Michal Březina

Michal Březina
Březina on the podium at 2018 Skate America
Born (1990-03-30) 30 March 1990 (age 33)
Brno, Czechoslovakia
Height1.72 m (5 ft 8 in)
Figure skating career
CountryCzech Republic Czech Republic
CoachRafael Arutyunyan, Vera Arutyunyan, Nadezhda Kanaeva
Skating clubVSK Technika Brn
Began skating1997
RetiredFebruary 8, 2022

Michal Březina (Czech pronunciation: [ˈmɪxal ˈbr̝ɛzɪna]; born 30 March 1990) is a retired Czech figure skater. He is the 2013 European bronze medalist, 2011 Skate America champion, 2009 World Junior silver medalist and four-time Czech national champion. He also won the 2014-15 ISU Challenger Series. Michal represented the Czech Republic at the 2010, 2014, 2018, and 2022 Winter Olympics.

Personal life

Michal Březina was born on 30 March 1990 in Brno. He is the son of Edita Březinová and Rudolf Březina, a figure skating coach. His younger sister, Eliška Březinová, competes in ladies' single skating. He intends to study sports at university and eventually become a skating coach.

Březina was the best man at the wedding of Anna Cappellini and Ondřej Hotárek in the summer of 2015.

On 19 May 2015, Brezina announced his engagement to his girlfriend, fellow figure skater Danielle Montalbano. They were married on 10 June 2017, at the Royalton.

Career

Březina at the 2009 Skate Canada

Early years

Březina was initially interested in ice hockey after watching the 1998 Winter Olympics, but his father advised him to learn to skate first, and after a few months, he dropped hockey to focus on figure skating.

Březina first landed a triple Salchow at the age of 12, and a triple Axel at 15. In practice, he has worked on a quad toe loop and quad Salchow. He trained in his hometown of Brno with coach Petr Starec and in Oberstdorf, Germany with Karel Fajfr.

2007–2008 season

Březina won the 2007 Nebelhorn Trophy over compatriot and reigning champion, Tomáš Verner. Two weeks later, he won his first Junior Grand Prix medal, a silver, in Chemnitz. Březina placed sixteenth at his first European Championships. He missed training time because of a broken wrist but was able to compete at the World Junior Championships, where he was fifth.

2008–2009 season

Březina won both his junior Grand Prix events but was forced to miss the Junior Grand Prix Final and the Czech national championships due to a right knee injury that required surgery. He returned in time for the 2009 Europeans, where he finished tenth, and then set a new personal best at the 2009 Junior Worlds to win the silver medal behind Adam Rippon.

2009–2010 season

Březina debuted on the senior Grand Prix circuit, finishing fourth at the 2009 Skate Canada International. He won the bronze medal at 2009 NHK Trophy and defeated Tomáš Verner to win the Czech Championship. He finished 4th at the 2010 European Championships. At the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver he came in tenth. Competing at his first senior World Championships, he earned a fourth-place finish with a new personal best score of 236.06.

2010–2011 season

Březina was forced to withdraw from the 2010 Cup of China after undergoing surgery for a varicose vein in his abdomen. He later withdrew from the 2010 Trophée Eric Bompard as well. He took silver behind Verner at the Czech Championships. At the 2011 European Championships, Březina placed second in the short program but dropped to eighth overall following the free skate. At the 2011 World Championships, he successfully landed two quads, a Salchow and a toe loop, in the long program – his first quads landed in competition – but fell on two jumps toward the end of the program. He finished fourth at the event for the second straight year.

Březina at the 2012 Rostelecom Cup

2011–2012 season

Březina experienced some boot problems during the off-season. He trained mainly in Oberstdorf. He began his season at 2011 Nebelhorn Trophy where he won the silver medal. Skaters who had placed in the top six at the 2011 Worlds were given a newly introduced option of competing at three Grand Prix events. Březina elected to do so and was assigned to 2011 Skate America, 2011 Trophée Eric Bompard, and 2011 Cup of Russia. At Skate America, he won the short program by 8.39 points and placed third in the free skate to win the gold medal overall. Březina won the bronze medal in France, which qualified him for the Grand Prix Final. He then placed fourth in the Cup of Russia. He was sixth at the Grand Prix Final. At the 2012 World Championships, Březina picked up a small silver medal for the short program and finished sixth overall after the free skate. In April 2012, he changed coaches from Starec and Fajfr to Viktor Petrenko. He trained at the Ice House in Hackensack, New Jersey.

