Michael Chrastecky

Michael Chrastecky (born 19 July 1999) is a Czech-born Slovenian–Italian ice dancer. With his former skating partner, Carolina Portesi Peroni, he is the 2023 Italian national bronze medalist, a two-time Italian junior national champion (2020 & 2021) and competed in the final segment at the 2020 World Junior Championships. In September 2021, at the qualifications for the 2022 Winter Olympics, they placed as the third reserve. Chrastecky speaks six languages, he is fluent in English, Czech, Italian, and Slovene, French and Bosnian. He is living in Switzerland.

Competing for Slovenia with his former skating partner, Mina Švajger, he is the 2016 Slovenian junior national champion.

Early years in Sarajevo
Michael Chrastecky was born on 19 July 1999 in Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic to Czech parents. In 2001 his family relocated to Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. He began skating at the age of six in the Zetra Olympic Hall. His first coach in figure skating was Karlo Požgajčić. In 2005, he started to attend elementary school in Sarajevo.

Childhood in Ljubljana
In 2007 his parents relocated to Ljubljana, Slovenia. He was coached by Manja Robič-Zima, Silvo Švajger and Gordana Smrekar. During the summer months, he took part in summer camps with the coach Vladimir Dvojnikov in Trenčín, Slovakia and Ostrava, Czechia. In 2015, he switched to ice dance teaming up with Mina Švajger. He attended the Danila Kumar International School and the Bežigrad Grammar School. In May 2017 he successfully completed the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme.

Career in Milan
In 2016, Michael relocated to Milan, Italy to pursue his career in ice dancing teaming up with Carolina Portesi Peroni. They were coached by Barbara Fusar Poli, Roberto Pelizzola, Lukáš Csölley and Corrado Giordani. Their training locations involved: the Mediolanum Forum in Assago Milan and Ice Lab Bergamo during the winther months, and Torre Pellice and Piazzatorre during the summer months. In 2020 they became Italian junior national champions. In 2021 they became junior national champions for the second time and also won the circuit of Gran Premio Italia 2020-21 (Italian Grand Prix of Figure Skating).

Michael Chrastecky became an Italian citizen in September 2021 via naturalization for sports merits, heading into the 2022 Winter Olympics qualifications.

In January 2023, Michael Chrastecky ended his partnership with Carolina Portesi Peroni.

Early career
Chrastecky initially competed as a singles skater representing Slovenia, winning the national novice title in 2013 and 2015. He later switched to ice dance and partnered with Mina Švajger. Švajger/Chrastecky debuted on the Junior Grand Prix in the 2015–16 season, placing twentieth at the 2015 JGP Austria and sixteenth at the 2015 JGP Croatia. The team split after one season.

Chrastecky next formed a partnership with Carolina Portesi Peroni representing Italy. Portesi Peroni/Chrastecky made their Junior Grand Prix debut at the 2017 JGP Italy, where they placed tenth. They did not return to the Junior Grand Prix the following season, competing instead at several minor, junior internationals and winning the bronze medal at the Italian junior national championships 2019.

2019–20 season
Returning to the Junior Grand Prix, Portesi Peroni/Chrastecky placed seventh at 2019 JGP France and ninth at 2019 JGP Croatia. They won a bronze medal at the junior competition at Golden Spin and then took the gold medal at the Italian junior national championships 2020 for the first time. They concluded the season making their debut at the 2020 World Junior Championships, where they finished in seventeenth place.

2020–21 season
With the coronavirus pandemic causing the cancellation of the international junior season, Portesi Peroni/Chrastecky won their second consecutive gold medal at the Italian junior national championships 2021.

2021–22 season
Making their international senior debut on the Challenger series, Portesi Peroni/Chrastecky placed eleventh on the 2021 CS Lombardia Trophy. They next competed at the 2021 CS Nebelhorn Trophy, seeking to qualify a second spot for Italy at the 2022 Winter Olympics. They placed eighth, making Italy the third reserve.

2022–23 season
They returned to compete after a six-month break from training, due to Carolina's knee surgery. They placed seventh at the 2022 CS Nepela Memorial, eighth at the CS Budapest Trophy, second at the 2022 Mezzaluna Cup, and second at the 2022 Pavel Roman Memorial. At the 2023 Italian Figure Skating Championships they took the bronze medal making them substitutes for the 2023 European Figure Skating Championships. In January 2023, Michael Chrastecky ended the partnership with Carolina Portesi Peroni.

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

Detailed results
ISU Personal best highlighted in bold.


 * With Portesi Peroni