Daniel Grassl: "I'm not the most talented, but..."

He is correspondingly ambitious for the new figure skating season. With a big highlight: the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. However, there are still several hurdles and highlights ahead.

A few weeks ago, Daniel Grassl started the most important season of his young career. The 19-year-old has a busy schedule waiting for him. In addition to the many international competitions at the highest level, the Olympic Games in February 2022 are the big highlight for the people of Merano. Preparation for this began several years ago and was only marginally influenced by the pandemic. Maximum flexibility and adaptation to constantly changing conditions was the key.

Daniel Grassl: “I successfully passed my high school diploma in the summer. I then spent 3 weeks in France, where I worked on my 2 new programs with my long-time choreographer Benoit Richaud. Afterwards I was in Fondo am Nonsberg for a few weeks and then was supposed to fly to Colorado in the USA. However, there were problems with the entry visa, so I had to turn back in Frankfurt. So I spent the rest of the preparation at my home training facility in Neumarkt. The summer was an exciting time full of obstacles, but we made the best of it.” “The chances of winning a medal are realistic” Daniel Grassl with regard to the European Championships For the Olympics, Grassl has once again dedicated itself to more classic tones this season. He runs the short program on the theme of “Nureyev” by Ilan Eschkeri and the free program on the sounds of Interstellar and Armageddon based on an arrangement by Cedric Tour. “My programs should always tell a story. Like the short program about Nureyev: He was a Soviet ballet dancer, and although he wasn't particularly talented, through hard work he managed to become one of the best ballet dancers of the 20th century. That's partly my story too. I'm not necessarily the most talented when it comes to the artistic and running side of things. But of course I'm trying very hard to get to the top here too. That’s why I worked even more with my choreographer on my expression and movements so that both programs are of high quality.”

Grassl was able to reap the first fruits of his hard work just a few weeks ago. At the Lombardia Trophy in Bergamo, the three-time Italian champion managed to set a new personal best in the free skate with 173,54 points. Last year's fourth-place finisher at the European Championships even managed to successfully land 3 quadruple jumps and all 3 off the right foot in the first third of his free skate. Above all, it is the jumping elements that suit the Merano native the most. Even as a child, his main passion was jumping. At 19 years old, he is considered an absolute jumping talent, having mastered all quadruple jumps perfectly.

Daniel Grassl continues to refine his performances. © AFP / JONATHAN NACKSTRAND

Grassl is already in action at his next competition this week, namely the American Grand Prix in Las Vegas. In the city of gambling, he doesn't want to rely on luck, but has a specific goal in mind. “I definitely want to do my best and run well,” said Grassl a few days before his departure. First Grand Prix in the general class This season, coach Lorenzo Magri's student is taking part in the major Grand Prix competitions in the general class for the first time and no longer in the juniors. With Las Vegas and Turin he was nominated for two of the big events and is particularly looking forward to the Grand Prix in Piedmont. “It is the first time that a World Figure Skating Cup will be held in Turin and in the hall where the 2 Olympic Games took place. There will definitely be a lot of spectators, which I'm particularly looking forward to. It would be fantastic if I could qualify for the Grand Prix Final. It will be a difficult undertaking, but not impossible.”

Grassl has also set high goals for the other major competitions. After he narrowly missed the podium with fourth place at the European Championships in Graz last year, the desire for a medal is of course great. However, this goal should not dominate events. “A medal would be nice and the chances of winning a medal are realistic, but I don’t want to let that drive me crazy, I just want to concentrate on a good performance and enjoy the competition.” Grassl is now starting in Las Vegas With the Olympic Games in Beijing just a few weeks after the European Championships in Tallinn, Grassl is fulfilling a big dream of his sporting career. The games in China will not be about a medal, but rather the fulfillment of the dream of participation and a good performance are in the foreground. “The World Cup at the end of the season in Montpellier (France) will also be important. Since many top athletes will end their careers with the Games in Beijing at the end of the Olympic cycle, the subsequent World Cup in March is yet another reason for me to take the next step. This will be the perfect opportunity for me to end this cycle with a good placing and set the course for the following season.”

This week Grassl will compete in his first Grand Prix competition in the highest performance class in Las Vegas in the US state of Nevada. Here he already faces tough competition. Above all, the three-time world champion from the USA, Nathan Chen, who is also called “King Quad”, is the favorite to win the first World Cup event. Shoma Uno from Japan can also point to several World Cup medals and is also aiming for a place in the top 3. Together with Grassl, 11 participants from the strongest figure skating nations are represented. The short program takes place on Friday and the free program takes place on Saturday.

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Daniel Grassl: "I'm not the most talented, but..."

He is only 19 years young. Nevertheless, he masters all quadruple jumps flawlessly and has already established himself among the top field of the best figure skaters in the world. But it's still not enough. Daniel Grassl also knows this.

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