Adrián Díaz

Spanish ice dancer From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Adrián Díaz

Adrián (or Adrià) Díaz Bronchud (born 17 September 1990) is a Spanish skating coach and retired competitive ice dancer. Initially rising to prominence on the international scene partnered with Sara Hurtado, the duo won six senior international medals and five Spanish national titles and were the first dance team to represent Spain in ISU competition.[1] They qualified for the Olympic Games, finishing thirteenth at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, and achieving their best ISU Championship result when they placed fifth at the 2015 European Championships.

Quick Facts Full name, Other names ...
Adrián Díaz
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Olivia Smart and Adrián Díaz at the 2017 World Championships
Full nameAdrián Díaz Bronchud
Other namesAdrià Díaz
Born (1990-09-17) 17 September 1990 (age 34)
Barcelona, Spain
Height1.72 m (5 ft 7+12 in)
Figure skating career
Country Spain
DisciplineIce dance
PartnerOlivia Smart (2016–22)
Sara Hurtado (2008–15)
Began skating1995
RetiredMay 23, 2022
Medal record
Spanish Championships
2009 Logroño Ice dance
2012 Jaca Ice dance
2013 Majadahonda Ice dance
2014 Jaca Ice dance
2015 Granada Ice dance
2018 Jaca Ice dance
2020 San Sebastián Ice dance
2022 Jaca Ice dance
2017 Vielha Ice dance
2019 Logroño Ice dance
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Following the end of his partnership with Hurtado, Díaz formed a new partnership with English ice dancer Olivia Smart, with whom he was the 2021 Skate Canada International bronze medalist, a four-time Challenger Series medalist, and a three-time Spanish national champion. Smart/Díaz represented Spain at the 2022 Winter Olympics 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.[2] He studied sports science at university.[3] He formerly competed as Adrià Díaz but prefers to be called Adrián or Adri.[4] He began dating American ice dancer Madison Hubbell in 2014. The couple announced their engagement in April 2018.[5] They got married on June 7, 2023, in Vilanova i la Geltrú, Spain.

Skating career

Summarize
Perspective

Early years

Díaz started skating in 1995.[6] After skating in singles, he became interested in switching to ice dance in 2006 and asked a fellow single skater, Sara Hurtado, to go with him to a summer camp organized by the Spanish federation (FEDH) with French coach Romain Haguenauer.[7] Hurtado said, "We begged the Federation for two years, please, please, we want to do ice dance."[3] In early 2008, FEDH hired British coach John Dunn to teach ice dancing in Madrid.[3][8][9]

Ice dance with Sara Hurtado

2008–09 season

Hurtado/Díaz began competing together internationally in the 2008–09 season. Their first major international event was the 2009 World Junior Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria, where they finished thirty-second.

2009–10 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, Netherlands.

2010–11 season

Hurtado/Díaz competed on the Junior Grand Prix circuit while participating in several senior internationals. They finished fifteenth at the 2011 European Championships in Bern, Switzerland, won a bronze medal at the Bavarian Open and finished fourth at the Winter Universiade.

They placed ninth at the World Junior Championships in Gangneung, South Korea. They then competed in Moscow, Russia, at their first senior World Championships; 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.

2011–12 season

Hurtado/Díaz moved to London, England, in mid-2011 after Dunn accepted a coaching job in his native country.[10][11] In November, they competed at their first-ever Grand Prix event, the 2011 Trophée Éric Bompard, where they placed eighth (last). In December 2011, they ended their relationship with Dunn and relocated to Montreal, Quebec, Canada, to train under Marie-France Dubreuil and Patrice Lauzon.[12][13][14]

Ranked twelfth in the short dance and seventeenth in the free dance, Hurtado/Díaz finished sixteenth at the 2012 European Championships in Sheffield, England. They qualified to the free dance at the 2012 World Championships in Nice, France, and finished nineteenth overall.

2012–13 season

Hurtado/Díaz did not compete on the Grand Prix series. They placed fifteenth at the 2013 European Championships in Zagreb, Croatia, and nineteenth at the 2013 World Championships in London, Ontario, Canada.

