Budapest Trophy 2024: Matteo Rizzo returns post-surgery to put himself on track for third golden result in event

Matteo Rizzo soared to the top of the short program of the ISU Challenger Series Budapest Trophy 2024 on Friday (11 October) to extend his successful track record in the Challenger Series event.

A winner of the Budapest Trophy in 2021 and 2022, the Italian scored 84.77 points to put himself ahead of the highest-ranked skater in the event, Switzerland's Lukas Britschgi, who had led the short program up until that point.

Rizzo was the last to go and felt the extra pressure of competing for the first time since finishing third at the European championships in January and undergoing a hip operation.

Skating to "Two Men in Love" by The Irrepressibles, the world's top-ranked Italian skater delivered a clean program, including landing a triple Lutz-triple toe loop combination and a triple Axel. Rizzo now sits 1.85 points ahead of Britschgi heading into Sunday's free skate.

While world No.5 Britschgi did not manage to overtake Rizzo – just as in 2022 when he was the runner-up to the Italian in the overall standings of the Budapest Trophy –- he delivered an equally clean skate set to "Iron Sky" by Paolo Nutini, which earned him a solid 82.92 points.

Italian skaters have swept the event since its inauguration in 2020. Rizzo missed last year's event where Britschgi was also second overall, behind Italy's Nikolaj Memola.

• Figure skating Grand Prix Series preview: Ilia Malinin, Sakamoto Kaori headline pivotal season
• Hanyu Yuzuru to unveil 'Echoes of Life' show on 30th birthday

Results from men's short program at the ISU Challenger Series Budapest Trophy 2024 (top 10):

1. Matteo Rizzo (ITA) 84.77
2. Lukas Britschgi (SUI) 82.92
3. Kornel Witkowski (POL) 70.31
4. Aleksandr Vlasenko (HUN) 65.27
5. Makar Suntsev (FIN) 64.79
6. Nikita Starostin (GER) 62.76
7. Alp Eren Ozkan (TUR) 62.52
8. Vladimir Samoilov (POL) 60.58
9. Ali Efe Gunes (TUR) 57.28
10. Burak Demirboga (55.02)
11. Filip Kaymakchiev (BUL) 47.61