Pair run - Stars Hase/Volodin lead the European Championship line-up of figure skaters
New pair skating hopefuls Minerva-Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin lead the German line-up for the European Championships in Kaunas, Lithuania, from January 10 to 13. After their Grand Prix victory with the six best couples in the world last week, the Berlin native and the Russian from St. Petersburg are among the favorites. "We definitely want to compete for a medal," said Hase, who won the first German championship title in Berlin with her partner on Saturday.
The German Skating Union (DEU) is confident that Annika Hocke/Robert Kunkel, who finished third at the European Championships, will also be able to compete at the European Championships. The two Berliners had to cancel both the German Championships and the Grand Prix Final in Beijing due to Kunkel's back problems.
"Things are looking up. They have the injury well under control," said DEU sports director Claudia Pfeifer when the European Championship participants were announced. The third European Championship starting place in the pairs remains unfilled, as Letizia Röscher/Luis Schuster from Chemnitz, who were scheduled to compete, are unable to start due to injury.
Nikita Starostin has been nominated for the men's event. Although the native Russian from Dortmund had only finished runner-up in Berlin, he had achieved better results than the new German champion Kai Jagoda (Berlin) in the previous competitions. Starostin was therefore given a starting place at the European Championships.
However, it remains to be seen whether Starostin or Jagoda will compete at the World Championships in Montréal, Canada, in March. "Possibly yes," Pfeifer replied to the question of whether champion Jagoda could also travel to the World Championships in Canada.
In the women's event, 22-year-old Kristina Isaev from Mannheim secured her ticket to the European Championships. In ice dancing, three-time German champions Jennifer Janse van Rensburg/Benjamin Steffan (Oberstdorf) will be competing at the European Championships.
Results Athlete portraits Information and schedule
Read also:
- A clan member is punished here
- Traffic lawyer warns: Don't talk to the police!
- Will he be convicted as Jutta's murderer after 37 years?
- He also wanted to kill his cousin
Minerva-Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin, the pair skating duo leading the German contingent for the European Championships, showcased their skills at the Grand Prix Final in Berlin, where they secured a victory against six of the world's best couples. With their impressive performance, they aim to compete for a medal in Kaunas, Lithuania, from January 10 to 13, as they are considered among the favorites for the European Championship title.
Despite their disappointment of missing out on the Grand Prix Final due to Kunkel's back problems, Annika Hocke and Robert Kunkel, the third-place finishers in the previous European Championships, are expected to make a strong comeback in Kaunas. The German Skating Union (DEU) is hopeful about their recovery and performance at the European Championship after Kunkel's injury issues were largely under control.
As the competition heats up in St. Petersburg for the European Championship, German hopeful Nikita Starostin, a Russian native living in Dortmund, is also announced as a contender in the men's event. Although he finished second in the Berlin competition, his impressive results in previous competitions earned him a starting place, rendering him a potent competitor to watch out for.
The European Championship in figure skating will also feature 22-year-old Kristina Isaev from Mannheim in the women's event and three-time German champions Jennifer Janse van Rensburg/Benjamin Steffan in ice dancing. Their participation in the competition will add to the exciting lineup of skaters set to take the ice in Oberstdorf.
Though Minerva-Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin's primary focus is on the European Championship title, they also have their eyes set upon the grand prix final, which is scheduled to take place in Germany, specifically in Berlin, in future competitions. With their passion and determination, they are bound to continue making a lasting impact on the figure skating world.
Source: www.stern.de
