Adrián (or Adrià) Díaz Bronchud (born 17 September 1990) is a Spanish skating coach and retired competitive
ice dancer
Ice dance (sometimes referred to as ice dancing) is a discipline of figure skating that historically draws from ballroom dancing. It joined the World Figure Skating Championships in 1952, and became a Winter Olympic Games medal sport in 1976. Ac ...
. Initially rising to prominence on the international scene partnered with
Sara Hurtado
Sara Hurtado Martín (born 3 November 1992) is a Spanish retired ice dancer. Initially rising to prominence on the international scene partnered with Adrián Díaz, the duo won six senior international medals and five Spanish national titles, an ...
, the duo won six senior international medals and five
Spanish national titles and were the first dance team to represent Spain in
ISU competition.
[ They qualified for the ]Olympic Games
The modern Olympic Games or Olympics (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques) are the leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a var ...
, finishing thirteenth at the 2014 Winter Olympics
, ''Zharkie. Zimnie. Tvoi'')
, nations = 88
, events = 98 in 7 sports (15 disciplines)
, athletes = 2,873
, opening = 7 February 2014
, closing = 23 February 2014
, opened_by = President Vladimir Putin
, cauldron =
, stadium = Fisht Olympic ...
in Sochi
Sochi ( rus, Со́чи, p=ˈsotɕɪ, a=Ru-Сочи.ogg) is the largest resort city in Russia. The city is situated on the Sochi River, along the Black Sea in Southern Russia, with a population of 466,078 residents, up to 600,000 residents in ...
, and achieving their best ISU Championship result when they placed fifth at the 2015 European Championships.
Following the end of his partnership with Hurtado, Díaz formed a new partnership with English ice dancer Olivia Smart
Olivia Smart (born 1 April 1997) is a British-Spanish ice dancer who most recently skated for Spain with Adrián Díaz. With Díaz, Smart was the 2021 Skate Canada International bronze medalist, a four-time Challenger Series medalist, and a ...
, with whom he was the 2021 Skate Canada International
The 2021 Skate Canada International was the second event in the 2021–22 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating, a senior-level international invitational competition series. It was held at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre in Vancouver, Bri ...
bronze medalist, a four-time Challenger Series medalist, and a three-time Spanish national champion. Smart/Díaz represented Spain at the 2022 Winter Olympics
The 2022 Winter Olympics (2022年冬季奥林匹克运动会), officially called the XXIV Olympic Winter Games () and commonly known as Beijing 2022 (2022), was an international winter multi-sport event held from 4 to 20 February 2022 in Beij ...
and finished seventh in their final performance at the 2022 World Championships before he retired from the sport.
Personal life
Adrián Díaz was born on 17 September 1990 in Barcelona
Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...
.[ He studied sports science at university.][ He formerly competed as Adrià Díaz but prefers to be called Adrián or Adri.Profile – official website]
He began dating American ice dancer Madison Hubbell
Madison Hubbell (born February 24, 1991) is an American former ice dancer. She competed with Zachary Donohue from 2011 to 2022. With him, she is a two-time 2022 Winter Olympics medalist, a four-time World medalist, the 2018 Grand Prix Final cha ...
in 2014. The couple announced their engagement in April 2018.[ They got married on June 7, 2023, in Vilanova i la Geltrú, Spain.
]
Skating career
Early years
Díaz started skating in 1995.[ After skating in singles, he became interested in switching to ]ice dancing
Ice dance (sometimes referred to as ice dancing) is a discipline of figure skating that historically draws from ballroom dancing. It joined the World Figure Skating Championships in 1952, and became a Winter Olympic Games medal sport in 1976. Ac ...
in 2006 and asked a fellow single skater, Sara Hurtado
Sara Hurtado Martín (born 3 November 1992) is a Spanish retired ice dancer. Initially rising to prominence on the international scene partnered with Adrián Díaz, the duo won six senior international medals and five Spanish national titles, an ...
