In the free skate, despite the fall of sixteen-year-old Kuciánová during the triple salchow, the Czechs improved their personal record to 92.14 points. For now, the lower difficulty is preventing them from rising. They include only a double twist and have only one discarded triple jump in their repertoire. The total of 144.63 points was more than ten points behind the top ten. “We are happy that we kept the top spot after the short program, thirteen is also my lucky number,” said Bidař with a smile.
After less than a year of cooperation with Kuciánová, he did not have excessive ambitions at the EC, even though he has seventh and twelfth place in previous starts with other partners from the EC. They drove solidly twice in Kaunas. “Mostly all the jacks were there,” he remarked on Czech television after the free ride.
In the absence of the suspended Russian representatives, the European champions are from Italy for the second time in a row. Surprisingly, they became Beccari and Guaris, who came to Kaunas as the Italian trio. After an excellent short program, however, they completed the free ride of a lifetime, and at the age of 35, Guarise received his dream medal.
The former roller skating world champion was fourth at the EC with Nicole della Monica in 2019 and 2020. Each time they were not enough for three Russian pairs. When Della Monica ended her career after the 2022 Olympics, he got together with the then 18-year-old Beccari. Last year they were seventh at the European Championships, this time they replaced compatriots Sara Conti and Niccol Macii on the throne. They finished sixth in Lithuania.
Junior Grand Prix winners Anastasija Meťolkinová and Luka Berulava did not keep the lead after the short program. The young Georgian representatives paid for their partner’s fall during the triple salchow, the wobble in the final joint pirouette and other mistakes. They only had the fifth free run, but the lead after the short program was enough for them to win silver.
Italians Rebecca Ghilardi and Filippo Ambrosini won the bronze. Also thanks to the fact that in the free run the continuously second Germans Minerva Fabienne Haseová and Nikita Volodin, the kings of the first half of the season, completely failed. The winners of the Grand Prix final fell to fifth place after a fall on a thrown rittberger and a failure in one of the lifted figures.
European Figure Skating Championships in Kaunas:
Sports pair – final ranking:
1. Beccariová, Guarise (It.) 199,19
2. Meťolkinová, Berulava (Georgia) 196.14
3. Ghilardiová, Ambrosini (It.) 195,68
…13. Kuciánová, Bidař (Czech Republic) 144.63.
Women – after a short program:
2. Pinzarrone (both Belgium) 69.70
3. Gubanova (Georgia) 68.96
…24. Vránková (Czech Republic) 50.08.