2012–2013 season

Březina finished sixth at 2012 Skate America and won the bronze medal at the 2012 Rostelecom Cup. He withdrew from the Czech Championships due to a fever. He dislocated his shoulder during practice on 21 January at the 2013 European Championships but went on to win bronze, his first European medal.

2013–2014 season

In February 2014, Březina placed tenth at the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. His next event was the 2014 World Championships in Saitama, Japan. He withdrew after the short program on 26 March, having pulled ligaments in his right ankle on the triple flip take-off. His ankle was immediately put into a cast, and he recovered in two weeks. Due to the high cost of training in the United States, he decided in June 2014 to rejoin Karel Fajfr in Oberstdorf.

2014–2015 season

Březina began the season with two silver medals at his Challenger events, the Golden Spin of Zagreb and Nebelhorn Trophy/ After finishing seventh at the 2014 Skate Canada International, he won the bronze medal at the 2014 Rostelecom Cup. He placed fifth at the 2015 European Championships and fifteenth at the 2015 World Championships.

2015–2016 season

His first event of the season was the 2015 Lombardia Trophy, which was not a Challenger event for that particular season. Following a sixth-place finish at Nebelhorn, Brezina placed eighth and seventh at these two Grand Prix assignments, Skate Canada International and the NHK Trophy. He went on to place tenth at Europeans and ninth at Worlds.

In the spring of 2016, Březina decided to train with Rafael Arutyunyan in California.

2016–2017 season

Březina placed fourth at Skate Canada International and tenth at the Cup of China.

In December 2016, he placed first in the short program at the Four Nationals; he withdrew after injuring his arm during the free skate. He placed twelfth at Europeans.

Březina twisted his ankle three weeks before the 2017 World Championships in Helsinki. He finished eighteenth at the event in Finland, earning a spot for the Czech Republic at the 2018 Winter Olympics.

2017–2018 season

Beginning with two events on the Challenger Series, Březina placed ninth at the U.S. International Classic and sixth at the Finlandia Trophy. He went on to place sixth at Skate Canada International and ninth at NHK Trophy.

Following an eighth-place finish at Europeans, Březina competed at his third Olympic Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea. He placed sixteenth. The season concluded at the 2018 World Championships in Milan, Italy, where he placed tenth, setting a new personal best in the free skate.

2018–2019 season

Březina began the season with a silver medal at the 2018 U.S. International Classic, his first Challenger Series medal in four years. He followed that up with a silver medal at the 2018 Skate America event, his first Grand Prix medal since his bronze at Rostelecom four years earlier. At his second Grand Prix event, the 2018 Grand Prix of Helsinki, he set new personal bests in the short program and overall score to win a second silver medal.

His results qualified him for the Grand Prix Final, only the second time in his career he had done so and the first time in seven years. Březina placed fourth at the Final, finishing 8.23 points behind Cha Jun-hwan after doubling a jump in his short program and falling on a quad Salchow in the free skate. At the European Championships he placed eighth in the short program and moved up to seventh overall after placing sixth in the free program.

Finishing his season at the 2019 World Championships, Březina placed eighth in the short program. He remained in eighth place following the free skate, despite a single fall on a triple flip attempt.

2019–2020 season

Březina opted not to begin his season with a Challenger event, instead competing at the 2019 Shanghai Trophy, where he placed fourth. Returning to Skate America, he placed fifth in the short program despite jump errors. After doubling numerous jumps in his free skate, he fell to eleventh place. He was ninth at the 2019 Rostelecom Cup.

Competing at the 2020 European Championships, Březina placed first in the short program despite performing only a quad-double in his combination jump, winning a gold small medal. He said he was undecided about whether it would be his final competition. He fell twice in the free skate on quad Salchow attempts, placing eleventh in that segment and falling to seventh place overall. He was scheduled to compete at the 2020 World Championships in Montreal, but these were cancelled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

2020–2021 season

Březina was assigned to compete at the 2020 Skate America but withdrew due to a fall in training. He was allowed to submit virtual competitive programs to the 2021 Four National Championships, winning the gold medal. His only live event of the season was the 2021 World Championships in Stockholm, where he placed nineteenth. This result qualified one berth for the Czech Republic at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.

