by Matteo Morelli | Feature picture by Yoriko Suzuki
Italy’s Charlene Guignard & Marco Fabbri gained a 3rd consecutive title, an historic and vital outcome that showcases the consistency of this skilled workforce. They had been adopted by Evgeniia Lopareva & Geoffrey Brissaud of France in second place, incomes a medal they didn’t suppose was attainable for them. Closing the rostrum, Great Britain’s Lilah Fear & Lewis Gibson added a 3rd European medal to their assortment, confirming their place of management on the continent.
Before diving into the detailed outcomes, it is very important point out that the lives misplaced from the tragedy of the American Airlines Flight 5342 had been in everybody’s thoughts at this occasion. Many skaters and groups expressed their unhappiness, and as a group we gathered to mourn and assist one another in such troublesome occasions.
Event Recap
Charlene Guignard & Marco Fabbri proceed to make historical past for Italy, successful a 3rd consecutive title (their second consecutive win final season was already historical past making for his or her nation) and reaching a complete of 5 continental medals, determine solely achieved earlier than by Anna Cappellini & Luca Lanotte.
Their rhythm dance allowed them to take the lead with 84.23 factors, offering a margin of just about two factors from second place.
“Not everything was really perfect today, but overall it was a good performance for us,” Fabbri shared. “I was probably a little bit stiff in my legs at the beginning, so the twizzles were not perfect and then I recovered from that and from the second element of the rhythm dance it was much better.”
They shared that they made enhancements to their robot-themed free dance, which labored properly in securing their lead with 127.89 factors, nearly equalling their season finest, and a complete of 212.12 factors.
“At the beginning of the season, we tried too much to move like robots, and that was too stiff for figure skating,” Fabbri mentioned. “It has been a big challenge for us to keep this choreography and at the same time keep our knees soft, but now I think we have found that balance.”
This third consecutive win, which has an important that means for them, can also be the results of a unique strategy getting into the occasion.
“This time, we enjoy the competition more,” Guignard shared. “I think our first win in Finland was the worst, we were stressed, and the next year was a bit better but now we enjoyed our performance.”
Despite of that and a six-point lead, they didn’t wish to neglect {that a} competitors is a contest, and that one can by no means be too relaxed.
“We always feel the pressure, it is the Europeans and it is not the easiest competition,” Fabbri mirrored on. “The level was very high here, and even with these scores, that are pretty good for us, we felt pressure.”
Their rhythm dance scored 82.75 factors, a brand new private finest for them, sending a message that they had been severe a couple of podium end.
“We were hoping for a high score, we felt that we did a clean performance and the rest was up to the judges and I am glad that they liked our performance,” Lopareva mentioned.
This workforce is having fun with a profitable season, with a primary Grand Prix medal and Grand Prix Final attendance.
“We improved a lot this season, we worked hard on the quality of what we do and step by step we grow and we continue in this way,” Brissaud shared.
Their unique free dance was delivered with confidence, permitting them to earn 124.01 factors and a complete of 206.76 factors, with new private finest throughout the board.
“It is a surprise to finish second, we worked for the medal this year but to get the second (place) is amazing, we were not expecting that and we are happy,” Brissaud mentioned.
They are actually aiming to stay focussed for the remainder of the season, persevering with to develop as a workforce.
“Before going to the free dance today, we said to each other that no matter what the result will be, it will not change anything in our process and after we will go back to our ice rink and we are going to keep working hard,” Lopareva shared.
Great Britain’s Lilah Fear & Lewis Gibson added a bronze medal to their earlier two silver medals from the continental championships, persevering with to point out that they’re a prime workforce within the battle for the best spots accessible.
They began the competitors with a 3rd place after the rhythm dance and a rating of 81.57 factors.
“I think there was a lot we were proud of and also we left a lot of points on the table but it makes us hungry for tomorrow, we want to go out there, connect with the crowd and entertain,” Fear shared.
“I think today we were happy with the performance,” Gibson added. “Of course, there were a lot of mistakes here and there throughout the performance but the energy we gave rewarded us and we are very happy with that.”
Their free dance earned 124.45 factors, confirming their third place with a complete of 206.02 factors total.
“We were really over the moon with our skate today and especially the comeback from yesterday and how we geared up mentally and really went for it,” Fear shared. “That is the feeling that lasts for us and we are going to take forward, but also all the feedback will be fuel and motivation for Worlds.”
“We cannot wait and we also hope to encourage the next generation to get involved in this sport when they see it first-hand,” Fear shared.
Finland’s Juulia Turkkila & Matthias Versluis had been impeccable of their programmes at this European event. They exceeded their private finest by a number of factors, going previous the 200 mark for the primary time of their profession.
After successful a bronze medal on the European Championships two years in the past, adopted by a sixth-place end final season, this season they confirmed that they’re a drive to be reckoned with, ending in fourth place and lacking a podium end by simply 0.33 factors. Their tango was stylish, subtle, image good in nearly each ingredient.
Pushing the bar and in addition persevering with to enhance is the opposite Finnish workforce of Yuka Orihara and Juho Pirinen. They exceeded their private bests in all segments, ending in seventh place however with the sixth finest free dance.
In their second yr collectively, Olivia Smart & Tim Dieck of Spain competed at their first Europeans collectively, ending in fifth place and one-point shy from breaking the 200 factors mark for the primary time. They had been extremely proud of their achievement, and are eager to proceed rising as a workforce and permit Spain to realize extra spots at competitions.
Still treasuring the unbelievable emotions from final yr’s bronze medal in Lithuania, Allison Reed & Saulius Ambrulevičius resulted in sixth place, incomes new season bests even when not fully glad with their supply. This was Reed’s first Europeans as a Lithuanian citizen, having obtained her nationality in November final yr.
Both Czech groups had some errors that they needed to pay the value for: Natálie Taschlerová & Filip Taschler managed to maneuver from eleventh within the rhythm dance to tenth total, whereas Kateřina Mrázková & Daniel Mrázek resulted in twelfth place. Both groups had been hoping for extra, however we’re positive that with the World Championships being held within the Czech Republic in 2026, they are going to discover the drive to point out their residence nation what they’re able to.
James Hernandez, affected by meals poisoning, missed the free dance observe however nonetheless managed to compete with British accomplice Phebe Bekker, with each entertaining with their James Bond free and ending in thirteenth place.
Israel’s Alexei Kiliakov was concerned in an accident at observe that resulted in him being taken to the hospital for a verify. Luckily, he and accomplice Elizabeth Tkachenko had been again on the rink the day after, cheering and supporting workforce mates and buddies.
On prime of these already talked about, this occasion had quite a lot of new private finest throughout the board, together with: France’s Loicia Demougeot & Theo Le Mercier (rhythm dance); Germany’s Jennifer Janse van Rensburg & Benjamis Steffan (total); Hungary’s Mariia Ignateva & Danijil Szemko (free); Italy’s Victoria Manni & Carlo Roethlisberger (free); Lithuania’s Paulina Ramanauskaitė & Deividas Kizala (free and whole).
History was additionally made for Romania, with Emilia Monika Ziobrowska & Shiloh Douglas Judd turning into the primary ever Romanian workforce to entry the European Championships.