, to go with him to a summer camp organized by the Spanish federation (FEDH) with French coach Romain Haguenauer.[ Hurtado said, "We begged the Federation for two years, please, please, we want to do ice dance."][ In early 2008, FEDH hired British coach John Dunn to teach ice dancing in Madrid.][
]
2008–2009 season: Debut of Hurtado/Díaz
Hurtado/Díaz began competing together internationally in the 2008–09 season. Their first major international event was the 2009 World Junior Championships in Sofia
Sofia ( ; bg, София, Sofiya, ) is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria. It is situated in the Sofia Valley at the foot of the Vitosha mountain in the western parts of the country. The city is built west of the Iskar river, and ha ...
, Bulgaria, where they finished thirty-second.
2009–2010 season
Hurtado/Díaz competed in two events on the Junior Grand Prix circuit and finished sixteenth at the 2010 World Junior Championships in The Hague
The Hague ( ; nl, Den Haag or ) is a city and municipality of the Netherlands, situated on the west coast facing the North Sea. The Hague is the country's administrative centre and its seat of government, and while the official capital of ...
, Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
.
2010–2011 season
Hurtado/Díaz competed on the Junior Grand Prix
The ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating (titled the ISU Junior Series in the 1997–98 season) is a series of international junior-level competitions organized by the International Skating Union. Medals are awarded in the disciplines of men ...
circuit while participating in several senior internationals. They finished fifteenth at the 2011 European Championships in Bern
german: Berner(in)french: Bernois(e) it, bernese
, neighboring_municipalities = Bremgarten bei Bern, Frauenkappelen, Ittigen, Kirchlindach, Köniz, Mühleberg, Muri bei Bern, Neuenegg, Ostermundigen, Wohlen bei Bern, Zollikofen
, website ...
, Switzerland, won a bronze medal at the Bavarian Open
The Bavarian Open is an annual international figure skating competition organized by the Skating Union of Bavaria. Since 2011, it is sanctioned by the Deutsche Eislauf Union and the International Skating Union. The event is held in February at Eiss ...
and finished fourth at the Winter Universiade
The Universiade is an international multi-sport event, organized for university athletes by the International University Sports Federation (FISU). The name is a portmanteau of the words "University" and "Olympiad".
The Universiade is referred t ...
.
They placed ninth at the World Junior Championships in Gangneung
Gangneung () is a municipal city in the province of Gangwon-do, on the east coast of South Korea. It has a population of 213,658 (as of 2017).Gangneung City (2003)Population & Households. Retrieved January 14, 2006. Gangneung is the economic ...
, South Korea. They then competed in Moscow
Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...
, Russia, at their first senior World Championships
A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game, ...
; although the two qualified for the short dance out of the preliminary round, they were unable to reach the free dance portion of the event.
2011–2012 season
Hurtado/Díaz moved to London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
, England, in mid-2011 after Dunn accepted a coaching job in his native country.[ In November, they competed at their first-ever ]Grand Prix
Grand Prix ( , meaning ''Grand Prize''; plural Grands Prix), is a name sometimes used for competitions or sport events, alluding to the winner receiving a prize, trophy or honour
Grand Prix or grand prix may refer to:
Arts and entertainment ...
event, the 2011 Trophée Éric Bompard
The 2011 Trophée Éric Bompard was the fifth event of six in the 2011–12 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating, a senior-level international invitational competition series. It was held at the Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy in Paris on November 1 ...
, where they placed eighth (last). In December 2011, they ended their relationship with Dunn and relocated to Montreal
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...
, Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
, Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
, to train under Marie-France Dubreuil
Marie-France Dubreuil (born August 11, 1974) is a Canadian ice dancing coach and former competitor. With her husband Patrice Lauzon, she is a two-time (2006–2007) World Figure Skating Championships, World silver medallist.
Personal life
Mari ...
and Patrice Lauzon
Patrice Lauzon (born November 26, 1975) is a Canadian ice dancing coach and former competitor. With his wife Marie-France Dubreuil, he is a two-time (2006–2007) World silver medalist.
Personal life
Patrice Lauzon was born in Montreal, Quebec, ...
.[
Ranked twelfth in the short dance and seventeenth in the free dance, Hurtado/Díaz finished sixteenth at the 2012 European Championships in ]Sheffield
Sheffield is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in South Yorkshire, England, whose name derives from the River Sheaf which runs through it. The city serves as the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is Historic counties o ...