2021–2022 season

Březina opened his season with a win at the 2021 U.S. International Classic. Following the results of the 2021 CS Nebelhorn Trophy, he was announced as part of the Czech Olympic team, this time alongside his sister Eliška. Competing on the Grand Prix at the 2021 Skate America, he finished in sixth. At the 2021 Rostelecom Cup, he finished in tenth place. Discussing his results afterward, he cited his work with a mental coach as having improved his mindset, noting, "I wish I would have worked with a mental coach when I was younger. Maybe my career would have looked different."

At the 2022 European Championships, Březina had a poor short program and finished in fifteenth place in that segment. He was fifth in the free skate, rising to tenth place overall.

Březina began the 2022 Winter Olympics as the Czech entry in the men's short program of the Olympic team event. He placed seventh in the segment, securing four points for the Czech team. They ultimately did not advance to the second phase of the competition, finishing eighth. In the individual event, he placed twenty-fifth in the short program, not advancing to the free program. He announced his retirement shortly after the event.

Programs

Březina at the 2013 European Figure Skating Championships
Březina at the 2009 Skate Canada
Březina at the 2012 Rostelecom Cup
Season Short program Free skating Exhibition
2020–2022
2019–2020
2018–2019
2017–2018
2016–2017

Once Upon a Time (remix)
by Ennio Morricone
choreo. by Tom Dickson

2015–2016
  • The Way You Look Tonight
    by Jerome Kern, Dorothy Fields
    performed by Frank Sinatra
    choreo. by Jeffrey Buttle
2014–2015
2013–2014
2012–2013
  • In the Hall of the Mountain King
    by Edvard Grieg
    performed by Epica
    choreo. by Pasquale Camerlengo
  • New York, New York remix
2011–2012
  • The Untouchables
    by Ennio Morricone
    choreo. by Pasquale Camerlengo
2010–2011
  • Japanese Kodo Drums
    choreo. by Pasquale Camerlengo
2009–2010
  • An American in Paris
    by George Gershwin
  • Feeling Good
    by Michael Bublé
2007–2009
2006–2007
  • The Matrix

Competitive highlights

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

International
Event 03–04 04–05 05–06 06–07 07–08 08–09 09–10 10–11 11–12 12–13 13–14 14–15 15–16 16–17 17–18 18–19 19–20 20–21 21–22 22–23
Olympics 10th 10th 16th 25th
Worlds 4th 4th 6th 10th WD 15th 9th 18th 10th 8th C 19th
Europeans 16th 10th 4th 8th 4th 3rd 4th 5th 10th 12th 8th 7th 7th 10th
GP Final 6th 4th
GP Bompard WD 3rd 5th
GP Cup of China WD 10th
GP Finland 2nd
GP NHK Trophy 3rd 7th 9th
GP Rostel. Cup 4th 3rd 3rd 9th 10th
GP Skate America 1st 6th 2nd 11th WD 6th
GP Skate Canada 4th 4th 7th 8th 4th 6th
CS Finlandia 6th
CS Golden Spin 2nd
CS Nebelhorn 2nd 6th
CS U.S. Classic 9th 2nd 1st
Universiade 7th
Bavarian Open 1st
Finlandia Trophy 4th
Golden Spin 5th 2nd
Lombardia Trophy 2nd
Nebelhorn Trophy 1st 2nd 3rd 7th 2nd 5th
NRW Trophy 2nd
Seibt Memorial 2nd
Shanghai Trophy 4th
Slovenia Open 1st
International: Junior
Junior Worlds 16th 5th 2nd
JGP Austria 7th
JGP Czech Rep. 16th
JGP France 1st
JGP Germany 2nd
JGP Hungary 12th
JGP Italy 1st
JGP Netherlands 5th
Gardena 3rd 2nd
EYOF 7th
Grand Prize SNP 1st
National
Czech Champ. 1st J 1st J 1st J 2nd 1st 2nd 2nd WD 2nd 1st 1st WD 1st 1st
Four Nationals 1st 2nd 2nd 2nd 1st 1st 1st 1st
Team events
Olympics 8th T
7th P
Team Challenge
Cup
2nd T
5th P
Japan Open 3rd T
5th P
3rd T
5th P
3rd T
6th P
J = Junior level; TBD = Assigned; WD = Withdrew; C = Event cancelled
T = Team result; P = Personal result. Medals awarded for team result only.

Detailed results

Brezina with the other medalists at the 2011 Skate America

Small medals for short and free programs awarded only at ISU Championships. At team events, medals awarded for team results only.

