Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin showcased an impressive performance in the pairs figure skating short program at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, securing a solid lead with a score of 80.01 points. The duo, who are the reigning world silver medalists from Germany, performed flawlessly to “El Abrazo” by Maxime Rodriguez, executing a stunning triple twist and landing their side-by-side triple salchows before delivering an emphatic throw triple loop.
In the standings, Georgian skaters Anastasiia Metelkina and Luka Berulava followed closely behind in second place with 75.46 points, despite a missed throw triple flip. Lia Pereira and Trennt Michaud from Canada claimed third with a score of 74.60, setting the stage for a competitive free skate program on Monday night.
The reigning world champions from Japan, Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara, faced significant challenges during their performance. A costly error in their lift saw them slide to fifth place with 73.11 points. Meanwhile, American pairs Ellie Kam and Danny O’Shea, who contributed to the U.S. winning team gold, ranked seventh with 71.87 points, while Emily Chan and Spencer Akira Howe took ninth place with a score of 70.06.
U.S. champions Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov were notably absent from the competition due to Efimova’s citizenship issues, which prevented them from participating. In a separate story, former world champions Deanna Stellato-Dudek and her partner Maxime Deschamps had a challenging evening. Despite a promising performance, Stellato-Dudek’s unfortunate fall resulted in a score of 66.04.
The defending Olympic champions Sui Wenjing and Han Cong of China also experienced setbacks. Competing early due to changes in their world ranking stemming from past injuries, they stumbled on a triple toe loop, finishing with 72.66 points. Han reflected positively on their experience, stating, “This is a good memory because this is our third time at the Olympics.”
The competition promises to heat up as the free skate looms, giving each pair an opportunity to improve their standings and possibly make history in their pursuit of Olympic glory. Audiences eagerly anticipate the thrilling performances that await them in the coming days.