, England. They qualified to the free dance at the 2012 World Championships in Nice
Nice ( , ; Niçard: , classical norm, or , nonstandard, ; it, Nizza ; lij, Nissa; grc, Νίκαια; la, Nicaea) is the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes department in France. The Nice agglomeration extends far beyond the administrative c ...
, France, and finished nineteenth overall.
2012–2013 season
Hurtado/Díaz did not compete on the Grand Prix series. They placed fifteenth at the 2013 European Championships in Zagreb
Zagreb ( , , , ) is the capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Croatia#List of cities and towns, largest city of Croatia. It is in the Northern Croatia, northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slop ...
, Croatia, and nineteenth at the 2013 World Championships in London, Ontario
London (pronounced ) is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada, along the Quebec City–Windsor Corridor. The city had a population of 422,324 according to the 2021 Canadian census. London is at the confluence of the Thames River, approximate ...
, Canada.
2013–2014 season: Sochi Olympics
At the 2013 Nebelhorn Trophy
The 2013 Nebelhorn Trophy was held on September 26–28, 2013 at the Eislaufzentrum Oberstdorf. It is held annually in Oberstdorf, Germany and is named after the Nebelhorn, a nearby mountain. Medals were awarded in men's and ladies' singles, pair ...
, Hurtado/Díaz became the first ice dancers to qualify for an Olympic entry for Spain.[ They had no Grand Prix assignments. In January 2014, they finished tenth at the 2014 European Championships in ]Budapest
Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population ...
, Hungary, allowing Spain to send two ice dancing teams to the next Europeans.[
One month later, Hurtado/Díaz competed at the ]Winter Olympics
The Winter Olympic Games (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques d'hiver) is a major international multi-sport event held once every four years for sports practiced on snow and ice. The first Winter Olympic Games, the 1924 Winter Olympics, were h ...
in Sochi
Sochi ( rus, Со́чи, p=ˈsotɕɪ, a=Ru-Сочи.ogg) is the largest resort city in Russia. The city is situated on the Sochi River, along the Black Sea in Southern Russia, with a population of 466,078 residents, up to 600,000 residents in ...
, Russia;[ they set personal best scores in both segments and finished in thirteenth place. They ended their season with a sixteenth-place result at the 2014 World Championships in Saitama.
]
2014–2015 season
Returning to the Grand Prix series, Hurtado/Díaz placed eighth at the 2014 Skate Canada International
The 2014 Skate Canada International was the second event of six in the 2014–15 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating, a senior-level international invitational competition series. It was held at the Prospera Place in Kelowna, British Columbia on Oct ...
and 4th at the 2014 Trophée Éric Bompard
The 2014 Trophée Éric Bompard was the fifth event of six in the 2014–15 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating, a senior-level international invitational competition series. It was held at the Meriadeck Ice Rink in Bordeaux on November 21–23. Meda ...
. They then achieved career-best ISU Championship results, finishing fifth with a new personal best score at the 2015 European Championships in Stockholm
Stockholm () is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, largest city of Sweden as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people liv ...
, Sweden, and then fourteenth at the 2015 World Championships in Shanghai
Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flow ...
, China.
2015–2016 season: End of Hurtado/Díaz
Hurtado/Díaz were invited to two Grand Prix events – the 2015 Trophée Éric Bompard
The 2015 Trophée Éric Bompard was the fourth event of six in the 2015–16 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating, a senior-level international invitational competition series. It was held at the Meriadeck Ice Rink in Bordeaux on November 13. Medals w ...
and the 2015 Rostelecom Cup
The 2015 Rostelecom Cup was the fifth event of six in the 2015–16 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating, a senior-level international invitational competition series. It was held at the Luzhniki Small Sports Arena in Moscow on November 20–22. Medal ...
. However, on 16 October 2015, Hurtado announced on her personal Facebook page that she had decided to end the partnership.[ In a later interview, Hurtado stated that their partnership had experienced problems for some time and that therapy had not helped resolve these issues.][
]
2016–2017 season: Debut of Smart/Díaz
On 13 December 2015, it was announced that Díaz would represent Spain with British ice dancer Olivia Smart
Olivia Smart (born 1 April 1997) is a British-Spanish ice dancer who most recently skated for Spain with Adrián Díaz. With Díaz, Smart was the 2021 Skate Canada International bronze medalist, a four-time Challenger Series medalist, and a ...
and that they would train in Montreal
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...
, Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
, Canada.[ On 15 January 2016, Smart announced that the British skating association had released her.][
Making their international debut, Smart/Díaz took silver behind Pogrebinsky/ Benoit at the ]Lake Placid Ice Dance International The Lake Placid Ice Dance International is an annual ice dance competition held in Lake Placid, New York. It was first held in 1932. In 2015 and 2016, the senior international event was included in the International Skating Union's calendar. The eve ...
in late July 2016. They later competed at three ISU Challenger Series
The ISU Challenger Series is a series of international figure skating competitions. Established by the International Skating Union in the 2014–15 season, it is a group of senior-level events ranked below the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating. E ...
events, placing fourth at the 2016 U.S. International Classic, sixth at the 2016 CS Autumn Classic International
The 2016 CS Autumn Classic International was a figure skating competition held from September 28 – October 1, 2016 at the Sportsplexe Pierrefonds in Montreal, Quebec. It was part of the 2016–17 ISU Challenger Series. Medals were awarded in the ...
, and sixth at the 2016 CS Finlandia Trophy
The 2016 CS Finlandia Trophy was a senior international figure skating competition held in October 2016 in Espoo. It was part of the 2016–17 ISU Challenger Series. Medals were awarded in the disciplines of men's singles, ladies' singles, pair ...
, before winning gold at the Open d'Andorra The Open d'Andorra is an international figure skating competition held annually in Canillo, Andorra, usually in November. Medals may be awarded in Single skating, men's singles, ladies' singles, and ice dancing on the senior, junior, and novice leve ...
.
Smart/Díaz finished second to Hurtado and her new partner Kirill Khaliavin
Kirill Leonidovich Khaliavin ( rus, Кирилл Леонидович Халявин, p=kʲɪˈrʲil lʲɪɐˈnʲidəvʲɪtɕ xɐˈlʲavʲɪn; born 21 November 1990) is a Russian-Spanish retired ice dancer. Emerging on the international scene co ...
at the Spanish Championships. As a result, they were not nominated for the 2017 European Championships.
Smart/Díaz took silver in February at the Bavarian Open
The Bavarian Open is an annual international figure skating competition organized by the Skating Union of Bavaria. Since 2011, it is sanctioned by the Deutsche Eislauf Union and the International Skating Union. The event is held in February at Eiss ...
. Later that month, Federación Española Deportes de Hielo (FEDH) selected them to compete at the 2017 World Championships, the main Olympic-qualifying competition.[ The two placed 16th in the short dance, 19th in the free dance, and 18th overall at the event in ]Helsinki
Helsinki ( or ; ; sv, Helsingfors, ) is the Capital city, capital, primate city, primate, and List of cities and towns in Finland, most populous city of Finland. Located on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, it is the seat of the region of U ...
, Finland. Their result allowed Spain to send one ice dancing team to the Olympics.
2017–2018 season
In July 2017, FEDH announced that Spain's Olympic spot would go to the team which received the highest combined score at the 2017 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb
The 2017 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb was the 50th edition of the annual senior-level international figure skating competition held in Zagreb, Croatia. It was held at the Dom sportova on December 2017 as part of the 2017–18 ISU Challenger Series. ...
and Spanish Championships.[
Smart/Díaz began their season on the Challenger Series, placing seventh at the 2017 U.S. International Figure Skating Classic and fourth at the 2017 Autumn Classic International. Making their Grand Prix debut, they placed sixth at the ]2017 Skate Canada International
The 2017 Skate Canada International was the second event of the 2017–18 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating, a senior-level international invitational competition series, held at the Brandt Centre in Regina, Saskatchewan from October 27–29. Meda ...
in October. In December, they placed fifth at the 2017 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb
The 2017 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb was the 50th edition of the annual senior-level international figure skating competition held in Zagreb, Croatia. It was held at the Dom sportova on December 2017 as part of the 2017–18 ISU Challenger Series. ...
