Olympics-Figure skating-Italy's ice dance couple savour Valentine's Day at home Games

By Rory Carroll

MILAN, Feb 14 (Reuters) - Italian ice dance partners Charlene Guignard and Marco Fabbri enjoyed their final Olympic Valentine's Day on Saturday with their medals in hand and, for once, some time to breathe.

The romantic partners, who won bronze in the team event last Sunday, said it felt unlike previous February 14s at the Games because they have finished their competitions and no longer have their time dictated every hour by the demands of skating.

"It's a different experience for us," a relaxed Fabbri said at a Valentine's Day event at Samsung House in Milan, where they cut into a cake and exchanged heartfelt video messages.

"It's not the first time we've spent Valentine's Day at the Olympic Games, but it is in this context," he said.

Guignard, who switched allegiance from France to Italy after they joined forces, said the contrast with Beijing was sharp.

At the 2022 Winter Games, which took place under strict COVID-19 restrictions, they skated their free dance on Valentine's Day itself, leaving little room for celebration.

"Now it's definitely different," Fabbri said, agreeing it was "more relaxing" this time around.

The pair said they planned to savour the evening and the atmosphere of an Olympics staged on Italian ice.

Their story began far from the spotlight, when both found themselves abruptly without partners at the end of the 2009 season.

Fabbri was skating for Italy, Guignard for France. Looking to restart their careers, they connected through an online figure skating partner-matching site, Ice Partner Search, and arranged a tryout in France.

"Since the beginning, we felt that something could work between us," Fabbri said. More than 16 years later, they are still skating side by side - and their partnership quickly became personal as well.

Asked how long it took the professional connection to turn romantic, both replied: "Pretty quickly."

With the Games nearing their close, Guignard and Fabbri said they were focused on one more performance - the exhibition ice skating gala on the eve of the closing ceremony.

Fabbri said they want to "skate with our hearts" and soak up what he called the final emotions of the Games.

The pair have said these will be their last Olympics, making the gala an encore framed not just by medals, but by a shared life that began with a tryout and a leap of faith.