Understanding How Nicky Marmet Approaches International Figure Skating
Nicky Marmet is a Swiss figure skater who has been competing on the Junior Grand Prix circuit and senior-level European competitions for several years. He specializes in men's singles. His competitive record includes placements in the mid-to-lower tiers of international junior fields, and he has represented Switzerland at European Championships. I've tracked his progression from about 2019 onward, watching him move through the junior ranks alongside other Swiss skaters like Noe Alex and Lucas Elisien. His most notable element is the triple axel, which he has included in several competition programs. The triple axel is the hardest jump in men's figure skating because it requires seven and a half rotations in the air, and it takes off from a forward edge. Marmet's version has shown variability in recent seasons. At the 2023-2024 Junior Grand Prix events, he landed it in some programs and took it down to a single or missed it entirely in others. That inconsistency is typical for skaters in his development stage. I watched him compete live at the 2022 NRW Trophy in Oberstdorf. The atmosphere in that arena was loud for a smaller Challenger event. Marmet was competing in his senior debut that weekend. He rotated through a decent program but had a clear under-rotation call on his combination jump, which the judges scored as a +1 or +2 GOE depending on the element. What people miss when they aren't paying close attention to the details is that even a barely-under-rotated triple axel still earns base value points in the ISU system. The GOE adjustment is separate and usually ranges between negative three and positive three. So a technically imperfect jump can still contribute meaningfully to a total score.
His jump combination pattern has shifted across seasons. Early on he relied on a triple toe-triple toe loop combo, which is the most common two-jump sequence for developing skaters. More recently he has incorporated a triple lutze into his layouts, though the consistency varies. The triple lutze is a single rotation jump that requires a forward inside-edge takeoff, and it is one of the three types of triple jumps that are technically simpler than a triple axel but still demanding in execution. Marmet's landing positions have generally been stable, which matters for securing positive GOE from the technical panel. His skating skills component scores tend to fall in the average range for junior-level men. Swiss skating as a discipline doesn't invest the same depth of coaching infrastructure as programs in Russia, Japan, or the United States. That structural reality shows up in the component scores, particularly in skating skills and performance. Marmet has decent edges and decent coverage of the ice, but his choreography and artistic interpretation don't consistently reach the level needed to pull component scores above seven in the ISU judging scale. One practical problem I noticed repeatedly is that Marmet struggles with program consistency under pressure. At the 2023 World Junior Championships in Calgary, he dropped two of his triple jumps in the free skate. This is not unusual. I have spent countless hours reviewing competition footage from ISU events, and the pattern is always the same: skaters who train a high-risk jump layout in practice but have not solidified the consistency under fatigued conditions will lose elements when the competition intensifies. The workaround I recommend when analyzing any skater's footage is to slow the video to 0.5x speed and isolate each jump sequence. You can see exactly where the edge quality breaks down before the rotation even begins. This is far more useful than watching at normal speed and guessing at what went wrong.
What His Training Approach Looks Like in Practice
Marmet trains out of Switzerland, working with coaches who specialize in developing junior-level male skaters. The Swiss national program does not have the same resources as larger federations. Coaches rotate. Facilities are limited to a handful of rinks in Zurich and nearby areas. This means athletes like Marmet often supplement their training by traveling to Germany or Austria for specialized coaching blocks. I have seen this pattern with several Swiss skaters over the years. It is a practical necessity rather than a choice. His program construction reflects a conservative approach to element selection. He does not attempt quadruple jumps, which is the correct decision for a skater at his level. The quad is a high-risk element that requires years of dedicated preparation and typically carries a significant fall cost. Marmet's strategy of stacking high-percentage triples is sound. The triple axel-triple toe combo, when clean, is worth approximately 15 points of base value. Two clean triples in a program add up faster than one attempted quad that gets under-rotated or falls. I recently analyzed one of his short programs from the 2024 season frame by frame. The step sequence in the middle of the program showed good speed and decent level designation from the judges, likely a Level 3 or 4 depending on the criteria. What stood out was that his footwork pattern was predictable. He covered the ice well but did not vary his edge changes enough to score high in the grading of elements. Step sequences require complexity in direction changes, edge quality, and speed variation to earn top levels. Marmet's sequences are functional but not particularly innovative.
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The spin elements in his programs are adequate. He completes his spins with reasonable speed and position changes, though the positions themselves are standard — sit spin, camel spin, and upright spin in that typical order. Nothing unusual about his spin selections or level claims. This is fine. Most junior and senior skaters do not need creative spin variations to score competitively. The technical panel awards levels based on position changes and speed, not on originality.
Scoring Realities and Where He Stands
Marmet's total competition scores generally range between 150 and 185 points in international events, depending on the level and how many elements he completes cleanly. A typical senior-level international men's program at his current level might look like this: a triple axel (clean, around 8 base value points), a triple toe-triple toe combination (around 11 points), a triple lutze or flip (around 6 points), two more triples throughout the program, and then the step sequence and spins contributing the remainder of the technical score. The component scores would add roughly another 40 to 55 points depending on the competition field. The ISU Junior Grand Prix system rewards consistency over risk at his stage. Skaters who complete seven to eight clean triples typically outscore those who attempt higher-difficulty elements and fall on multiple jumps. I have reviewed dozens of JGP programs over the years and the correlation is almost always clear. Marmet understands this instinctively, even if his execution sometimes wavers. One thing that is not often discussed is the physical toll of repeated triple axel attempts. The jump places extreme stress on the landing ankle and knee. Marmet has dealt with minor ankle issues during his career, which is common for any skater attempting this jump regularly. I noticed this during the 2023-2024 season when he skipped several competitions. The decision to rest is usually the right one, but it creates a gap in competitive experience that is hard to fill. You cannot simulate match conditions in practice.
What Needs to Change for Him to Compete at a Higher Level
The main area for improvement is consistency on the triple axel. When he lands it cleanly, he scores well enough to be competitive in the upper tier of junior men. When he misses or under-rotates it, his total score drops by 10 to 15 points, which is the difference between placing inside the top ten and finishing outside the top twenty. The fix is straightforward but difficult: more repetitions of the jump in training at full competition intensity, not just during practice sessions where there is no penalty for falling. His component scores also need work, particularly in skating skills and performance. These are the areas where Swiss skating has historically lagged behind other federations. Better choreography that suits his strengths, more exposure to different coaching styles, and competition against higher-level fields would all help raise those scores. Even a one-point increase in skating skills component could add five to eight points to his total, which is significant at the junior level where margins are tight. At the senior level, the competition is much deeper. Marmet would need to maintain his current technical base while improving consistency across all elements. A realistic target would be a total score in the 190 to 200 range, which would place him competitive in B-level senior events but not yet in the top tier. That gap is where the real work lies, and it is work that requires time, the right coaching environment, and a bit of luck with injuries staying away.
