MINSK, Belarus (AP) — Olympic figure skating champion Alina Zagitova wobbled but still took the lead in Wednesday’s short program at the European Championships.
The defending champion from Russia survived an under-rotated triple loop and a shaky landing on a triple flip to score 75 points — a relatively low score by her standards but still more than second-place teammate Sofia Samodurova with 72.88.
“I was just focused on having a clean skate,” said Zagitova, who was recovering from a disappointing fifth-place finish at last month’s Russian nationals. “I was deliberately trying not to show my emotions and I don’t plan to until the free skate. There were some flaws but they can be fixed. Now I need to get focused as much as possible for the free skate.”
American-born Swiss skater Alexia Paganini is third with 65.64 points, 0.03 ahead of Viveca Lindfors of Finland. Paganini is looking to become Switzerland’s first European medalist since Sarah Meier won the title on home ice in 2011.
Russian hopes of a podium sweep took a hit when Stanislava Konstantinova fell, scoring 56.76 for 11th.
Olympic silver medalist and two-time European champion Evgenia Medvedeva isn’t competing after failing to make the Russian team at nationals.
The women’s free skate is Friday.
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