Europe's finest set for Grand Prix France

November 1, 2024
By Reut Golinsky
Photo © Reut Golinsky, International Skating Union (ISU)

The third event in this season's Grand Prix series is just around the corner, and it marks the first Grand Prix appearance for some of Europe's top skaters. While each has already tested the waters at smaller events, premiering their new programs and gaining valuable early-season experience, the stakes are now raised. Below is a collection of quotes from various mixed-zone discussions, where these skaters shared their thoughts with journalists on their preparations, goals, and insights for the season.

Minerva Hase and Nikita Volodin

Minerva Hase and Nikita Volodin opened their season in Oberstdorf before a supportive home audience.

"Nebelhorn Trophy is a competition that attracts many great skaters. We also like to see this event as an opportunity to make a first impression, get feedback on levels and components, and understand how the judges view us this season. We already earned three more points in components than our best mark last season, so this is definitely an upgrade, and we hope to maintain or even improve on that as the season goes on. Starting with a new personal best here shows us what's possible if we keep working hard," the pair told journalists in the mixed zone after their short program.

"We just wanted to enjoy performing today in front of a home crowd and give the audience a good show - that was our main goal. Our coach reminded us that we were prepared and just needed to trust our bodies, so I tried to turn my mind off and let my body take over," Minerva said.

"Overall, it was a good performance, but we know what we need to work on. I think it's the step sequence, for sure. We also need to check the levels we received for some elements. We're happy we could show what we've worked on - the technical content. The choreography isn't 100% yet; maybe we showed about 50%, which isn't bad," Nikita added. Minerva didn't agree with that number, though, correcting him to 70% instead.

Minerva and Nikita's partnership took off last season with a meteoric rise. Though a challenging free skate at the European Championships kept them off the podium, they otherwise dominated their field, medalling at every event they entered: two golds and a silver at the Challenger Series, three golds during the Grand Prix season, and a bronze at the World Championships - the first World medal for both skaters and the first for Germany since Savchenko and Massot's gold in 2018.

Naturally, this raised both expectations and pressure.

"I think I gave my team a really hard time these last few weeks," Minerva confided. "I went through mental breakdowns and wild mood swings. I think our coach, Mr Schubert, and Nikita sometimes didn't know what to do with me!" she laughed. "I definitely felt a lot of pressure going into the season because I wanted to show that we'd improved over the summer. I did a lot of work recently to get into a good mental state so I could bring out my best. I'm also really grateful to my sports psychologist, whom I've started working with again. She provided me with tools to shift my perspective a little, which really helped me during the competition."

From being a new team no one knew what to expect from at the 2023 Nebelhorn Trophy (which they won), Minerva and Nikita became, just one year later, the faces of the event, featured on all banners and promotional materials.

"It was definitely harder going into the competition with our faces hanging all over Oberstdorf!" Minerva admitted with a smile. "So I said, 'Okay, put your sunglasses on and don't look right or left.' We could definitely feel that we're more recognised now, which is nice. That's what we're working for - to be at the top, and these are 'the side effects' of it. Also, it's good preparation for the next [Olympic] season, so we're trying to get used to it."

The duo finished the Nebelhorn Trophy with a stellar performance of their Vivaldi free skate, earning a well-deserved standing ovation. They scored personal bests in all competition segments and won the event, defeating reigning World Champions Stellato-Dudek/Deschamps. They then went on to claim gold at the 2024 Trophée Métropole Nice Côte d'Azur, where they were awarded first place based on their short program results alone, as the free skate event was cancelled due to poor weather conditions.

Lukas Britschgi

Lukas Britschgi is slowly but surely earning his place among the world's top male skaters. Bronze medals from the 2023 European Championships and the 2023 NHK Trophy are among his notable achievements, and expectations were high for him to medal again in Kaunas in 2024. "There was a lot of pressure for Europeans," he admitted. "Usually, I don't let pressure from others get to me, but the worst, the biggest pressure, was the one I put on myself. The goal was to medal, and when you set a goal like that, it's tough to skate. I don't think there was a mental issue, but the problem was also technical - I missed the first quad, and then it's always harder to keep the level up."

Yet he succeeded in ending his season on a high note with a 6th-place finish in a highly competitive field at Worlds 2024. "I'm super happy; I got new personal bests in both programs. It may not have been perfect, but overall it was really good. To show my best here, on this big stage, to compete with the best of the best and finish in the world's top six - I could never have dreamt of that. I'm just super blessed and happy," he said when we spoke in the mixed zone after his free skate in Montreal.

A late bloomer, he is still sometimes surprised by his own success and often mentions that he "could never have dreamt" of being where he is now. But perhaps he should start dreaming big? "You're right," he agreed. "Maybe I should broaden my horizons a bit more; maybe I really can achieve more than I think. On the other hand, when I see people like Yuma, Adam, or Ilia, or think about what Shoma did these last few days - it's crazy! Seeing them humbles me a lot, and maybe that's why I keep my dreams more realistic."

Among his longtime dreams fulfilled was his participation in the prestigious "Art on Ice" shows, and he's already been invited back for the 2025 shows! "It was an amazing experience," he recalled. "I spent an unforgettable time with the best skaters and musicians. You become like a small family there because you spend so much time together - all the rehearsals, all the shows - they really bring people together. And, of course, you skate in front of a home crowd in Switzerland, in sold-out arenas with an amazing audience and a fantastic atmosphere. My family was there, and many friends could come over; it was a great opportunity for them to see me and all the other skaters perform live."