2013–14 season: Sochi Olympics

At the 2013 Nebelhorn Trophy, Hurtado/Díaz became the first ice dancers to qualify for an Olympic entry for Spain.[15] They had no Grand Prix assignments. In January 2014, they finished tenth at the 2014 European Championships in Budapest, Hungary, allowing Spain to send two ice dancing teams to the next Europeans.[16]

One month later, Hurtado/Díaz competed at the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia;[2] 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.

2014–15 season

Returning to the Grand Prix series, Hurtado/Díaz placed eighth at the 2014 Skate Canada International and 4th at the 2014 Trophée Éric Bompard. They then achieved career-best ISU Championship results, finishing fifth with a new personal best score at the 2015 European Championships in Stockholm, Sweden, and then fourteenth at the 2015 World Championships in Shanghai, China.

2015–16 season

Hurtado/Díaz were invited to two Grand Prix events – the 2015 Trophée Éric Bompard and the 2015 Rostelecom Cup. However, on 16 October 2015, Hurtado announced on her personal Facebook page that she had decided to end the partnership.[17][18] In a later interview, Hurtado stated that their partnership had experienced problems for some time and that therapy had not helped resolve these issues.[19]

Ice dance with Olivia Smart

2016–17 season

On 13 December 2015, it was announced that Díaz would represent Spain with British ice dancer Olivia Smart and that they would train in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.[20] On 15 January 2016, Smart announced that the British skating association had released her.[21]

Making their international debut, Smart/Díaz took silver behind Pogrebinsky/Benoit at the Lake Placid Ice Dance International in late July 2016. They later competed at three ISU Challenger Series events, placing fourth at the 2016 U.S. International Classic, sixth at the 2016 CS Autumn Classic International, and sixth at the 2016 CS Finlandia Trophy, before winning gold at the Open d'Andorra.

Smart/Díaz finished second to Hurtado and her new partner Kirill Khaliavin 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. Later that month, Federación Española Deportes de Hielo (FEDH) selected them to compete at the 2017 World Championships, the main Olympic-qualifying competition.[22] The two placed 16th in the short dance, 19th in the free dance, and 18th overall at the event in Helsinki, Finland. Their result allowed Spain to send one ice dancing team to the Olympics.

2017–18 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 and Spanish Championships.[23]

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 in October. In December, they placed fifth at the 2017 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb, 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.[24][25] They finished twelfth at the event in Milan, Italy.

2018–19 season

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Smart and Díaz at the 2018 Skate Canada International

Smart/Díaz began their season at the Autumn Classic International 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 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.

2019–20 season

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Smart and Díaz at the 2019 Internationaux de France

Smart/Díaz began the season with a victory at the 2019 Lake Placid Ice Dance International and then placed fourth at the 2019 CS Autumn Classic International. At their first Grand Prix assignment, 2019 Skate America, they placed fourth, with three new personal bests set.[26][27] Smart/Díaz concluded the Grand Prix with another fourth-place finish at the 2019 Internationaux de France.[28]

After winning the Spanish national title for the second time, they finished eighth at the 2020 European Championships, below Hurtado/Khaliavin in seventh place.[29] Despite this, they were assigned to compete at the World Championships in Montreal, but these were cancelled as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.[30]

2020–21 season

Smart/Díaz were assigned to the 2020 Skate Canada International, but this event was also cancelled due to the pandemic.[31]

While Smart/Díaz were listed on the preliminary entry list for the 2021 World Championships, the Spanish Ice Sports Federation 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.[32] On March 7, the Spanish federation announced that the berth had been awarded to Hurtado/Khaliavin.[33]

2021–22 season: Beijing Olympics

Smart/Díaz began the Olympic season at the 2021 CS Autumn Classic International, where they won the silver medal, setting new personal best scores in the free dance and overall in the process.[34] 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.[35] They then came fourth at their second event, the 2021 CS Finlandia Trophy.[36]

