Jari Kessler

Jari Kessler is a Croatian and Italian figure skater. For Croatia, he is the 2020 NRW Trophy champion, 2022 Jegvirag Cup silver medalist, 2022 Merano Ice Trophy bronze medalist, and four-time Croatian national champion. He represented Italy until spring 2019, winning three senior international medals.

Personal life

Kessler was born in Cles, Italy. He played pond hockey before switching to figure skating.

Career

Early career and skating for Italy

Kessler began figure skating in 2009. His first skating coach was Ludmila Mladenova. Originally competing for Italy, he moved up to the junior ranks for the 2012–13 figure skating season. He would eventually make his senior international debut in January 2016, at the Mentor Toruń Cup in Poland.
Kessler's first senior medals came in the 2017–18 season. He won bronze at the Mentor Toruń Cup, in January, and another bronze at the Egna Spring Trophy, in April.
In October 2018, he took bronze at the Golden Bear of Zagreb in Croatia. The Egna Spring Trophy in March 2019 was his final competition for Italy.

For Croatia

2019–20 season

Kessler competed at the 2020 Croatian Championships where he won his first national title.

2020–21 season: International debut for Croatia

Coached by Lorenzo Magri, Angelina Turenko, Alisa Mikonsaari, and Eva Martinek, Kessler made his international debut for Croatia at the 2020 CS Budapest Trophy, where he placed seventh. In November, he would win gold at the NRW Trophy in Germany. He subsequently finished the season with a twelfth-place finish at the 2021 International Challenge Cup.

2021–22 season

Kessler started the season by competing on the 2021–22 ISU Challenger Series, finishing fifteenth at the 2021 CS Nebelhorn Trophy, thirteenth at the 2021 CS Cup of Austria, and nineteenth at the 2021 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb. He also finished seventh at the 2021 Budapest Trophy which took place between the first two Challenger Series events.
In January, Kessler competed at the 2022 European Championships in Tallinn, Estonia, finishing thirty-first in the short program, failing to advance to the free skate segment. In February, he took bronze at the Merano Ice Trophy, silver at the Jegvirag Cup, and placed fifth at the 2021 Bellu Memorial.

2022–23 season

Kessler began the season by competing at the 2022 CS Nebelhorn Trophy, where he finished sixth. He would then go on to win gold at the 2023 Croatian Championships.
Going on to compete at the 2023 European Championships in Espoo, Finland, Kessler qualified for the free skate segment after finishing nineteenth in the short program. He would also finish nineteenth in the free skate and nineteenth overall.
In February, Kessler won the bronze medal at the 2023 Dragon Trophy, finished fourth at the 2023 Tallink Hotels Cup, and won gold at the 2023 Bellu Memorial.
Making his World Championship debut at the 2023 World Championships in Saitama, Japan, Kessler finished thirty-first.

2023–24 season

Kessler started the season by winning bronze at the 2023 Tirnavia Ice Cup and at the 2023 NRW Trophy. In December, Kessler placed eleventh at the 2023 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb before winning his third national title at the 2024 Croatian Championships.
One month later, Kessler competed at the 2024 European Championships in Kaunas, Lithuania, where he placed twenty-seventh in the short program and did not advance to the free skate segment.
Kessler subsequently competed at the 2024 Bavarian Open and the 2024 Merano Cup, finishing ninth and seventh, respectively.
Selected to compete at the 2024 World Championships in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, Kessler would finish in twenty-ninth place.

2024–25 season

Kessler began the season with a twelfth-place finish at the 2024 CS Nebelhorn Trophy. He then went on to win his second consecutive national title at the 2025 Croatian Championships.
After winning the bronze medal at the 2025 Volvo Open Cup, Kessler competed at the 2025 European Championships in Tallinn, Estonia. He placed thirty-fourth in the short program and did not advance to the free skate segment. Kessler then went on to win gold at the 2025 Dragon Trophy, bronze at the 2025 Merano Ice Trophy, and silver at the 2025 Bellu Memorial.
In March, Kessler competed at the 2025 World Championships, held in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. He placed thirty-fourth in the short program and did not advance to the free skate segment.

2025–26 season

Kessler opened his season by competing at the ISU Skate to Milano, where he finished in thirteenth place. He subsequently placed eleventh at the 2025 CS Nepela Memorial. In October, Kessler won gold at both at the 2025 Tayside Trophy and the 2025 Golden Bear of Zagreb. He then followed up these results with a seventh-place finish at the 2025 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb.
In January, Kessler competed at the 2026 European Championships in Sheffield, England, United Kingdom, finishing in fourteenth place overall. The following week, he placed sixth at the 2026 Merano Ice Trophy.