The race to the ISU Figure Skating Grand Prix Final just got a whole lot tighter. In a nail-biting short program at the 2025 Finlandia Trophy, Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin snagged a narrow lead, but their path to victory wasn’t without a stumble. The German duo, aiming to defend their title next month in Nagoya, Japan, delivered a performance that was both dazzling and flawed. Their score of 70.40 topped the afternoon, but a costly mistake on their death spiral left points on the table—and the door open for their competitors.
But here's where it gets controversial: despite the error, Hase and Volodin’s lead is so slim that the top four teams are separated by less than three-tenths of a point. Is this a testament to their resilience, or a sign that the competition is fiercer than ever? Hase herself admitted to mixed emotions, praising their strong start but acknowledging the shakiness that followed. “We’ll work on it now after the competition and hope it never happens again,” she said, highlighting the fine line between triumph and setback in elite figure skating.
Trailing closely behind are the American pairs, Ellie Kam/Danny O’Shea and Alisa Efimova/Misha Mitrofanov, with scores of 70.24 and 70.19, respectively. Kam and O’Shea are just 0.16 points shy of the leaders, while Efimova and Mitrofanov—a husband-and-wife team—delivered a personal best in Efimova’s native Finland. For them, this competition holds extra significance, as it marks their first time skating together in her home country. “It feels amazing to be back competing in Finland,” Efimova shared, adding that the support of their families has been a game-changer.
And this is the part most people miss: the free skate on Saturday is essentially a clean slate for the top four teams. With such minuscule point differences, every twist, jump, and lift will matter. “We always want to skate for ourselves and not for points or placements,” Hase remarked, emphasizing their focus on delivering a clean performance. But with the pressure mounting, will they—or any of the top contenders—crack under the spotlight?
Canada’s Lia Pereira/Trennt Michaud round out the top four, adding another layer of international rivalry to the mix. As the competition heats up, one question lingers: Will Hase and Volodin’s narrow lead hold, or will a new pair rise to the top? Let us know your thoughts in the comments—who do you think will dominate the free skate, and why?