Competing on the Grand Prix at the 2021 Skate America, they placed fourth in the rhythm dance, 1.27 points behind Canadian training partners Fournier Beaudry/Sørensen. They came third in the free dance but remained fourth overall by 0.54 points.[37] Their Zorro 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."[38] The following week at their second Grand Prix, 2021 Skate Canada International, they were third in both segments of the competition, winning the bronze medal, their first Grand Prix medal.[39]

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.[40] Both teams then went to the 2022 European Championships, 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.[41] With a cumulative margin of 13.33 points, Smart/Díaz were subsequently named to Spain's Olympic team.[42]

Competing at the 2022 Winter Olympics in the dance event, Smart/Díaz placed ninth in the rhythm dance.[43] 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, Gilles/Poirier and Stepanova/Bukin they were sixth in that segment and rose to eighth overall.[44]

Smart/Díaz finished their season at the 2022 World Championships, held in Montpellier. Russian dance teams were absent due to the International Skating Union banning all Russian athletes due to their country's invasion of Ukraine.[45] 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.[46]

On May 23, the Spanish federation announced that Díaz was retiring from competitive skating.[47]

Coaching career

On June 23, 2022, the Ice Academy of Montreal announced that Díaz would be working at their London, Ontario campus as a coach and choreographer alongside former training partner Scott Moir and wife, Madison Hubbell.[48]

His current students include:

As a choreographer, his clients have included:

Programs

Summarize
Perspective

Ice dance with Olivia Smart

More information Season, Short dance ...
Season Short dance Free dance Exhibition
2021–2022
[56]
2020–2021
2019–2020
[57]
2018–2019
[58]
  • Tango: A Evaristo Carriego
    performed by Orquestra Color Tango
2017–2018
[6]
2016–2017
[60]
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Ice dance with Sara Hurtado

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Hurtado and Díaz at the 2012 Nebelhorn Trophy.
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Hurtado and Díaz perform a lift at the 2011 European Championships.
More information Season, Short dance ...
Season Short dance Free dance Exhibition
2015–2016
[61][62][63]

2014–2015
[64][65]


choreo. by Antonio Najarro


2013–2014
[1][66][67]
  • Quickstep: Steppin' Out With My Baby
    (from "Insongniac")
    by Tim Draxl
  • Foxtrot: Boardwalk Empire
  • Charleston
2012–2013
[14][68][69]
  • Waltz: Jane's Waltz
  • Polka: Modern Times
  • Little Wing
    by Stevie Ray Vaughan
  • Pride and Joy
    by Stevie Ray Vaughan
2011–2012
[70][71]
2010–2011
[72][73]

Original dance
2009–2010
[74][75]
2008–2009
[76][77]
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Competitive highlights

Ice dance with Olivia Smart

More information Season, 2016–17 ...
Competition placements at senior level[78]
Season 2016–17 2017–18 2018–19 2019–20 2021–22
Winter Olympics 8th
World Championships 18th 12th C 7th
European Championships 8th 8th 4th
Spanish Championships 2nd 1st 2nd 1st 1st
GP France 7th 4th
GP Skate America 4th 4th
GP Skate Canada 6th 5th 3rd
CS Autumn Classic 6th 4th 2nd 4th 2nd
CS Cup of Austria 3rd
CS Finlandia Trophy 6th 2nd 4th
CS Golden Spin of Zagreb 5th
CS Nebelhorn Trophy 5th
CS U.S. Classic 4th 7th
Bavarian Open 2nd
Lake Placid Ice Dance 2nd 1st
Open d'Andorra 1st
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Ice dance with Sara Hurtado

More information Season, 2008–09 ...
Competition placements at senior level[79][80]
Season 2008–09 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15
Winter Olympics 13h
World Championships 23rd 19th 19th 16th 14th
European Championships 15th 16th 15th 10th 5th
Spanish Championships 1st 1st 1st 1st 1st
GP Skate Canada 8th
GP Trophée Éric Bompard 8th 4th
CS Autumn Classic 5th
CS Golden Spin of Zagreb 11th 8th 5th 3rd
Bavarian Open 3rd
Cup of Nice 3rd 2nd
Mentor Toruń Cup 2nd
Nebelhorn Trophy 7th 9th 8th
NRW Trophy 6th
Trophy of Lyon 2nd
Winter Universiade 4th 8th 2nd
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More information Season, 2008–09 ...
Competition placements at junior level[79][80]
Season 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11
World Junior Championships 32nd 16th 9th
Spanish Championships 1st 1st
JGP Germany 5th
JGP Great Britain 10th
JGP South Africa 9th
JGP Spain WD
JGP Turkey 6th
JGP United States 10th
Bavarian Open 4th 1st
European Youth Olympic Festival 7th
NRW Trophy 6th 8th
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Detailed results

