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Robert Kunkel

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Robert Kunkel
Hocke and Kunkel during their free skate at the 2024 World Championships
Born (1999-04-28) 28 April 1999 (age 25)
Berlin, Germany
HometownBerlin
Height1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Figure skating career
CountryGermany Germany
PartnerAnnika Hocke (since 2019)
Talisa Thomalla (2014–19)
CoachOndrej Hotarek
Luca Demattè
Skating clubSC Charlottenburg Berlin
Began skating2004
Medal record
Figure skating: Pairs
Representing  Germany
European Championships
Bronze medal – third place 2023 Espoo Pairs

Robert Kunkel (born 28 April 1999) is a German pair skater. With his skating partner, Annika Hocke, he is the 2023 European bronze medalist, the 2023 Skate America champion, 2022 Grand Prix de France bronze medalist, and has won five medals on the ISU Challenger Series, including gold at the 2022 CS Finlandia Trophy. Domestically they are the 2023 German national champions.

With his former skating partner, Talisa Thomalla, he is a two-time two German junior national champion (2017, 2019).

Career

[edit]

Early career

[edit]
Thomalla and Kunkel at the 2018 World Junior Championships

Kunkel began figure skating in 2004.[1] He originally competed as a singles skater before teaming up with Talisa Thomalla in 2014 to compete in the pairs discipline. The duo trained in Berlin, where they were coached by Romy Oesterreich and Rico Rex. Together, they won two German junior national titles and competed at three World Junior Championships, finishing as high as seventh. Their partnership would dissolve following the 2018–19 figure skating season.[2][3]

Partnership with Hocke

[edit]

2019–20 season

[edit]
Hocke and Kunkel at the 2019–20 Junior Grand Prix Final

It summer 2019, it was announced that Kunkel had teamed up with fellow German pair skater, Annika Hocke and that they would be coached in Berlin by Rico Rex, Dmitri Savin, Alexander Koenig, and Romy Oesterreich.[4] Despite Hocke having previously competed at the Olympics, the pair were still age-eligible for international junior competitions, and so began on the Junior Grand Prix, where they won two bronze medals at JGP Croatia and JGP Poland, and were the only non-Russian team to qualify to the Junior Grand Prix Final, where they placed sixth.[5] On the senior level, Hocke/Kunkel debuted at the 2019 CS Warsaw Cup, placing sixth, and then won silver medals at the German nationals championships and the 2020 Bavarian Open. They were seventh at the 2020 European Championships.[6]

Hocke/Kunkel concluded the season at the 2020 World Junior Championships, where they placed fourth and won a small bronze medal for a third-place finish in the free skate; only Kunkel invalidating their pair spin element by putting both feet down kept them from winning the overall bronze medal. Despite this, Hocke remarked, "our first and last Junior World Championships — it was amazing!"[7] They had been scheduled to make their senior World Championship debut in Montreal, but the Championships were cancelled as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.[8]

2020–21 season

[edit]

With the pandemic continuing to affect events, Hocke/Kunkel made their season debut at the 2020 CS Nebelhorn Trophy, which featured only pairs training in Europe.[9] They were second in the short program, behind countrymen Hase/Seegert, who subsequently had to withdraw because of injury. They were overtaken in the free skate by Italian team Ghilardi/Ambrosini and won the silver medal.[10]

Hocke/Kunkel were scheduled to make their Grand Prix debut at the 2020 Internationaux de France, but the event was cancelled due to the pandemic.[11]

Initially, both Hocke/Kunkel and Hase/Seegert were assigned to represent Germany at the 2021 World Championships in Stockholm, but Hase/Seegert were forced to withdraw after Hase sustained a leg injury, leaving Hocke/Kunkel as the lone representative.[12] They placed thirteenth in their Worlds debut.[13]

2021–22 season

[edit]

Hocke/Kunkel began the season at the 2021 CS Nebelhorn Trophy, where they placed fourth. Hocke said afterward she was pleased with their performance in light of multiple disruptions to their summer training caused by injury and illness.[14] They went on to place eleventh at the 2021 CS Finlandia Trophy.[15]

