Karel Zelenka

Zelenka was born in 1983 in Louny, Czechoslovakia.^[1] His father is a figure skating coach.^[2] The family moved to Italy when the younger Zelenka was six years old.^[2] He received Italian citizenship in January 2006.^[3]

Zelenka debuted on the ISU Junior Series (ISU Junior Grand Prix) in 1997. He won the Italian junior title in the 1998–99 season and was sent to his first ISU Championship – 1999 Junior Worlds in Zagreb, Croatia, where he finished 20th after qualifying to the final segment.

Zelenka placed 19th at the 2000 Junior Worlds in Oberstdorf, Germany, and 8th at the 2001 Junior Worlds in Sofia, Bulgaria. In October 2001, he won the silver medal at his JGP assignment in Poland.

Zelenka won the first of his five consecutive senior national titles in the 2002–03 season. He reached the free skate at the 2003 European Championships in Malmö but was eliminated after the short program at the 2003 World Championships in Washington, D.C.

Zelenka competed at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin; he placed 25th in the short program and missed qualifying to the free skate by one spot. He achieved his career-best ISU Championship placement, 7th, at the 2007 European Championships in Warsaw.

He trained in Milan, Italy; Oberstdorf, Germany; and Switzerland.^[4][5][6]

GP: Grand Prix; JGP: Junior Grand Prix

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Karel Zelenka.

• Official site
• Karel Zelenka at the International Skating Union