Minerva Fabienne Hase RNikita Volodin of Germany compete during the pair free skating at ISU European Figure Ska

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Germany's Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin put themselves firmly on course for their first European figure skating title Wednesday in the pairs short program.

Germany's Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin led after the pairs short program on the first day at the European figure skating championships in Tallinn on Wednesday.

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — The European figure skating championships carried on Thursday, even as the skating world mourned athletes who died when an American Airlines jet collided with an Army helicopter near Washington, D.C.

Minerva Fabienne Hase frontNikita Volodin of Germany compete in pairs short program at ISU European Figure Skatin