Initially assigned to the 2021 Cup of China on the Grand Prix, Hocke/Kunkel were reassigned to the 2021 Gran Premio d'Italia following the former event's cancellation.[16] They placed eighth in the short program, and then withdrew for medical reasons.[17] In the new year, they finished thirteenth at the 2022 European Championships.[15]

2022–23 season

[edit]

Before the season, Hocke/Kunkel relocated to Bergamo, Italy with Ondrej Hotarek, Franca Bianconi, and Rosanna Murante becoming their new coaches. They began the season with a bronze medal at the 2022 CS Nebelhorn Trophy and a gold medal at the 2022 CS Finlandia Trophy. Kunkel contracted COVID-19 shortly after the Finlandia Trophy, impeding their preparations for the Grand Prix, but they were able to compete at their first assignment, the 2022 Grand Prix de France. They won the bronze medal, their first Grand Prix medal, with Kunkel saying they were "very happy with the outcome."[18]

On November 15, Hocke announced via her Instagram that she and Kunkel had withdrawn from the 2022 NHK Trophy due to Hocke testing positive for COVID-19 just prior to the event.[19]

Hocke/Kunkel returned to competition at the German championships, winning their first national gold medal and an assignment to compete at the 2023 European Championships. With Russian pairs banned from competing due to the Russo-Ukrainian War, the podium was considered far more open than in prior years. Both made jump errors in the short program, but they finished second in the segment, winning a silver small medal.[20][21] Third in the free skate, they dropped to third overall, winning the bronze medal.[22][23] Hocke/Kunkel finished the season at the 2023 World Championships, where they came ninth.[24]

2023–24 season

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Hocke and Kunkel during their short program at the 2024 World Championships

Hocke/Kunkel began the season by winning the bronze medal at the 2023 CS Lombardia Trophy, finishing behind new domestic rivals Hase/Volodin.[25] They went on to win a second Challenger bronze on home soil at the 2023 CS Nebelhorn Trophy, finishing 2.70 points behind Italian silver medalists Beccari/Guarise. Hocke said afterward that they were "very happy with where we are at this point in the season."[26] They were invited to the Shanghai Trophy, taking the silver medal.[15]

Beginning on the Grand Prix at the 2023 Skate America, Hocke/Kunkel narrowly won the short program despite Hocke falling on her triple Salchow attempt.[27] They won the free skate as well, winning their first Grand Prix gold.[28] In the interval between their Grand Prix assignments, Hocke was ill.[29] They finished fourth at the 2023 Cup of China after making multiple errors in both segments.[30] Their placements were sufficient to qualify them to the Grand Prix Final in fifth position.[31] However, they were forced to withdraw after Kunkel developed an injury causing "immense" pain.[32] They were replaced by first alternates Pavlova/Sviatchenko of Hungary.[31]

Kunkel recovered sufficiently for the team to resume practice three weeks before the 2024 European Championships, where they came seventh. He said that they "didn't feel any pressure. We had nothing to lose. Of course, mistakes are annoying. Overall the result is not that bad."[33] The team then finished the season at the 2024 World Championships in Montreal, where they were seventh in the short program with a clean skate. Fifth in the free skate, they rose to fifth overall. Kunkel said that he was pleased that they had "finally" been able to prepare without dealing with injuries, while Hocke called it one of the "competitions you dream of."[34]

2024–25 season

[edit]

Hocke/Kunkel started the season with a fifth-place finish at the 2024 CS Lombardia Trophy.[15] They would go on to compete on the 2024–25 Grand Prix series. At their first Grand Prix event, 2024 Skate Canada International, Hocke/Kunkel would place second in the short program but fourth in the free skate, falling to fourth place overall. Kunkel described the event as "a little bit frustrating."[35] They would subsequently finish fourth at the 2024 NHK Trophy.[15]

Programs

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With Hocke

[edit]
Season Short program Free skating Exhibition
2024–2025
[36]
2023–2024
[1]
2022–2023
[37] 		Mamma Mia!:
2021–2022
[38]
  • The Other Side
    by Ruelle
    choreo. by Catherine Papadakis
2020–2021
[39]
2019–2020
[40]

With Thomalla

[edit]
Season Short program Free skating
2018–2019
[41]
2017–2018
[42]
2016–2017
[2]

Competition results

[edit]

