German skaters Hase and Volodin dance into European championships lead / Photo: © AFP
German skaters Hase and Volodin dance into European championships lead
Germany's Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin led after the pairs short program on the first day at the European figure skating championships in Tallinn on Wednesday.
They scored 71.59 points with Italy's 2023 European champions Sara Conti and Niccolo Macii (68.52 pts), and Hungarians Maria Pavlova and Alexei Sviatchenko (65.88) placed second and third.
In the absence of injured defending titleholders Lucrezia Beccari and Matteo Guarise of Italy, the German duo are now favourites for gold going into Thursday's free skate routine.
Hase and Volodin are seeking to add this to the successful defence of their ISU Grand Prix Final gold in Grenoble last month.
Also on Wednesday's schedule is the women's short program.
P.Rodríguez--ESF