, scoring 4.18 points less than Hurtado/Khaliavin. Later that month, they won the Spanish national title by a 3.23-point margin, resulting in a final deficit of 0.95 points. On 17 December 2017, FEDH announced that Hurtado/Khaliavin would compete at the European Championships and Olympics while Smart/Díaz would be assigned to the 2018 World Championships.[ They finished twelfth at the event in ]Milan
Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...
, Italy.
2018–2019 season
Smart/Díaz began their season at the Autumn Classic International
The Autumn Classic International is a figure skating competition organized by Skate Canada. It is part of the ISU Challenger Series in some years. Medals may be awarded in the disciplines of men's singles, ladies' singles, pair skating, and ice da ...
Challenger Series event, where they placed second behind Canadians Weaver/ Poje. At the onset of the 2018–19 season, they were assigned to two Grand Prix events, the Skate Canada
Skate Canada ( Canadian French: ''Patinage Canada'', lit. "Skating Canada") is the national governing body for figure skating in Canada, recognized by the International Skating Union and the Canadian Olympic Committee. It organizes the annual ...
and Internationaux de France, finishing fifth at the former and seventh at the latter.
After winning the silver medal at the Spanish Championships, finishing behind Hurtado/Khaliavin, they placed eighth at the 2019 European Championships.
2019–2020 season
Smart/Díaz began the season with a victory at the 2019 Lake Placid Ice Dance International The Lake Placid Ice Dance International is an annual ice dance competition held in Lake Placid, New York. It was first held in 1932. In 2015 and 2016, the senior international event was included in the International Skating Union's calendar. The eve ...
and then placed fourth at the 2019 CS Autumn Classic International
The 2019 CS Autumn Classic International was held in September 2019 in Oakville, Ontario. It was part of the 2019–20 ISU Challenger Series. Medals were awarded in the disciplines of men's singles, ladies' singles, and ice dance.
Entries
The ...
. At their first Grand Prix
Grand Prix ( , meaning ''Grand Prize''; plural Grands Prix), is a name sometimes used for competitions or sport events, alluding to the winner receiving a prize, trophy or honour
Grand Prix or grand prix may refer to:
Arts and entertainment ...
assignment, 2019 Skate America
The 2019 Skate America presented by American Cruise Lines was the first event in the 2019–20 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating, a senior-level international invitational competition series. It was held at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on Oc ...
, they placed fourth, with three new personal bests set.[ Smart/Díaz concluded the Grand Prix with another fourth-place finish at the ]2019 Internationaux de France
The 2019 Internationaux de France was the third event of the 2019–20 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating, a senior-level international invitational competition series. It was held at Patinoire Polesud in Grenoble, France from November 1–3. Medal ...
.[
After winning the Spanish national title for the second time, they finished eighth at the 2020 European Championships, below Hurtado/Khaliavin in seventh place.][ Despite this, they were assigned to compete at the ]World Championships
A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game, ...
in Montreal
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...
, but these were cancelled as a result of the coronavirus pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identified ...
.[
]
2020–2021 season
Smart/Díaz were assigned to the 2020 Skate Canada International
The 2020 Skate Canada International was scheduled to be the second event in the 2020–21 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating, a senior-level international invitational competition series. It would have been held at TD Place Arena in Ottawa, Ontario ...
, but this event was also cancelled due to the pandemic.[
While Smart/Díaz were listed on the preliminary entry list for the ]2021 World Championships
1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1 ...
, the Spanish Ice Sports Federation
The Royal Spanish Ice Sports Federation (), abbreviated as RFEDH or FedHielo, is the administrative body for ice sports in Spain. It is a member of the Spanish Olympic Committee (COE) and, in partnership with the Royal Spanish Winter Sports Fed ...
announced on March 2 that the final determination as to which team would represent Spain would be made following a virtual skate-off between them and Hurtado/Khaliavin.[ On March 7, the Spanish federation announced that the berth had been awarded to Hurtado/Khaliavin.][
]
2021–2022 season: Beijing Olympics
Smart/Díaz began the Olympic season at the 2021 CS Autumn Classic International
The 2021 CS Autumn Classic International was held on September 16–18, 2021 in Pierrefonds, Quebec. It was part of the 2021–22 ISU Challenger Series. Medals were awarded in the disciplines of men's singles, women's singles, pairs, and ice da ...
