German Skaters Lead Olympics After Clean Performance
German figure skaters Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin nailed a flawless short program while favorites stumbled, putting them in first place heading into Monday's finals. Despite their own past struggles with consistency, the pair stayed calm under pressure and delivered when it mattered most.
When the pressure was highest and favorites were falling, German figure skaters Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin kept their cool and skated the performance of their lives.
The pair landed every element cleanly in their short program Sunday night at the Milan Cortina Olympics, earning 80.01 points and a surprising lead. Their flawless triple twist, side-by-side triple salchows, and throw triple loop drew roaring support from the Italian crowd.
"Our goal was to go out there and feel like we do in practice and just do our job," Hase said after stepping off the ice. The duo, who have battled consistency issues throughout their career, finally put it all together at the perfect moment.
While Hase and Volodin shined, other medal favorites had rough nights. World champions Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara of Japan tumbled to fifth place after a costly lift mistake that saw Miura awkwardly slide off her partner's shoulders.
Defending Olympic champions Sui Wenjing and Han Cong of China also stumbled, with Sui falling on their opening jump. Former world champions Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps of Canada experienced a fluke fall that cost them about 10 points.
The unexpected results mean Georgia could win its first ever Winter Olympics medal, with Anastasiia Metelkina and Luka Berulava sitting in second place. Canadian pair Lia Pereira and Trennt Michaud round out the top three heading into Monday's free skate finals.
Why This Inspires
This Olympic moment reminds us that preparation meets opportunity in the most unexpected ways. Hase and Volodin didn't let their past inconsistencies define their future, and when the spotlight turned on them, they were ready.
Their story shows that sometimes the path to the podium isn't about being the favorite. It's about showing up, doing your job, and trusting your training when the moment arrives.
The competition for medals remains wide open heading into the final, with any of the top teams capable of landing on the podium with a strong performance.
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Based on reporting by Japan Today
This story was written by BrightWire based on verified news reports.
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