The first medals were awarded at the European Figure Skating Championships.
In Tallinn, where the European Figure Skating Championships are taking place, the sports pairs competed for the first set of medals. A moment of silence was also observed here to honor the memory of the figure skaters and coaches who lost their lives in the plane crash on January 29.
The European champions for the first time are the German pair Minerva Fabien Haze and Nikita Volodin.
Here is the podium:
- Minerva Fabien Haze/Nikita Volodin (Germany) – 212.48 points
- Sara Conti/Nicollo Macii (Italy) – 206.89
- Anastasia Metelkina/Luka Berulava (Georgia) – 191.88
The Ukrainian pair Sofia Holichanko and Artem Darensky received 108.22 points for their free program. Their total score across both programs was 164.95 points. This was the pair's best result, but ultimately they finished in 11th place, repeating their result from last year. After the short program, they were in 10th place but fell one position due to mistakes. This means that for the European Championships in 2026, Ukraine will be able to send only one pair.
Before the competition, a moment of silence was held to honor the memory of the figure skaters and coaches who perished recently near Washington when a passenger plane collided with a helicopter. They were returning from the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, which took place from January 20 to 26. This information was confirmed by The Guardian.
On board the plane were world champions in pair skating Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov. They competed for the USSR but had been coaching in the U.S. since the 1990s.
Also among the deceased were 16-year-old figure skaters Gina Han and Spencer Lane, who were accompanied by their mothers.
“We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the families of the victims tightly in our hearts. The loss of so many members of our community brings indescribable sorrow,” stated ISU President Kim Jae El.
Media reports indicate that there may have been 14 athletes and coaches on board, but this information has not been officially confirmed.