, where they won the silver medal, setting new personal best scores in the free dance and overall in the process.[ They beat domestic rivals Hurtado/Khaliavin by 0.25 points in the first of three matchups to determine which team would be named to the Spanish Olympic team.][ They then came fourth at their second event, the ]2021 CS Finlandia Trophy
The 2021 CS Finlandia Trophy was held on October 7–10, 2021 in Espoo, Finland. It was part of the 2021–22 ISU Challenger Series. Medals were awarded in the disciplines of single skating, men's singles, women's singles, pair skating, pairs, and ...
.[
Competing on the ]Grand Prix
Grand Prix ( , meaning ''Grand Prize''; plural Grands Prix), is a name sometimes used for competitions or sport events, alluding to the winner receiving a prize, trophy or honour
Grand Prix or grand prix may refer to:
Arts and entertainment ...
at the 2021 Skate America
The 2021 Guaranteed Rate Skate America was the first event in the 2021–22 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating, a senior-level international invitational competition series. It was held at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on October 22–24. ...
, they placed fourth in the rhythm dance, 1.27 points behind Canadian training partners Fournier Beaudry/Sørensen Sørensen () is a Danish-Norwegian patronymic surname meaning "son of Søren" (given name equivalent of Severin). , it is the eighth most common surname in Denmark. Immigrants to English-speaking countries often changed the spelling to ''Sorense ...
. They came third in the free dance but remained fourth overall by 0.54 points.[ Their ]Zorro
Zorro (Spanish language, Spanish for 'fox') is a fictional character created in 1919 by American pulp magazine, pulp writer Johnston McCulley, appearing in works set in the Pueblo of Los Angeles in Alta California. He is typically portrayed a ...
free dance received a standing ovation from the audience, with Smart commenting that the "reaction of the crowd made it all worthwhile and so memorable."[ The following week at their second Grand Prix, ]2021 Skate Canada International
The 2021 Skate Canada International was the second event in the 2021–22 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating, a senior-level international invitational competition series. It was held at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre in Vancouver, Bri ...
, they were third in both segments of the competition, winning the bronze medal, their first Grand Prix medal.[
Smart/Díaz faced off against Hurtado/Khaliavin at the 2022 Spanish Championships and won both segments of the competition to take the gold medal with a score of 202.47, with a margin of 8.12 points over their silver medalist rivals, expanding their cumulative margin to 8.37 points.][ Both teams then went to the ]2022 European Championships
The 2022 European Championships were the second edition of the European Championships. It was a multi-sport event which took place in Munich, Germany from 11 to 21 August 2022. The tournament began three days after the conclusion of the 2022 Commo ...
, the third and final competition for the Spanish Olympic berth. Smart/Díaz were fifth in the rhythm dance and moved up to fourth overall with a fourth-place free dance, despite a technical fall on their ending pose. Smart remarked that this season was "the hardest we've ever worked for anything. It's not only been this competition; it has been the whole season that we gave everything we had." Hurtado/Khaliavin finished in sixth place, 4.96 points back.[ With a cumulative margin of 13.33 points, Smart/Díaz were subsequently named to Spain's Olympic team.][
Competing at the ]2022 Winter Olympics
The 2022 Winter Olympics (2022年冬季奥林匹克运动会), officially called the XXIV Olympic Winter Games () and commonly known as Beijing 2022 (2022), was an international winter multi-sport event held from 4 to 20 February 2022 in Beij ...
in the dance event, Smart/Díaz placed ninth in the rhythm dance.[ They skated a new personal best in the free dance, breaking 120 points in the segment for the first time with a score of 121.41. Due to errors by higher-ranked teams Fournier Beaudry/]Sørensen Sørensen () is a Danish-Norwegian patronymic surname meaning "son of Søren" (given name equivalent of Severin). , it is the eighth most common surname in Denmark. Immigrants to English-speaking countries often changed the spelling to ''Sorense ...
, Gilles
The Gilles are the oldest and principal participants in the Carnival of Binche in Belgium. They go out on Shrove Tuesday from 4 am until late hours and dance to traditional songs. Other cities, such as La Louvière and Nivelles, have a traditio ...