GP: Grand Prix; CS: ISU Challenger Series; JGP: Junior Grand Prix

Pairs with Hocke

[edit]
International[15]
Event 19–20 20–21 21–22 22–23 23–24 24–25
Worlds C 13th 9th 5th
Europeans 7th 13th 3rd 7th
GP Cup of China C 4th
GP France C 3rd
GP Skate America 1st
GP Skate Canada 4th
GP NHK Trophy 4th
CS Finlandia Trophy 11th 1st
CS Lombardia Trophy 3rd 5th
CS Nebelhorn Trophy 2nd 4th 3rd 3rd
CS Warsaw Cup 6th
Bavarian Open 2nd
Challenge Cup 2nd
NRW Trophy 1st
Shanghai Trophy 2nd
International: Junior[15]
Junior Worlds 4th
JGP Final 6th
JGP Croatia 3rd
JGP Poland 3rd
National[15]
German Champ. 2nd WD 1st
TBD = Assigned; WD = Withdrew; C = Event cancelled

Pairs with Thomalla

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International: Junior[43]
Event 14–15 15–16 16–17 17–18 18–19
Junior Worlds 12th 7th 12th
JGP Austria 9th
JGP Belarus 10th
JGP Estonia 13th
JGP Germany 16th
JGP Poland 8th
Bavarian Open 5th 4th
Cup of Tyrol 1st
NRW Trophy 1st
Volvo Open Cup 4th
International: Advanced novice
Bavarian Open 1st
NRW Trophy 1st
National[43]
Germany 1st N 1st N 1st J 1st J
Levels: N = Novice; J = Junior

Men's singles

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International[44]
Event 10–11 11–12 12–13 13–14 14–15 15–16
Bavarian Open 8th N 15th J
Coupe du Printemps 9th N
NRW Trophy 11th N
Challenge Cup 5th D
National[44]
German Champ. 4th N1 3rd N1 4th N2 7th N2 6th J 7th J
Levels: D = Debs; N1= Novice Under-13; N2= Novice Under-15;
N = Advanced novice; J = Junior

Detailed results

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Current personal best scores are highlighted in bold.

Small medals for short and free programs awarded only at ISU Championships.

ISU personal best scores in the +5/-5 GOE System 
Segment Type Score Event
Total TSS 199.23 2024 World Championships
Short program TSS 69.13 2022 CS Nebelhorn Trophy
TES 39.01 2022 CS Nebelhorn Trophy
PCS 31.15 2024 World Championships
Free skating TSS 130.59 2024 World Championships
TES 68.21 2024 World Championships
PCS 62.38 2024 World Championships

With Hocke

[edit]

Senior results

[edit]
2024–25 season
Date Event SP FS Total
November 8–10, 2024 2024 NHK Trophy 4
67.37 		4
121.17 		4
188.54
October 25–27, 2024 2024 Skate Canada International 2
64.82 		4
119.48 		4
184.30
September 12–15, 2024 2024 CS Lombardia Trophy 5
63.54 		5
112.64 		5
176.18
2023–24 season
Date Event SP FS Total
March 18–24, 2024 2024 World Championships 7
67.64 		5
130.59 		5
198.23
January 8–14, 2024 2024 European Championships 6
62.52 		7
115.23 		7
177.75
November 10–12, 2023 2023 Cup of China 4
60.76 		4
109.89 		4
170.65
October 20–22, 2023 2023 Skate America 1
63.59 		1
120.64 		1
184.23
October 3–5, 2023 2023 Shanghai Trophy 2
63.37 		3
116.06 		2
179.43
September 20–23, 2023 2023 CS Nebelhorn Trophy 2
65.55 		4
123.46 		3
189.01
September 8–10, 2023 2023 CS Lombardia Trophy 4
66.06 		4
125.70 		3
191.76
2022–2023 season
Date Event SP FS Total
March 22–26, 2023 2023 World Championships 15
60.89 		9
123.71 		9
184.60
January 25–29, 2023 2023 European Championships 2
67.08 		3
117.18 		3
184.26
January 5–7, 2023 2023 German Championships 1
72.73 		1
121.15 		1
193.88
November 4–6, 2022 2022 Grand Prix de France 5
60.11 		2
119.62 		3
179.73
October 4–9, 2022 2022 CS Finlandia Trophy 1
63.58 		1
117.04 		1
180.62
September 21–24, 2022 2022 CS Nebelhorn Trophy 1
69.13 		3
115.34 		3
184.47
2021–2022 season
Date Event SP FS Total
January 10–16, 2022 2022 European Championships 13
55.17 		13
101.74 		13
156.91
November 5–7, 2021 2021 Gran Premio d'Italia 8
49.16 		WD WD
October 7–10, 2021 2021 CS Finlandia Trophy 11
47.72 		11
91.10 		11
138.82
September 22–25, 2021 2021 CS Nebelhorn Trophy 5
59.11 		5
109.10 		4
168.21
2020–2021 season
Date Event SP FS Total
March 22–28, 2021 2021 World Championships 13
57.48 		14
105.33 		13
162.81
February 26–28, 2021 2021 International Challenge Cup 2
60.75 		2
116.48 		2
177.23
November 26–29, 2020 2021 NRW Trophy 2
64.41 		1
116.07 		1
180.48
September 23–26, 2020 2020 CS Nebelhorn Trophy 2
60.55 		2
93.71 		2
154.26
2019–2020 season
Date Event SP FS Total
3–9 February 2020 2020 Bavarian Open 3
61.58 		2
115.05 		2
176.63
January 20–26, 2020 2020 European Championships 7
58.43 		7
107.67 		7
166.10
January 1–3, 2020 2020 German Championships 2
63.52 		2
113.18 		2
176.70
November 14–17, 2019 2019 CS Warsaw Cup 3
58.05 		9
95.42 		6
153.47

