Overview

• The European champions took the season opener with 221.38 points to the world champions’ 221.03 after trailing following the short program.
• The victory avenged their narrow second place to Riku Miura and Ryūichi Kihara at the World Championships in March.
• Small execution swings proved decisive as Minerva Hase could not add a third jump in the combination and Riku Miura fell on a throw triple loop.
• Hase said the win builds confidence but noted they must sharpen elements, conditioning and speed, with their next competition planned in Georgia in about two weeks.
• BR/Sportschau reported the score satisfied the Olympic selection norm, while elsewhere Stephen Gogolev won the men’s event and Fear/Gibson led ice dance with Germans Janse van Rensburg/Steffan third after the rhythm dance.