/ Poirier and Stepanova/ Bukin they were sixth in that segment and rose to eighth overall.[
Smart/Díaz finished their season at the 2022 World Championships, held in ]Montpellier
Montpellier (, , ; oc, Montpelhièr ) is a city in southern France near the Mediterranean Sea. One of the largest urban centres in the region of Occitania (administrative region), Occitania, Montpellier is the prefecture of the Departments of ...
. Russian dance teams were absent due to the International Skating Union
The International Skating Union (ISU) is the international governing body for competitive ice skating disciplines, including figure skating, synchronized skating, speed skating, and short track speed skating. It was founded in Scheveningen, Net ...
banning all Russian athletes due to their country's invasion of Ukraine
The territory of present-day Ukraine has been Invasion, invaded or Military occupation, occupied a number of times throughout History of Ukraine, its history.
List
See also
*List of invasions
*List of wars involving Ukraine
References
...
.[ They finished seventh, the highest ever result for a Spanish team, and finally achieving the Spanish federation's long-desired goal of earning two berths for Spanish dance teams at the World Championships.][
On May 23, the Spanish federation announced that Díaz was retiring from competitive skating.][
]
Coaching career
On June 23, 2022, the Ice Academy of Montreal announced that Díaz would be working at their London, Ontario
London (pronounced ) is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada, along the Quebec City–Windsor Corridor. The city had a population of 422,324 according to the 2021 Canadian census. London is at the confluence of the Thames River, approximate ...
campus as a coach and choreographer alongside former training partner Scott Moir
Scott Patrick Moir OLY ( ; born September 2, 1987) is a Canadian retired ice dancer and coach. With ice dance partner Tessa Virtue, he is the 2010 and 2018 Olympic champion, the 2014 Olympic silver medalist, a three-time World champion (2010, ...
.[
His current students include:
*]Christina Carreira
Christina Carreira (born April 3, 2000) is a Canadian-born ice dancer who competes for the United States. With her skating partner, Anthony Ponomarenko, she is the 2022 Four Continents bronze medalist, the 2018 Rostelecom Cup bronze medalist, a ...
/ Anthony Ponomarenko
Anthony Ponomarenko (born January 5, 2001) is an American ice dancer. With his skating partner, Christina Carreira, he is the 2022 Four Continents bronze medalist, the 2018 Rostelecom Cup bronze medalist, a six-time medalist on the ISU Challenge ...
[
*]Haley Sales
Haley Sales (born December 26, 1996) is a Canadian ice dancer. With her skating partner, Nikolas Wamsteeker, she is the 2020 Bavarian Open bronze medallist and 2018 Lake Placid Ice Dance International bronze medallist. The two placed 9th at the ...
/ Nikolas Wamsteeker
Nikolas Wamsteeker (born October 28, 1996) is a Canadian ice dancer. With his skating partner, Haley Sales, he is the 2020 Bavarian Open bronze medallist and 2018 Lake Placid Ice Dance International bronze medallist. The two placed 9th at the 201 ...
[
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Programs
With Smart
With Hurtado
Competitive highlights
''GP: Grand Prix
Grand Prix ( , meaning ''Grand Prize''; plural Grands Prix), is a name sometimes used for competitions or sport events, alluding to the winner receiving a prize, trophy or honour
Grand Prix or grand prix may refer to:
Arts and entertainment ...
; CS: Challenger Series; JGP: Junior Grand Prix
The ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating (titled the ISU Junior Series in the 1997–98 season) is a series of international junior-level competitions organized by the International Skating Union. Medals are awarded in the disciplines of men ...
''
With Smart
With Hurtado
Detailed results
''Small medals for short and free programs awarded only at ISU Championships.''
With Smart
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Diaz, Adrian
1990 births
Living people
Spanish male ice dancers
Sportspeople from Barcelona
Male dancers from Catalonia
Figure skaters at the 2014 Winter Olympics
Figure skaters at the 2022 Winter Olympics
Olympic figure skaters for Spain
Universiade medalists in figure skating
21st-century Spanish dancers
Universiade silver medalists for Spain
Competitors at the 2015 Winter Universiade
Competitors at the 2013 Winter Universiade
Competitors at the 2011 Winter Universiade