Last season, Lukas opted for much bolder costumes, featuring bright colours and even a costume change in his short program. "To tell the truth, I've always preferred more basic costumes; for example, I've always liked Nathan's simple costumes. But in figure skating, the costume is also a part of the program. This year, my costumes may have caught a bit more attention, which I think is also important for the audience. I have a designer and creative coach who brings in a lot of ideas. This year was definitely something really different from what I usually wore."

His exhibition program, in which he invited multiple skaters to skate and have fun together, also attracted attention and became a fan favourite. "I wanted to show that we're not just competitors," he explained. "We're like a family, building friendships here. So, I aimed to convey this camaraderie on the ice but in a different setting - during the gala, where it's not just about executing the most daring jumps but also about having fun together."

Always standing out as a performer, Lukas delves even deeper this season. For his short program, choreographed by Andrea Vaturi, he chose "Iron Sky" by Paolo Nutini. Released in 2014, this song features an audio excerpt from Charlie Chaplin's speech in "The Great Dictator." Sadly, both the speech and the song remain as relevant and relatable as ever. In his movements, Lukas seamlessly incorporates sign language, which he developed in collaboration with a sign language specialist. For his free skate, created by Adam Solya, Lukas takes a more contemporary and abstract approach, exploring the theme of travelling through galaxies and dimensions.

Sara Conti and Niccolò Macii

It has become a lovely tradition for Sara Conti and Niccolò Macii to start their season at the Lombardia Trophy - and to win it. Bubbling with excitement, albeit a bit tired, they shared their thoughts on what went wrong for them in the past, how they worked on those issues, and how they hope they've fixed them. They also discussed their new free skate, dedicated to their angels, and more.

Overall, they were very pleased with their performance. "We're happy because we worked hard on the elements we usually struggle with, like the twist and lift, and you can see the results. The jumps and throws are usually not a problem for us; we just need to stay focused. This is our first competition of the season, so scoring 200 points is a great start. But we know we have a lot to work on, for example, our free skate feels a bit empty, and we need to improve our transitions."

They skated to "Cinema Paradiso" for so long - and that music suited them so well - that when you see them skate, you involuntarily start humming it. "We indeed had it for three years (seasons 2022-23 and 2023-24)! Today, when I was visualising this program at home, I was thinking about the elements, but the music I heard in my mind was 'Se tu fossi...' And then I stopped myself, 'No! It's not that one anymore!'" Niccolò laughed.

Their new free skate is choreographed to "Papa, Can You Hear Me?", a 1983 song composed by Michel Legrand for the incomparable Barbra Streisand, a modern classic that is a moving lament for those who have lost a father.

"For me, this program is incredibly emotional," Sara shared. "It's dedicated to our angels - my father, Niccolò's father, and grandfather... We have a lot of angels! Every time, in every turn of transition, I think about them. I look at the sky and imagine that my angel is watching over me. I don't know why, but especially in the spin... it makes me happy."

"We decided to choose this music as a prayer, a tribute to our loved ones," Niccolò continued. "And I think we can really feel the emotion in this program. Of course, we need to get used to it. With all these elements that need to be executed perfectly, it's very difficult to convey a lot of emotion. We were just discussing that if you think about skating before 2002, when there weren't all these rules, the programs were much more creative and had more of a narrative. Each lift reflected the music; you started the lift because of something happening in that part of the music. So, it's pretty tough for me to interpret this music while performing the elements. But we need to work on it. I think this is going to be a very good program."

In general, the duo feels they are in a good place right now, both technically and mentally.

"When you have to work on a lot of things - our goal is to get them all above average - but you don't have much time, it becomes challenging. You can't skate for eight hours; you only have two ice sessions, along with gym, ballet, and choreography, so you need to decide what to focus on," Niccolò explained. "There are elements that don't work as well for us, like twists and lifts; they are always a bit shaky. But now that we've improved, we will refocus on jumps, even if they are less of a problem.
I feel that we are in shape from the beginning of the season. Last year, it took us two to three months to get in shape, both physically and mentally. But now I can see that we communicate better and are working hard."

"Last year, we worked really hard too, but the problem was more mental," Sara added. "When you're not feeling fully confident during the throw - because our main issue was the loop throw in the short program for me - I wasn't happy to skate because I knew I was going to fall on that throw. Now, after working on it a lot, I understand that I can do it; I know that. So I just need to focus on landing. Even during transitions, when we talk to each other, I keep repeating, 'Land, land, land.' The problem is that if I land nine out of ten throws in practice, I'll fixate on the one I didn't land."

"We always say it: during competition, once you're in the air, you have to land," Niccolò added. "Sometimes, instead of focusing on that, you're thinking about how the takeoff went, and while you're stuck on that thought, you're already on the floor."

Comparing their last two seasons - with gold at Europeans, bronze at Worlds, and podium finishes at both Grand Prix events and the final in 2022-23 - the previous season, especially its second half, felt like a setback. They analysed it and realised that, in a way, the success of 2022-23 could be partially "blamed" for that.

"The incredible season we had two years ago was completely unexpected," Niccolò explained. "It was the first season we started doing triple twists - ever! We had this amazing run, and afterward, last year, we felt we didn't entirely deserve it. So, on one hand, we didn't feel like we were at the top, but on the other, we had to do everything to stay there. We felt we needed to be at our best, but what ended up happening was either I was on, and she wasn't, or she was, and I wasn't. This season, I feel like we're there together, and we're much stronger."

After winning the Lombardia Trophy for the third time in a row, Sara and Niccolò went on to claim their third consecutive victory at the Tayside Trophy in Dundee, Scotland.