Star Metro - Swiss Britschgi wins European figure skating gold

NYSE - LSE

CMSC	-0.31%	21.275	$
BCC	-1.38%	79.94	$
BCE	-0.43%	23.49	$
CMSD	-0.47%	21.16	$
RBGPF	0%	71.13	$
JRI	-0.32%	12.44	$
VOD	-1.19%	15.94	$
RYCEF	2.01%	20.85	$
AZN	-2.04%	166.27	$
GSK	-1.24%	51.43	$
RELX	-1.53%	35.34	$
NGG	-0.79%	80.53	$
RIO	-2.02%	104.7	$
BP	-0.85%	42.5	$
BTI	1.69%	57.44	$

Swiss Britschgi wins European figure skating gold

SPORTS 01.02.2025

Swiss Britschgi wins European figure skating gold / Photo: Daniel MIHAILESCU - AFP

Switzerland's Lukas Britschgi won the men's European figure skating title on Saturday, rising from eighth place with his gold medal-winning performance in the free skate.

Text size:

Britschgi, a bronze medallist two years ago, produced a dazzling display to earn an overall score of 267.09 points as two-time reigning champion Adam Siao Him Fa of France dropped to third.

"I don't know what to say, that really came from nowhere," said the 26-year-old Britschgi, who became the first Swiss winner of the event since 1947.

"I had nothing to lose, so I was pretty relaxed and I tried to attack each part of my programme.

"I had shivers when I entered the ice. I'm going to celebrate this title the way it should be."

Siao Him Fa led after Thursday's short programme in Tallinn but a fall on his first jump in the free skate and other mistakes dashed his hopes of a third successive title, as he finished on 257.99 points.

"I'm not very happy with my performance but in some ways, knowing where I have come from, I just have to accept it," said Siao Him Fa, who has been nursing an injured right ankle.

"It's going to be difficult to perform every time, it's just part of the process and today, I wasn't up to it."

Nikolaj Memola claimed silver with 262.61 to cap a successful day for Italy after Charlene Guignard and Marco Fabbri swept to a third straight European ice dance title.

The pair had led after the rhythm dance and secured victory in the free dance with a tally of 212.12 points.

France's Evgeniia Lopareva and Geoffrey Brissaud took silver almost six points adrift (206.76), just ahead of Britain's bronze medallists Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson (206.02).

"I'm very happy this time because without wanting to brag, we really dominated," said Fabbri.

The Italians were firm favourites to notch up their hat-trick at what was their 13th European championships.

Fear and Gibson were runners-up to Guignard and Fabbri in 2023 and 2024 and were seeking Britain's first European ice dance title since Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean in 1994.

P.Graham--SMC

Featured

Park So-yeon first woman to play for eSports powerhouse South Korea

Park So-yeon is set to become the first woman to represent South Korea's national team in eSports and wants to pave the way for more in the male-dominated world of competitive gaming.

Ruthless Bayern target treble as rivals reboot on Bundesliga return

Bayern Munich have vowed to pick up where they left off last season, targeting the treble, while their outclassed Bundesliga rivals have undergone a reboot to try and cut the gap.

Euro champ Hunt 'on her toes' against world's best in Zurich 100m

Amy Hunt left the European championships with four gold medals after winning both sprint titles and picking up two further relay golds.

UEFA set to withdraw FIFA boycott threat ahead of Champions League draw

Thursday's draw for this season's Champions League has been somewhat overshadowed by the latest developments in the dispute between UEFA and FIFA over plans to bring private financing into the World Cup, with European football's governing body expected to drop a threatened boycott of global competitions.