Ice dance with Olivia Smart

More information Date, Event ...
2021–22 season
Date Event RD FD Total
March 21–27, 2022 2022 World Championships 6
79.40
7
115.23
7
194.63
February 12–14, 2022 2022 Winter Olympics 9
77.70
6
121.41
8
199.11
January 10–16, 2022 2022 European Championships 5
77.99
4
118.87
4
196.86
December 16–19, 2021 2021 Spanish Championships 1
80.70
1
121.77
1
202.47
November 11–14, 2021 2021 CS Cup of Austria 2
78.53
3
111.35
3
189.88
October 29–31, 2021 2021 Skate Canada International 3
76.97
3
115.96
3
192.93
October 22–24, 2021 2021 Skate America 4
74.06
3
115.63
4
189.69
October 7–10, 2021 2021 CS Finlandia Trophy 5
72.67
5
113.15
4
185.82
September 16–18, 2021 2021 CS Autumn Classic International 2
75.20
2
116.11
2
191.31
2019–20 season
Date Event RD FD Total
January 20–26, 2020 2020 European Championships 9
72.19
8
110.93
8
183.12
December 13–15, 2019 2019 Spanish Championships 1
80.07
1
118.26
1
198.33
November 1–3, 2019 2019 Internationaux de France 4
76.09
4
112.09
4
188.18
October 18–20, 2019 2019 Skate America 4
76.62
4
114.39
4
191.01
September 12–14, 2019 2019 Autumn Classic International 4
70.63
4
110.88
4
181.51
30 July - 2 August 2019 2019 Lake Placid Ice Dance International 4
70.11
1
114.51
1
184.62
2018–19 season
Date Event RD FD Total
21–27 January 2019 2019 European Championships 6
70.02
9
106.82
8
176.84
14–16 December 2018 2018 Spanish Championships 1
69.86
2
108.82
2
178.68
23–25 November 2018 2018 Internationaux de France 5
68.16
8
97.53
7
165.69
26–28 October 2018 2018 Skate Canada International 3
72.35
5
104.22
5
176.57
4–7 October 2018 2018 CS Finlandia Trophy 2
72.61
2
107.46
2
180.07
20–22 September 2018 2018 CS Autumn Classic 2
67.35
2
104.06
2
171.41
2017–18 season
Date Event SD FD Total
19–25 March 2018 2018 World Championships 12
63.73
12
98.32
12
162.05
15–17 December 2017 2017 Spanish Championships 1
69.61
2
98.16
1
167.77
6–9 December 2017 2017 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb 5
63.12
5
96.28
5
159.40
27–29 October 2017 2017 Skate Canada International 4
64.34
7
90.47
6
154.81
20–23 September 2017 2017 CS Autumn Classic 5
61.18
4
93.88
4
155.56
13–17 September 2017 2017 US Classic 8
48.15
6
83.98
7
132.13
2016–17 season
Date Event SD FD Total
29 March – 2 April 2017 2017 World Championships 16
60.93
19
84.68
18
145.61
14–19 February 2017 2017 Bavarian Open 2
67.52
2
104.18
2
171.70
16–20 November 2016 2016 Open d'Andorra 1
63.47
1
100.93
1
164.40
6–10 October 2016 2016 Finlandia Trophy 6
55.89
6
86.23
6
142.12
28 Sept. – 1 Oct. 2016 2016 CS Autumn Classic 5
56.10
6
85.40
6
141.50
14–18 September 2016 2016 US Classic 3
57.12
5
81.22
4
138.34
28–29 July 2016 2016 Lake Placid IDI 2
62.32
2
83.17
2
145.49
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References

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