Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin Lead in Skate Canada Pairs, On Verge of Fifth Grand Prix Title
In a thrilling showcase at Skate Canada International on October 31, 2025, Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin made a striking entry into the 2025–26 ISU Grand Prix Series. The dynamic German pair, renowned for their elegance and technical prowess, set the stage ablaze with a remarkable performance, scoring 77.53 in the short program. This just shy of their personal best continues to assert their dominance, particularly as they lead the competition in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
The reigning world silver medallists now hold a four-point edge over local favorites and 2024 world champions Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps, who posted a score of 73.03. The Canadian duo faced a setback with a level one rating for their backward death spiral, costing them valuable points and an opportunity to came closer to Hase and Volodin.
Finishing strong in third place are Canada’s Lia Pereira and Trennt Michaud, who achieved a remarkable career-best score of 70.66, positioned comfortably ahead of American pair Ellie Kam and Danny O’Shea, who trail in fourth with 65.48.
Hase and Volodin have overcome obstacles leading to this competition, with a challenging recent outing at the Trialeti Trophy in Tbilisi, Georgia. The pair had to navigate through illness, resulting in a second-place finish which didn’t quite reflect their capabilities when in full health. “We’re pretty happy with our performance out there,” noted Hase, reflecting on their short program optimism. “It’s the best one of the season so far. We’re really happy and glad that it worked out the way it did today for us.”
With this performance, Hase and Volodin are poised toward securing their fifth Grand Prix title, further solidifying their status in the elite ranks of professional figure skating. All eyes will be on them as they prepare for the upcoming free skate and aim to enhance their winning trajectory on the Grand Prix series.
