Three of the Olympic podium contenders in the pairs event will be facing off for this podium at the 2026 European Figure Skating Championships this week. It was going to be four, but Sara Conti/Niccolo Macii withdrew a few days ago with Conti’s injury. The pairs field has proven to be one of the deepest in recent memory, and this week will be no different as we see what the dynamic s might be in Milano Cortina in a few weeks.
Europeans predictions
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GOLD Minerva Fabienne Hase/Nikita Volodin GER - An errant triple salchow in the short program prevented Hase/Volodin from repeating as Grand Prix Final champion. But it also catapulted them to their best free skate of the season in their comeback to make it to the podium there. Their free skate has been more elusive for them, and that competition might have been exactly what they needed. A second European title could be very useful in their pursuit for the Olympic podium.
SILVER Anastasiia Metelkina/Luka Berulava GEO - The Georgians’ history of underperforming during high-stakes situations continue this season. After a very strong start to their season, they’ve fallen off just a bit in their last two events. This will be a test for how they deal with increasingly high-stress events leading to the Olympics, where they will be skating in both the Team Event and the individual pairs event.
BRONZE Maria Pavlova/Alexei Sviatchenko HUN - One of the most improved pairs of the season, Pavlova/Sviatchenko have shown visible improvements in their basics and in their musicality, and it’s shown in their scores and results. They were fifth at the Grand Prix Final, posting their biggest score ever on the international stage.
4. Annika Hocke/Robert Kunkel GER - The European bronze medalists from three years ago have had trouble putting down consistent programs, but they have improved over the season and will have an outside shot at the podium here.
5. Rebecca Ghilardi/Filippo Ambrosini ITA - Heading to their second Olympics, the Italian silver medalists have two of the most musically expressive programs of this field. Their international performances have varied, and they come off a disappointing performance at Finladia Trophy in late November.
6. Anastasia Vaipan-Law/Luke Digby GBR - Fifth here last year, the British champions are heading to their first Olympics, and they have made some steady strides upward after a slow start to their season.
7. Oxana Vouillamoz/Tom Bouvart SUI - In their second season together, the Swiss champions look like a different pair this season and have made some great improvements. They were third at Gold Spin in early December and will bring their big tricks here after finishing 13th at last year’s Europeans.
8. Camille Kovalev/Pavel Kovalev FRA - A return from a dislocated shoulder at NHK Trophy brought them a fifth French championship and their first Olympic assignment. They were ninth here last seaosn.
9. Gabriella Izzo/Luc Maierhofer AUT - They withdrew from Europeans last year, but the new Austrian champions make their debut here with side-by-side triple lutzes in hand. Fun fact that Izzo was one of the Olympic alternates for the US women four years ago.
10. Daria Danilova/Michel Tsiba NED -The Dutch champions come into Europeans off the high of qualifying for their first Olympics. It was a question mark all season because they hadn’t met the minimum scoring requirements from the Dutch Olympic Committee, but they were given the greenlight for Milano Cortina a few weeks ago.