Junior results

[edit]
2019–2020 season
Date Event SP FS Total
March 2–8, 2020 2020 World Junior Championships 4
63.57 		3
103.58 		4
167.15
December 5–8, 2019 2019–20 Junior Grand Prix Final 6
59.47 		6
99.75 		6
159.22
September 25–28, 2019 2019 JGP Croatia 3
60.74 		3
95.57 		3
156.31
September 18–21, 2019 2019 JGP Poland 3
58.04 		5
98.16 		3
156.20

References

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  1. ^ a b "Annika HOCKE / Robert KUNKEL: 2023/2024". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 10 September 2023.
  2. ^ a b "Talisa THOMALLA / Robert KUNKEL: 2016/2017". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 20 May 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  3. ^ "Talisa Thomalla / Robert Kunkel". Skating Scores. Skating Scores. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
  4. ^ "Eiskunstlaufpaare in Deutschland" [Figure skating pairs in Germany] (in German). 1. Paarlauf Fanclub. 12 April 2012. Retrieved July 13, 2019.
  5. ^ Slater, Paula (December 7, 2019). "Panfilova and Rylov take junior Pairs' title in Russian sweep in Torino". Golden Skate.
  6. ^ Slater, Paula (January 25, 2020). "Kostornaia takes gold in Russian sweep at Europeans". Golden Skate.
  7. ^ Slater, Paula (March 5, 2020). "Panfilova and Rylov claim Pairs' title at Junior Worlds". Golden Skate.
  8. ^ Ewing, Lori (March 11, 2020). "World figure skating championships cancelled in Montreal". CBC Sports.
  9. ^ "2020 NEBELHORN TROPHY". International Figure Skating. September 19, 2020.
  10. ^ "ISU CS Nebelhorn Trophy 2020 Results". International Skating Union.
  11. ^ "Grand Prix of France figure skating event canceled due to coronavirus". Olympic Channel. 20 October 2020.
  12. ^ "Paarläufer Hase/Seegert müssen Start bei Eiskunstlauf-WM absagen" (in German). bz-berlin.de. 15 February 2021.
  13. ^ "ISU World Figure Skating Championships 2021 Results – Pairs". International Skating Union.
  14. ^ Flade, Tatjana (September 24, 2021). "Germany's Hase and Seegert claim victory on home ice at Nebelhorn". Golden Skate.
  15. ^ a b c d e f g h "Competition Results: Annika HOCKE / Robert KUNKEL". International Skating Union.
  16. ^ "Third ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating event moves from Chongqing (CHN) to Torino (ITA)". International Skating Union. August 27, 2021.
  17. ^ Slater, Paula (November 6, 2021). "Sui and Han chalk up another win at Gran Premio d'Italia". Golden Skate.
  18. ^ Slater, Paula (November 6, 2022). "Stellato-Dudek and Deschamps win Grand Prix Pairs' title in France". Golden Skate.
  19. ^ Hocke, Annika. "2022 NHK Trophy Withdrawal". Instagram. Instagram. Retrieved 15 November 2022.
  20. ^ Slater, Paula (January 27, 2023). "Conti and Macii break 70-point mark at Europeans". Golden Skate.
  21. ^ "Conti/Macii (ITA) skate to the top of the Pairs Short program at ISU European Championships in Espoo". International Skating Union. January 25, 2023.
  22. ^ "Conti/Macii make history with first European Pairs title for Italy". International Skating Union. January 26, 2023.
  23. ^ Slater, Paula (January 28, 2023). "Conti and Macii make history; Italian pairs 1-2 at Europeans". Golden Skate.
  24. ^ Slater, Paula (March 23, 2023). "Miura and Kihara grand-slam their way into history". Golden Skate.
