Maurizio Margaglio
He and partner Barbara Fusar-Poli put Italian ice dancing on the map, capturing a World title and an Olympic bronze with dramatic flair.
Born 1974 (age 52)·Italian ice dancer·Birthday: November 16·Generation X
Biography
Maurizio Margaglio, paired with Barbara Fusar-Poli, formed one of ice dancing's most electric and successful duos of the early 2000s. Their partnership was built on intense chemistry and theatrical presentation, breaking the traditional hold of Russian and North American teams on the sport's highest podium. Their breakthrough year was 2001, when they stunned the skating world by winning both the European and World Championships, a first for Italy. The following year at the Salt Lake City Olympics, their free dance was a masterpiece of tension and release, securing a bronze medal and cementing their place in Italian sports history. After retiring from competition, Margaglio smoothly transitioned into coaching, passing on his expertise in intricate footwork and expressive performance to a new generation of skaters.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Maurizio was born in 1974, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Maurizio Was Born
The biggest hits of 1974
#1 Movie
The Towering Inferno
Best Picture
The Godfather Part II
#1 TV Show
All in the Family
Maurizio's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1974Born
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1979Started school
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1987Became a teenager
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1990Could drive
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
1992Could vote
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
1995Turned 21
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
2004Turned 30
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
2014Turned 40
Russia annexes Crimea; Ebola outbreak in West Africa
Gas: $3.37/galHome: $160,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Happy" — Pharrell WilliamsBest Picture: Birdman
2024Turned 50
AI reshapes industries; Paris Olympics
Gas: $3.31/galHome: $372,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Espresso" — Sabrina CarpenterBest Picture: Anora
2026Age 52 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the World Figure Skating Championships in ice dance with Barbara Fusar-Poli in 2001.
- Captured the European Figure Skating Championships title in 2001.
- Earned an Olympic bronze medal at the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City.
- Won nine consecutive Italian national championships from 1994 to 2002.
Did You Know?
Their dramatic stare-down at the end of their Olympic free dance in Salt Lake City became one of the most memorable images of the Games.
He later coached the Finnish ice dance team of Juulia Turkkila and Matthias Versluis.
He and Fusar-Poli briefly came out of retirement to compete at the 2006 Turin Olympics, finishing sixth.
“The story we tell on the ice must be felt in the body before it can be understood by the mind.”
