Barbara Fusar Poli

Barbara Fusar Poli was an ice skater, and began skating with Maurizio Margaglio in 1994, establishing themselves as the first big ice dance duo in Italy. At national level they were Italian champions nine consecutive times from 1995-2002 and during that time they also won significant international honors.

In 2000, Fusar Poli and Margaglio won a silver medal at both the European Championships in Wien and the World Championships in Nice to become the first Italian ice dancers to win a medal at these championships. On both occasions they finished behind the French couple Marina Anissina and Gwendal Peizerat, and this would be the start a long, and occasionally controversial, rivalry. The Italians won both the European title in Bratislava and World title in Vancouver in 2001, with the French couple in second place on both occasions.

Fusar Poli and Margaglio won another silver medal at the 2002 European Championships in Lausanne, and at the Salt Lake City Olympic Games the Italian skaters finished third in a competition embroiled in a judging scandal. They announced their retirement shortly afterwards. After a few years away from the sport, however, during which time Barbara had a baby with her husband, Olympic speed skater Diego Cattani, Fusar Poli and Margaglio teamed up again at the end of 2005 with the sole purpose of competing in the 2006 Torino Games and hopefully winning gold on “home soil”.

The Olympic final started in the best possible way, with the Italian duo leading after the compulsory dance, but they fell twice in the final stages of the original set pattern program, and their medal dream faded away. The long look of disappointment on Fusar Poli’s face as she refused to look at Margaglio at the end of the routine spoke volumes. They eventually finished a disappointing sixth, and in July that year announced their retirement from the sport for good.

Fusar Poli had the following placements at major international championships - Dance: 1993 World Championships (22nd); 1994 World Championships (17th); 1994 European Championships (17th) (with Alberto Reani (a non-Olympian) [ITA]). 1996 World Championships (10th); 1997 World Championships (9th); 1998 World Championships (5th); 1999 World Championships (5th); 2000 World Championships (2nd); 1995 European Championships (10th); 1996 European Championships (8th); 1997 European Championships (7th); 1998 European Championships (5th); 1999 European Championships (4th); 2000 European Championships (2nd); 2001 European Championships (1st); 2002 European Championships (1st); 2002 European Championships (2nd); 2002 European Championships (2nd); 2002 European Championships (2nd) (with Maurizio Margaglio [ITA]).