Michael Chrastecky

Michael Chrastecky (born 19 July 1999) is a Czech-born Slovenian–Italian ice dancer. With his former skating partner, Carolina Portesi Peroni, he is the 2023 Italian national bronze medalist, a two-time Italian junior national champion (2020 & 2021) and competed in the final segment at the 2020 World Junior Championships. In September 2021, at the qualifications for the 2022 Winter Olympics, they placed as the third reserve.

He is living in the Zürich metropolitan area in Switzerland.

Competing for Slovenia with his former skating partner, Mina Švajger, he is the 2016 Slovenian junior national champion.

Personal life Early years in Sarajevo Michael Chrastecky was born on 19 July 1999 in Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic to Czech parents. In 2001 his family relocated to Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. He began skating at the age of six in the Zetra Olympic Hall. His first coach in figure skating was Karlo Požgajčić. In 2005, he started to attend elementary school in Sarajevo.

Childhood in Ljubljana In 2007 his parents relocated to Ljubljana, Slovenia. He was coached by Manja Robič-Zima, Silvo Švajger and Gordana Smrekar. During the summer months, he took part in summer camps with the coach Vladimir Dvojnikov in Trenčín, Slovakia and Ostrava, Czechia. In 2015, he switched to ice dance teaming up with Mina Švajger. He attended the Danila Kumar International School and the Bežigrad Grammar School. In May 2017 he successfully completed the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme.

Career in Milan In 2016, Michael relocated to Milan, Italy to pursue his career in ice dancing teaming up with Carolina Portesi Peroni. They were coached by Barbara Fusar Poli, Roberto Pelizzola, Lukáš Csölley and Corrado Giordani. Their training locations involved: the Mediolanum Forum in Assago Milan and Ice Lab Bergamo during the winther months, and Torre Pellice and Piazzatorre during the summer months. In 2020 they became Italian junior national champions. In 2021 they became junior national champions for the second time and also won the circuit of Gran Premio Italia 2020-21 (Italian Grand Prix of Figure Skating).

Michael Chrastecky became an Italian citizen in September 2021 via naturalization for sports merits,