Figure skating-Germany's Fabienne Hase, Volodin surprise leaders after pairs short programme

MILAN, Feb 15 - Germany's Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin seized the lead after the pairs short programme at the Milano Cortina Olympics in a session defined as much by their precision as by unexpected errors by others.

The reigning world silver medallists capitalised on a rare mistake from Japan's two‑time world champions Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara to top the standings with 80.01 points heading into Monday's free programme and blow the competition wide open.

"Our goal was to go out there and feel like we do in practice," Hase said. "So we tried to do that. After the programme, we were happy that everything worked out.

"The crowd was amazing, they supported us a lot. So we are happy overall but it was just the first part. Tomorrow (free programme) we have to do the same again."

European champions Anastasiia Metelkina and Luka Berulava of Georgia were second with 75.46, despite her stumble on the landing of their throw triple flip.

Canadians Lia Pereira and Trennt Michaud were third (74.60).

Skating to "El Abrazo" by Maxime Rodriguez and Frederic Ruiz, Fabienne Hase and Volodin opened with a huge triple twist lift and were virtually flawless the rest of the way.

Miura and Kihara had arrived in Milan as red-hot favourites but slipped to fifth on 73.11 points after an error on their lasso lift. It appeared as if one of Kihara's arms gave way and she slipped down his back.

A distraught Kihara hung his head after the music stopped. Their coach Bruno Marcotte told him "It's not over" as he stepped off the ice.

The Germans, who are both 26, were making their Olympic debut as a team after a rough 2022 Beijing Games for Fabienne Hase. She and her previous partner Nolan Seegert were forced to withdraw from the team event at the Beijing Olympics after he tested positive for COVID-19.

Minerva Hase trained alone for 10 days while Seegert was in quarantine, and they eventually struggled to 16th place in the pairs event.

Born and living in Russia, Volodin's career had stalled and he had been skating in exhibition shows for four years before he teamed up with Fabienne Hase in 2022.

Volodin received his German citizenship last year, paving his way to compete at the Olympics.

It was an inauspicious Games debut for Canada's Deanna Stellato-Dudek, who at 42 is the oldest figure skater competing at an Olympics in almost 100 years.

She and partner Maxime Deschamps, world champions in 2024, slipped down to 14th after she appeared to lose her balance and fall backwards near the end of their program.

Stellato-Dudek, who launched a remarkable comeback after a 16-year break from skating, nearly saw her Olympics dashed entirely after she hit her head in training on January 30.

They missed the team event, arriving for their first practice in Milan on Friday. REUTERS