Senior career

2021–22 season
Date Event SP FS Total
February 8–10, 2022 2022 Winter Olympics 25
75.19
25
75.19
February 4–7, 2022 2022 Winter Olympics – Team event 7
76.77
8T
January 10–16, 2022 2022 European Championships 15
71.60
5
166.78
10
238.38
November 26–28, 2021 2021 Rostelecom Cup 6
82.31
11
137.28
10
219.59
October 22–24, 2021 2021 Skate America 6
75.43
5
152.04
6
227.47
September 15–19, 2021 2021 U.S. Classic 1
87.48
1
151.17
1
238.65
2020–21 season
Date Event SP FS Total
March 22–28, 2021 2021 World Championships 13
81.43
21
129.30
19
210.73
December 10–12, 2020 2021 Czech Championships 1
81.03
1
140.49
1
221.52
2019–20 season
Date Event SP FS Total
January 20–26, 2020 2020 European Championships 1
89.77
11
141.48
7
231.25
November 15–17, 2019 2019 Rostelecom Cup 8
80.27
8
156.20
9
236.47
October 18–20, 2019 2019 Skate America 5
81.11
11
132.06
11
213.17
2018–19 season
Date Event SP FS Total
March 18–24, 2019 2019 World Championships 8
86.96
8
167.32
8
254.28
January 21–27, 2019 2019 European Championships 8
83.66
6
150.59
7
234.25
December 6–9, 2018 2018–19 Grand Prix Final 3
89.21
4
166.05
4
255.26
November 2–4, 2018 2018 Grand Prix of Helsinki 2
93.31
2
164.67
2
257.98
October 19–21, 2018 2018 Skate America 2
82.09
2
157.42
2
239.51
September 12–16, 2018 2018 CS U.S. International Classic 2
79.57
4
128.70
2
208.27
2017–18 season
Date Event SP FS Total
March 19–25, 2018 2018 World Championships 17
78.01
8
165.98
10
243.99
February 16–17, 2018 2018 Winter Olympics 9
85.15
18
160.92
16
246.07
January 15–21, 2018 2018 European Championships 10
72.72
8
152.48
8
225.20
November 10–12, 2017 2017 NHK Trophy 9
76.24
10
144.21
9
220.45
October 27–29, 2017 2017 Skate Canada International 7
80.34
4
156.70
6
237.04
October 6–8, 2017 2017 CS Finlandia Trophy 5
77.26
5
156.02
6
233.28
September 13–17, 2017 2017 U.S. Classic 7
75.78
11
118.17
9
193.95
2016–17 season
Date Event SP FS Total
March 29 – April 2, 2017 2017 World Championships 15
80.02
18
146.24
18
226.26
February 1–5, 2017 2017 Winter Universiade 8
75.57
8
149.48
7
225.05
January 25–29, 2017 2017 European Championships 8
78.61
13
136.91
12
215.52
November 18–20, 2016 2016 Cup of China 7
75.87
9
135.91
10
211.77
October 28–30, 2016 2016 Skate Canada 9
70.36
4
157.06
4
227.42
2015–16 season
Date Event SP FS Total
April 22–24, 2016 2016 Team Challenge Cup 8
64.54
5
158.30
2T/5P
March 28 – April 3, 2016 2016 World Championships 11
79.29
10
158.70
9
237.99
February 23–27, 2016 2016 Hellmut Seibt Memorial 1
73.64
2
138.92
2
212.56
January 26–31, 2016 2016 European Championships 3
84.30
13
127.51
10
211.81
December 18–20, 2015 Czech Figure Skating Championships 1
68.83
1
154.72
1
223.55
November 27–29, 2015 2015 NHK Trophy 5
81.64
9
140.85
7
222.49
Oct. 30 – Nov. 1, 2015 2015 GP Skate Canada 5
75.46
8
143.12
8
218.58
October 15–18, 2015 2015 International Cup of Nice 4
74.21
4
141.34
4
215.55
October 9–11, 2015 2015 CS Finlandia Trophy 5
67.48
4
137.58
5
205.06
September 24–26, 2015 2015 Nebelhorn Trophy 3
74.12
6
129.49
6
203.61
September 17–20, 2015 2015 CS Lombardia Trophy 4
62.54
1
143.67
2
206.21
2014–15 season
Date Event SP FS Total
March 23–29, 2015 2015 World Championships 10