  25. ^ Petzold, Rainer (September 14, 2023). "DEU-Paare Hase/Volodin und Hocke/Kunkel glänzen mit zwei Medaillen in Bergamo" [DEU pairs Hase/Volodin and Hocke/Kunkel shine with two medals in Bergamo] (in German). Bundeswehr Sports Magazine.
  26. ^ Lechner, Pamela (September 25, 2023). "Minerva Hase/Nikita Volodin krönen Nebelhorn Trophy 2023 mit Paarlauf-Sieg" [Minerva Hase/Nikita Volodin crown Nebelhorn Trophy 2023 with pair skating victory] (in German). German Figure Skating Union. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
  27. ^ "Hocke/Kunkel (GER) take slim lead in Skate America Pairs Short Program". International Skating Union. October 21, 2023. Retrieved October 23, 2023.
  28. ^ Slater, Paula (October 22, 2023). "Germany's Hocke and Kunkel secure pairs gold at Skate America". Golden Skate. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
  29. ^ "Annika Hocke/Robert Kunkel Vierte beim Grand Prix in China" [Annika Hocke/Robert Kunkel fourth at the Grand Prix in China] (in German). German Figure Skating Union. November 13, 2023. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
  30. ^ Slater, Paula (November 11, 2023). "Stellato-Dudek and Deschamps score another victory in China". Golden Skate. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
  31. ^ a b "Figure skating: Who has qualified for the Grand Prix Final 2023?". Olympic Channel. November 25, 2023. Retrieved November 30, 2023.
  32. ^ Hocke, Annika (December 1, 2023). "Don't even know what I should write…We are extremely sad that we have to withdraw from the GP Final. We have been super excited to go but with Robert having immense Pain there was no other option than to withdraw" (Instagram). Archived from the original on December 3, 2023.
  33. ^ Slater, Paula (January 11, 2024). "Beccari and Guarise clinch unexpected gold at 2024 Europeans". Golden Skate. Retrieved January 28, 2024.
  34. ^ Slater, Paula (March 22, 2024). "Stellato-Dudek and Deschamps golden in Montreal". Golden Skate. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
  35. ^ Slater, Paula (October 27, 2024). "Stellato-Dudek and Deschamps defend Skate Canada title". Golden Skate. Retrieved November 2, 2024.
  36. ^ "Annika HOCKE / Robert KUNKEL: 2024/2025". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 15 September 2024.
  37. ^ "Annika HOCKE / Robert KUNKEL: 2022/2023". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 24 September 2022.
  38. ^ "Annika HOCKE / Robert KUNKEL: 2021/2022". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 20 September 2021.
  39. ^ "Annika HOCKE / Robert KUNKEL: 2020/2021". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 25 March 2021.
  40. ^ "Annika HOCKE / Robert KUNKEL: 2019/2020". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 23 April 2020.
  41. ^ "Talisa THOMALLA / Robert KUNKEL: 2018/2019". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 3 September 2018.
  42. ^ "Talisa THOMALLA / Robert KUNKEL: 2017/2018". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 29 May 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  43. ^ a b "Competition Results: Talisa THOMALLA / Robert KUNKEL". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 5 September 2018.
  44. ^ a b "Robert KUNKEL". rinkresults.com.
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