Charlene Guignard and Marco Fabbri: “Deciding to compete at Milano Cortina 2026 is partly for that reason – the Olympic podium is every athlete’s dream. We’ve won almost everything, but that’s still missing.”
Charlene Guignard and Marco Fabbri reflect on their journey, partnership, and artistic style as they prepare for the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics.
oridinal source: MilanoVibra #24 by Manuela Sicuro
In an interview with MalinoVibra, Italian ice dance pair Charlène Guignard and Marco Fabbri reflect on their journey, partnership, career highlights, Olympic ambitions, challenges in their sport, and hopes for life after skating as they prepare for their final Olympics at Milano Cortina 2026.
Q: How did you get into skating?
Charlene: I started at three and a half in Brest, my hometown, because my siblings skated. At first it was just a game, then I never stopped. At twenty, I left because I was in juniors without a partner; luckily, at that moment, the same thing happened to Marco.
Marco: When I was six, my father took me to see some hockey games in Milan. I decided to try playing, but first I had to learn to skate.
Q: Did you meet through a partner search website?
Charlene: Today it’s easier with social media, but back then, in 2009, there was Ice Partner Search, where you could create an athlete profile and meet other skaters if you were looking for a sports partner. Marco contacted me to try out, I accepted, and after three days of trial we were already an ice dance team.
Q: Did the spark also happen off the ice?
Charlene: Actually, yes (laughs): the chemistry happened first on the ice and then quickly in life. We followed the natural course of things. When I arrived in Italy, his family hosted me for several years and made me feel at home.
Q: What attracted you to this sport?
Charlene: It’s complex and gives so many emotions. Here, you try to live the music and become the character of the program, as if it were pure art.
Marco: At first, I was drawn to the playful side, then I was fascinated because it’s one of the few sports where you glide on ice. You have to start early, at five or six, when you can develop more skills. I started late, at seven, with figure skating, then switched to dance, which I always liked more.
Q: At seven, a PE teacher said you were very competitive and didn’t always follow the rules…
Marco: Let’s say I always liked doing things well. If possible, better than others. And if I couldn’t, it bothered me. With maturity, I’ve learned a bit more…
Q: Charlene, where is your skating “more French” and where “more Italian”?
Charlene: For the French side, I’d say maybe my skating quality – even Marco said he noticed me for that. In Italy, I developed my interpretive side and energy.
Q: Together, what style feels most natural to you on the ice?
Charlene: Emotion is the style that comes most naturally, and it’s the thread running through our free program this year.
Q: Who decides choreography, music, costumes?
Charlene: For the short program, we have a theme, but for everything else, we decide together with our coach and choreographer – it’s a team effort.
Q: So at the Games, you’ll bring everything you’ve been throughout your long career.
Charlene: Actually, we’ve always tried to change. In the past, we even did a program where we were robots, but the style we’re bringing to Milano Cortina 2026 represents us more. For the free program, we focused on quality and interpretation: Giorgia’s ‘Diamanti’ really brings out who we are.
Q: What is each of your strengths?
Charlene: He’s very precise and organized. Sometimes we redo things thirty times, but over the years it’s helped us improve. I’m very patient, so we balance each other out (smiles). We’re like this in life too – our personalities don’t change, whether on or off the ice.
Marco: The word that best describes me is perfectionist, both on the ice and a bit in life. In our sport, where there’s a strong artistic component, never settling and always seeking perfection is fundamental.
Q: Many victories, a silver and a bronze at Worlds, three consecutive European golds. Which win means the most to you?
Marco: I’d say all the firsts in our sporting career. No matter how much you imagine the feeling, you’re never truly prepared to step onto a podium. Those are really special moments.
Q: What would it be like, knocking on wood, to reach your first Olympic podium?
Marco: Deciding to compete at Milano Cortina 2026 is partly for that reason – the Olympic podium is every athlete’s dream. We’ve won almost everything, but that’s still missing…
Q: Will this be your last Olympics?
Charlene: It will be our fourth and last. We’ve come a long way; after the Games, we’ll still do Worlds and then we’ll see.
Q: In this discipline, Italy’s Olympic medals are two bronzes – Carolina Kostner’s and the pair Maurizio Margaglio and Barbara Fusar Poli. Barbara is now your coach.
Charlene: She gives us grit and the drive not to give up. That’s helped us a lot from the start because we’ve always had to fight, do more than others to get where we are. When we’re discouraged, she always makes us see that we have to hang tough. Barbara always brings energy and determination to every situation.
Q: Recently, you finished an unexpected fourth at the Grand Prix de France, but didn’t show much disappointment.
Marco: In a sport like ours, where there’s no direct measurement or head-to-head to decide the winner, everything is judged by humans, so things can change. Each judge can see a performance differently from another.
Q: So what happened?
Marco: Let’s say sometimes there’s bias in judging, to promote pairs from their own country. It wasn’t the first time and certainly won’t be the last, but in other cases they were at least more discreet than in France, where we finished fourth for no clear reason.
Q: Is the judging panel an issue for ice dance?
Marco: It would definitely help to have judges from different nationalities – it’s important in a sport like ours, where months of work are decided in minutes. What happened in France is still motivation to tackle the Olympics with more grit.
Q: What’s your relationship with Milan?
Charlene: I don’t spend much time there, but it’s been my adopted city for sixteen years. I like that you can do anything you really want. It offers everything. It’s a strong city that will give a lot to the Olympics, and the exchange will be mutual. It’s nice to end our career with the chance to compete at home.
Q: Marco, how do you “grow up” in Milan, sport-wise? I mean facilities.
Marco: That’s another big topic. In recent years, not much has been done for sports facilities in Milan, at least for ice. The only rink, Agorà, has been closed for years, which is pretty absurd considering Milan is Italy’s most important city in many ways.
Q: Where can young people go to skate?
Marco: It depends on the area: there are facilities in Sesto San Giovanni, the Unipol Forum in Assago, and San Donato. The teaching is equivalent – the quality is good.
Q: If you could decide, what would you do for Milan in this regard?
Marco: I would have invested the money differently in facilities. For example, Arena Santa Giulia won’t be dedicated only to sports events permanently. That’s a real shame.
Q: Fiamme Azzurre and the Penitentiary Police have supported you a lot. What are the biggest challenges in practicing such an expensive sport without strong compensation?
Charlene: Now the Federation covers everything and we can’t complain, but at first we couldn’t live just from competitions. At one point, we had to choose whether to continue or quit so we wouldn’t depend financially on our parents. Fiamme Azzurre was fundamental and allowed us to grow with support and peace of mind.
Q: Imagine you’ve just hung up your skates. Where do you see yourselves?
Charlene: We still have to figure it out. Many doors can open. I’d like not to leave skating completely, maybe coach children. This world has always been my life.
Marco: I’ll also see what opportunities arise, but I’d like to become a coach. I’ve always been ambitious, so I’d like to pass on my sporting experience to others.
Q: After a fall, how do you get back up?
Marco: You have to try to benefit and learn from the negatives. Any fall, if taken the right way, helps you grow, mature, and learn from defeats, as we have in our sporting experience. Of course, it applies to everyday life too.
Q: Your biggest long-term wish on and off the ice?
Marco: In sports, it’s to end my career with a smile, regardless of the final results. Personally, it’s to enjoy my family more, which is and always will be my top priority.
Charlene: I’d like to leave competition with peace of mind. And then I’d like to start traveling, finally enjoying the places I’ve visited, dedicating the right time to my loved ones.
Related topics: Charlene Guignard Marco Fabbri, Olympic Games
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