76.84
15
136.99
15
213.84
February 25–28, 2015 2015 Hellmut Seibt Memorial 2
70.48
1
159.97
1
230.45
Jan. 26 – Feb. 1, 2015 2015 European Championships 3
80.86
7
139.25
5
220.11
December 18–21, 2014 Czech Figure Skating Championships 1
71.97
1
138.72
1
210.69
December 4–7, 2014 2014 Golden Spin of Zagreb 3
81.62
1
158.00
2
239.62
November 14–16, 2014 2014 Rostelecom Cup 4
80.89
3
160.34
3
241.23
Oct. 31 – Nov. 2, 2014 2014 Skate Canada International 7
73.29
8
134.95
7
208.24
September 24–27, 2014 2014 CS Nebelhorn Trophy 2
78.27
2
150.21
2
228.48
2013–14 season
Date Event SP FS Total
February 7–23, 2014 2014 Winter Olympics – Singles 13
81.95
13
151.67
10
233.62
January 15–19, 2014 2014 European Championships 5
82.80
4
154.18
4
236.98
December 20–22, 2014 Czech Figure Skating Championships 2
72.81
2
136.59
2
209.40
November 15–17, 2013 2013 Trophée Éric Bompard 6
71.91
4
134.31
5
206.22
October 24–27, 2013 2013 Skate Canada 7
71.71
5
146.61
4
218.32
October 5, 2013 2013 Japan Open 6
125.74
3T/6P
2012–13 season
Date Event SP FS Total
March 10–17, 2013 2013 World Championships 6
83.09
11
145.91
10
229.00
January 23–27, 2013 2013 European Championships 4
79.84
2
163.68
3
243.52
December 5–9, 2012 2012 NRW Trophy 2
70.29
5
142.80
2
213.09
November 9–11, 2012 2012 Rostelecom Cup 6
73.83
4
150.73
3
224.56
October 19–21, 2012 2012 Skate America 6
69.26
4
140.41
6
209.67
October 6, 2012 2012 Japan Open 5
151.53
3T
September 27–29, 2012 2012 Nebelhorn Trophy 5
67.78
7
133.93
5
201.71
2011–12 season
Date Event SP FS Total
March 26 – April 1, 2012 2012 World Championships 2
87.67
7
151.88
6
239.55
February 7–12, 2012 2012 European Championships 6
76.13
4
153.17
4
229.30
December 15–18, 2011 Czech Figure Skating Championships 1
72.12
2
135.45
2
207.57
December 8–11, 2011 2011 Grand Prix Final 6
75.26
6
143.72
6
218.98
November 25–27, 2011 2011 Rostelecom Cup 3
79.01
3
147.34
4
226.35
November 18–20, 2011 2011 Trophée Eric Bompard 3
74.32
4
144.28
3
218.60
October 21–23, 2011 2011 Skate America 1
79.08
1
136.92
1
216.00
September 21–24, 2011 2011 Nebelhorn Trophy 4
69.77
2
145.23
2
215.00
2010–11 season
Date Event SP FS Total
April 24 – May 1, 2011 2011 World Championships 7
77.50
5
156.11
4
233.61
February 11–15, 2011 2011 Bavarian Open 1
73.01
2
122.59
1
195.60
January 24–30, 2011 2011 European Championships 2
76.13
10
125.26
8
201.39
December 16–18, 2011 Czech Figure Skating Championships 2
71.26
2
131.50
2
202.76
December 8–12, 2010 2010 Golden Spin of Zagreb 1
55.44
2
128.20
2
183.64
October 2, 2010 2010 Japan Open 3
134.90
3T
September 21–24, 2011 2010 Nebelhorn Trophy 9
55.40
5
128.91
7
184.31
2009–10 season
Date Event SP FS Total
March 22–38, 2010 2010 World Championships 5
81.75
3
154.31
4
241.74
February 12–27, 2010 2010 Winter Olympics 9
78.80
11
137.93
10
216.73
January 18–24, 2010 2010 European Championships 4
79.60
5
145.14
4
224.74
November 19–22, 2009 2009 Skate Canada 5
71.92
5
130.40
4
202.32
November 5–8, 2009 2009 NHK Trophy 6
70.80
2
146.68
3
217.48
October 8–11, 2009 2009 Finlandia Trophy 6
62.89
4
127.42
4
190.31
September 23-26, 2009 2009 Nebelhorn Trophy 2
73.23
3
132.11
3
205.34

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