Susanna Driano

Susanna Driano
Personal information
Country represented	Italy
Born	May 28, 1957 Seattle, Washington
Height	1.65 m (5 ft 5 in)
Former coach	Carlo Fassi
Skating club	Associazione Sportivi Ghiaccio Ambrosiana
Retired	1985
Medal record Figure skating: Ladies' singles Representing  Italy World Championships 1978 Ottawa Ladies' singles European Championships 1980 Gothenburg Ladies' singles 1977 Helsinki Ladies' singles

Susanna Driano (born May 28, 1957) is an Italian former competitive figure skater. She is the 1978 World bronze medalist, a two-time European bronze medalist (1976, 1980), and a six-time Italian national champion (1975–80).

Personal life

Driano was born on May 28, 1957 in Seattle, Washington,^[1] to a Canadian-born mother and Italian father.^[2]

Career

Driano competed internationally for Italy. In the 1974–75 season, she won the first of her six consecutive Italian national titles and was sent to her first ISU Championships; she finished sixth at the 1975 Europeans and ninth at the 1975 Worlds.

At the start of the following season, Driano was awarded the gold medal at the 1975 Skate Canada International. She placed fifth at the 1976 Europeans in Geneva, Switzerland; 7th at the 1976 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck, Austria; and tenth at the 1976 Worlds in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Driano won the bronze medal behind Anett Pötzsch and Dagmar Lurz at the 1977 European Championships in Helsinki, Finland. Her next major international medal came the following season. At the 1978 World Championships in Ottawa, Canada, she ranked fourth in figures, sixth in the short program, and sixth in the free program. She won the bronze medal behind Pötzsch and Linda Fratianne.^[3]

Driano was awarded bronze at the 1980 European Championships in Gothenburg, behind Pötzsch and Lurz. She placed 6th in figures, 14th in the short, 10th in the free, and 8th overall at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York. She withdrew from the 1980 World Championships and stopped competing but never turned professional. Making a brief return to competition, she placed fourth at the 1985 Winter Universiade in Belluno, Italy.

Driano was coached by Carlo Fassi.^[4]

Results

International
Event	74–75	75–76	76–77	77–78	78–79	79–80	84–85
Olympics		7th				8th
Worlds	9th	10th	6th	3rd	8th	WD
Europeans	6th	5th	3rd	5th	8th	3rd
Skate America						2nd
Skate Canada		1st
NHK Trophy						4th
Schäfer Memorial						1st
Richmond Trophy			2nd		1st
Universiade							4th
International
Italian Champ.	1st	1st	1st	1st	1st	1st
WD: Withdrew

References

1. "Susanna Driano". Sports Reference.
2. "Allen Holds onto Skating Lead". Anchorage Daily News. September 22, 1979.
3. "Fratianne Wins Silver, Tickner Cops Gold". The Hour, Norwalk Conn. March 11, 1978.
4. "Die Damen-Wahl". Der Spiegel. 10 December 1979.