UPDATE: Niina Petrokina is poised to defend her European figure skating title after an impressive performance in the short program, held in Sheffield, England, on Wednesday. With the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics just around the corner, Petrokina delivered a stunning routine that secured her a commanding lead.
Returning to competition after undergoing Achilles tendon surgery in October, Petrokina showcased her remarkable talent by achieving a personal-best score of 70.61 points. Her flawless skate featured a triple lutz-triple toeloop combination, leaving no doubt about her readiness for the upcoming Olympic games.
Currently in second place is Belgium’s Nina Pinzarrone, who scored 64.97 points. Close behind her is Italy’s Anna Pezzetta, who finished the short program with 64.85 points. In a surprising turn, last year’s champion, Anastasiia Gubanova from Russia, struggled and landed in a disappointing 11th place after a fall.
Loena Hendrickx, the reigning European champion from Belgium, also faced challenges this season and currently sits in fifth place despite a fall. The competition has intensified as skaters push their limits just weeks before the Olympics.
In the pairs event, Georgia’s Anastasiia Metelkina and Luka Berulava are leading with a short program score of 75.96 points, narrowly edging out defending champions Minerva Hase and Nikita Volodin from Germany, who scored 74.81 points. Hungary’s Maria Pavlova and Alexei Sviatchenko are in third with 73.32 points.
This year’s championships are particularly notable as Russia is not officially represented, although two Russian skaters have qualified for the Olympics under neutral status. The pairs free skate is scheduled for Thursday, followed by the women’s free skate on Friday, making this an exciting week for figure skating fans.
As the competition unfolds, all eyes will be on Petrokina to see if she can maintain her lead and successfully defend her title. Stay tuned for further updates as the European Championships progress.
