Prague, Czechia – In front of a roaring crowd of 13,500 spectators, Germany’s Minerva Hase and Nikita Volodin secured the gold medal in the pairs competition at the ISU Figure Skating World Championships on Thursday. The victory marks a significant milestone for the German team, ending an eight-year wait for a world title in figure skating, a drought last broken by Aljona Sawtschenko and Bruno Massot in 2018.
Hase and Volodin delivered a compelling free skate, earning 148.55 points and a total combined score of 228.33. This performance placed them comfortably ahead of Georgia’s Anastasiia Metelkina and Luka Berulava, who took silver with 218.41 points. Canada’s Lia Pereira and Trennt Michaud rounded out the podium, claiming the bronze medal with a score of 216.06. Fellow German pair, Annika Hocke and Robert Kunkel, finished seventh overall.
The newly crowned world champions, who train in Berlin, had established a narrow lead after Wednesday’s short program, captivating the audience with their passionate Tango performance, scoring 79.78 points. Their journey to the top hasn’t been without its challenges. Just five weeks prior, at the Olympic Games in Milan, the pair secured a bronze medal, a result that followed bronze and silver medals at the previous two World Championships. The team learned from their Olympic experience, where a slight error in the free skate cost them the gold.
Thursday’s free skate wasn’t flawless; Hase stumbled on a side-by-side triple Salchow, opening the landing after two and a half rotations. However, the error proved less costly than it had in Milan, and the pair’s overall performance was remarkably strong from start to finish. They demonstrated precision and artistry throughout their routine, solidifying their position at the top.
“After we skated we felt that it was perfect,” Hase said, according to reporting from isu-skating.com. “For us it was the best program of the season even though maybe we lost some levels. But we felt we connected with the audience. They gave us energy and we were able to give it back. It was a very nice program to finish.”
Volodin echoed his partner’s sentiment, adding, “It felt really good. In the past, we might have relaxed after the jump and throw but experience has taught us that we have to remain focused until the very end of the performance.”
This victory is particularly meaningful for Hase and Volodin, who began skating together during the 2023-24 season. Since then, they have consistently reached the podium in all 13 of their competitive appearances, including the Olympics, World Championships, and Grand Prix Series events. Their consistency and dedication have clearly paid off.
The success extends beyond the German team. Metelkina and Berulava’s silver medal represents Georgia’s first-ever medal in any figure skating discipline at the World Championships, building on their historic bronze medal win at the recent Winter Olympics – the nation’s first Winter Olympic medal in any sport. Pereira and Michaud’s bronze medal also marked a personal best for the Canadian duo.
For Hase and Volodin, the win is the culmination of years of hard function and a testament to their partnership. They’ve shown resilience, learning from past disappointments and consistently striving for improvement. Their ability to perform under pressure, combined with their artistic expression, has earned them the title of World Champions.
Looking ahead, the figure skating world will be watching to see how Hase and Volodin build on this success. Their next competitive appearance is yet to be announced, but fans can expect to see them continue to push the boundaries of the sport. The ISU Figure Skating season will continue with other disciplines, and the focus will soon shift to preparations for the next major international competitions.
The pair’s triumph in Prague is a moment to celebrate for German figure skating, signaling a bright future for the sport in the country. It’s a victory built on dedication, artistry, and a relentless pursuit of excellence.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
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