TALLINN, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) — The first day of the International Skating Union (ISU) European Figure Skating Championships on Wednesday witnessed world champions Anastasia Mishina/Aleksandr Galliamov and Andrei Mozalev of Russia taking the lead in the pairs and men’s short programs respectively.

At Tondiraba Ice Hall in the Estonian capital, 2020 World Junior Champion Mozalev, as a last-minute replacement of compatriot Mikhail Kolyada who withdrew citing injury, led in the men’s short program with 99.76 points, followed by teammates Mark Kondratiuk and Evgeni Semenenko in second and third respectively.

Reigning European bronze medalist Morisi Kvitelashvili, who currently represents Georgia, came fourth with 92.76 points, while Daniel Grassl of Italy ranked fifth with 91.75 points and Deniss Vasiljevs of Latvia sixth with 90.24 points.

Thirty-three male athletes competed in the short program and the top 24 will advance into Friday’s free skating event.

In the pairs short program, Russia’s reigning World Champions Mishina/Galliamov earned 82.36 points, taking the lead ahead of teammates Evgenia Tarasova/Vladimir Morozov, and two-time European Champions Aleksandra Boikova/Dmitri Kozlovskii.

Twenty-one pairs competed in the short program, while the top 16 will advance into free skating on Thursday.

A total of eight competitions in singles, pairs and ice dance will take place during the European Figure Skating Championships 2022 from January 12 to 16.

Tallinn hosts the ISU European Figure Skating Championships for the second time since 2010. The ISU European Championships return after the event had to be cancelled in 2021 due to COVID-19.

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