German representatives Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin have taken the lead in the pairs competition at the Milan Winter Olympics. With a flawless performance of a fiery tango, they scored 80.01 points, giving them a significant advantage over the rest of the field. The favored Japanese pair, Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara, after a costly mistake, are in a lower position, opening the path for the Germans to the coveted gold medal.

Germany in the Lead

The pair Hase/Volodin scored 80.01 pts, presenting a flawless short program and leading the representatives of Georgia by over 4 points.

Errors by the Favorites from Japan

Two-time world champions, Miura and Kihara, made rare mistakes, which significantly distanced them from the gold medal.

Controversial Scores

Experts criticize the low scores for the second German pair, Hocke/Kunkel, calling the judges' verdict a judging error.

The German pairs team Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin delighted judges and the audience during the short program at the Winter Olympic Games Milan-Cortina 2026. The duo, who have been working together for just under four years, presented an extremely precise and expressive routine to music by Maxime Rodriguez. Their performance was scored at 80.01 points, allowing them to lead the second-placed Georgian pair by 4.55 points. This success is even more valuable as the main favorites for gold, the Japanese world champions Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara, were not immune to serious technical errors, which pushed them down the standings. The performance by Hase and Volodin was a display of nerves of steel, in contrast to many rivals who struggled to maintain concentration in the Olympic atmosphere. The pair, who are the current world silver medalists, have been consistently building their form throughout the season, despite some problems during the earlier European Championships in Sheffield. Experts emphasize that their technique and synchronization resemble the performances of legendary champions, making them the most serious candidates for the top step of the podium ahead of Monday's free program. Germany has a rich tradition in figure skating, with the last gold medal in pairs won by Aljona Savchenko and Bruno Massot at the 2018 PyeongChang Games. The second German pair, Annika Hocke and Robert Kunkel, had less luck. Although their program was met with enthusiastic reception from the audience, the judges scored it harshly, sparking controversy among commentators and experts who called the verdict a glaring error. The competition, however, remains open, and the decisive battle will take place on the evening of February 16. „We've worked for this moment for over three years. I felt immense joy while still on the ice, knowing we skated clean.” — Minerva Fabienne Hase [{"position": 1, "name": "Hase / Volodin", "info": "Germany", "score": "80.01 pts"}, {"position": 2, "name": "Metelkina / Berulava", "info": "Georgia", "score": "75.46 pts"}] 80.01 — points secured the lead for Germany [{"dataISO": "2026-02-16T20:00", "date": "February 16, 20:00", "event": "Free program and medal ceremony"}]

Mentioned People

  • Minerva Fabienne Hase — German figure skater competing in pairs, leader after the short program.
  • Nikita Volodin — Russian-born representative of Germany in figure skating, partner of Minerva Hase.