2005–06 Olympic season, Barbara Fusar-Poli / Maurizio Margaglio, who won bronze for Italy at the 2002 Games, returned to the eligible ranks. Faiella/Scali became the second Italian team, and finished outside the top ten at the Olympics after a fall in the original dance.

Following the season, they made a coaching change and relocated to the United States to work with Pasquale Camerlengo and Anjelika Krylova at the Detroit Skating Club in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. They had an up and down season in 2006–07 but enjoyed good results in 2007–08, including a fourth place at the Europeans and a fifth-place finish at Worlds.

In the 2008–09 season, Faiella/Scali finished second at the Trophee Eric Bompard and won their first Grand Prix event, the 2008 NHK Trophy. This qualified them for their first Grand Prix final, where they finished fourth. They won their first European medal, a silver, behind Russians Jana Khokhlova / Sergei Novitski. At the 2009 World Championships, a fall in the original dance ended their hopes of medal contention, and they finished eighth.

In the 2009–10 Olympic season, Faiella/Scali began their season with a bronze medal at the 2009 Cup of China. They withdrew from their next Grand Prix event due to Faiella's illness. At the 2010 Europeans, they won both the original dance and the free dance on their way to their second European silver medal. They finished fifth at the Olympics. Faiella became ill after the Olympics and returned to the ice only four days before the World Championships. The duo won their first world medal, a bronze, in Turin.

At the 2010 World Championships, Faiella/Scali announced that they would return for another season. Their assigned Grand Prix events were the Cup of China and the Cup of Russia. Visa problems delayed their training in the U.S. and Faiella had recurring back problems. They again finished third at the 2010 Cup of China after Scali tripped on Faiella's skirts in both programs. They withdrew from the 2010 Cup of Russia prior to the free dance due to Scali's back injury. At the 2011 European Championships, they placed ninth in the short dance but moved up to fifth after the free dance. This was their final competitive event.

On March 15, 2011, Scali announced on the team's website that they were retiring from competitive skating and that he would work with coach and choreographer Pasquale Camerlengo's team at the Detroit Skating Club. However, in May 2011, after it became clear that Faiella's healing process was progressing better than expected, they announced through their official website that they would in fact continue to skate competitively. The comeback attempt ended after Faiella injured her back, and in 2012 Scali confirmed that they would not return to competitive skating.

Personal life In 2011, Faiella began working as a policewoman in Italy.

Programs

(with Scali) Season Short dance Free dance Exhibition 2010–2011 My Fair Lady: "On the Street Where You Live" (instrumental) I could have danced all night The rain in Spain Manolete by Pepe Romero: Que se ven desde el conquero De mi vera te fuistes Quel posto che non c'è by Negramaro Original dance 2009–2010 Italian folk:

Tarantella Pizzicata Gli Emigranti by Nino Rota Quel posto che non c'è by Negramaro 2008–2009 Follow the Fleet Let's Face the Music and Dance Let Yourself Go Moonlight Sonata by Ludwig van Beethoven By Missy Elliott: Past that Duch The Rain Lose Control 2007–2008 Pizzica Salentina Lu Rusciu de lu Mare Santo Poulo by Suono Salento Yentl composed by Michel Legrand sung by Barbra Streisand 2006–2007 Tanguera performed by Sexteto Mayor Pantera en Liberta by Mónica Naranjo Elisa 2005–2006 Cha Cha "Pata Pata" Rhumba Samba The Mission by Ennio Morricone The Mission

Carmina Burana

Elisa

La traviata 2004–2005 How Can I Live to Another Day by Frank Sinatra Girls, Girls, Girls By Aretha Franklin: Spirit in the Dark (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman Think Ice Cube

Carmina Burana

Romanza by Andrea Bocelli 2003–2004 Hafanana by Afric Simone Minnie the Moocher (from Blues Brothers soundtrack) Hafanana by Afric Simone Libertango by Astor Piazzolla Orchestra disco soledad Uno (from A Passion for Tango) Libertango by Astor Piazzolla Orchestra disco soledad Big Spender 2002–2003 Die Fledermaus by Johann Strauss II Ayer by Gloria Estefan Demasiado by Willy Deville Volveras by Gloria Estefan Demasiado by Willy Deville 2001–2002 Scott & Fran's Paso Doble (from Strictly Ballroom OST) by David Hirschfelder & Bogo Pogo Orchestra The Fencing Lesson by Marc Anthony Scott & Fran's Paso Doble (from Strictly Ballroom OST) by David Hirschfelder & Bogo Pogo Orchestra Four Seasons by Antonio Vivaldi performed by Boston Pops Orchestra Por una cabeza

Competitive highlights

With Scali

Results International Event 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 Olympics 18th 13th 5th Worlds 16th 11th 9th 9th 8th 9th 5th 8th 3rd Europeans 12th 8th 6th 5th 7th 6th 4th 2nd 2nd 5th Grand Prix Final 4th GP Bompard 5th 3rd 3rd 2nd GP Cup of China 6th 3rd 3rd 3rd GP Cup of Russia 5th 5th 3rd WD GP NHK Trophy 1st GP Skate America 4th 3rd GP Skate Canada 7th 5th 3rd Bofrost Cup 3rd Karl Schäfer 2nd Nebelhorn 2nd 1st National Italian Champ. 2nd 1st 1st 1st 2nd 1st 1st 1st 1st WD GP = Grand Prix; WD = Withdrew

With Milo Results International Event 1996–1997 1997–1998 1998–1999 1999–2000 Worlds WD Europeans 11th GP Sparkassen 5th Finlandia 2nd International: Junior Junior Worlds 7th 2nd 2nd JGP Final 1st 2nd JGP Bulgaria 1st JGP Germany 2nd 2nd JGP Mexico 1st St. Gervais 2nd EYOF 1st Autumn Trophy 4th National Italian Champ. 2nd J. 1st J. 1st J. 2nd GP = Grand Prix; JGP = Junior Grand Prix J. = Junior level; WD = Withdrew

References

External links