BEHIND THE BOARDS
From the moment the flamboyant Frenchman Florent Amodio began competing on the international circuit, his expressive style and outgoing personality made him a fan favorite.
Following his retirement in 2016, Amodio found his calling as a coach, and in 2018 opened his own skating academy in Vaujany, France.
Amodio enjoyed a long career, winning four national titles, the 2008 Junior Grand Prix Final crown and a complete set of medals from the European Championships: Gold in his debut in 2011, bronze in 2012 and silver in 2013. He competed at five World Championships, with his best result coming in Nice, France, in 2012, where he finished fifth.
His two Olympic Winter Games appearances did not yield the results he had hoped for. Amodio finished 12th in his debut in Vancouver in 2010 and four years later ranked 18th in Sochi.
Many will remember his last appearance at the 2016 European Championships in Bratislava, Slovakia, where he finished fourth. The then 25-year-old had already decided before the competition that he would retire immediately afterward and would not go to the World Championships in Boston.
“It was a dream that came true,” Amodio said of his last competitive outing. “From the very beginning to the end of the program, I gave an excellent performance, and each jump was
