German Skating News - 2024 Onwards

[Kiki5375]

Nikita Volodin got German citizenship

Pirouette Newsflash: Volodin eingebürgert

Paarläufer Nikita Volodin hat die deutsche Staatsbürgerschaft erhalten. /Pair skater Nikita Volodin has received German citizenship.

steady.page

 

[sus2850]

And here is the official text, also including news about Nebelhorn (quotes from Minerva)

DEU-Team für Nebelhorn Trophy steht, Staatsbürgerschaft für Volodin

Die Deutsche Eislauf-Union e.V. ist nationaler Spitzenverband für Eiskunstlaufen, Eistanz und Synchroneiskunstlaufen und einer von nur 7 olympischen Wintersportverbänden.

eislauf-union.de

 

[haribobo]

International Scores

MEN
Genrikh Gartung 211 OLYQ
Nikita Starostin 194 Nepela
Arthur Mai 179 Nebelhorn
Kai Jagoda 179 Nebelhorn
Leon Rojkov 168 JGP ITA
Luca Funfer 159 Nebelhorn

WOMEN
Anna Gerke 167 JGP LAT
Diana Ziesecke 156 JGP ITA
Anna Grekul 117 Nebelhorn

Sarah Pesch is skating at Trialeti Trophy Oct 8-11.

PAIRS
Hase/Volodin 221 Nebelhorn
Hocke/Kunkel 180 Nebelhorn
Roscher/Schuster 142 Nebelhorn
Krebs/Trofymov 111 JGP Turkey
Lowenherz/Lowenherz 108 JGP LAT

DANCE
VanRensburg/Steffan 180 Nebelhorn
Karl/Hoferichter 150 Nebelhorn
Matthei/Liebers 150 Lombardia
Kruk/Eisenhaber 136 JGP ITA
Schubert/Remeshevskiy 136 Nebelhorn
Hemcke/Sladkov 132 JGP AZE
Kobor/Kobor 129 JGP ITA

 

[SkateFanBerlin]

Well ok. Gartung with another bronze. A lot of skating this fall. Now he can do some work before Worlds to get rid of the misses. Also see if he get some other things -i.e. spins, at a higher level. Good to see a German man in the mix.

 

[Miezekatze]

Roscher and Schuster split up according to their insta post from today.

 

[Sylvia]

Letizia Roscher/Luis Schuster finished 3rd at Nationals but were not nominated for Euros - link to their joint split announcement post that includes photos from when they teamed up 9 years ago: https://www.instagram.com/p/DS42zj6jORO/
It ends: "... As it goes for each of us, it is currently still open. Yet we look forward with trust and respect - grateful for all that has been and open to what’s to come."

Kai Jagoda also retired after Nationals - his Dec. 16, 2025 post: https://www.instagram.com/p/DSVPoU6iMdK/

Men's medalists:
1 Genrikh GARTUNG BAY 229.38 3 1 (164.09 in FS - jumps landed: 4F, 4Lz+3T, 3A, 3Lo, 3Lz+3T, 3F!+2A+2A, 3F!)
2 Nikita STAROSTIN NRW 211.19 2 2
3 Kai JAGODA BER 211.13 1 3

Copying over some posts from the 2026 German Nationals thread in Kiss & Cry: https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/threads/2026-german-nationals-dec-8-13-2025-in-oberstdorf.113418/

Genrikh Gartung had a great free with [95.82] points technical

A video of Gartung's FS from the free livestream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QlyT_C3L5ik
Next up is his debut at Europeans.

On why no woman was nominated for 2026 Euros:

I think for [Julia] Grabowski it's too soon after missing most of the season prep due to injury and the others didn't once get more than 150 points and the fed wanted to see 170+

World-class performances at the German Championships in Oberstdorf, European Championship team nominated for Sheffield:

Weltklasse-Leistungen bei Deutschen Meisterschaften in Oberstdorf, EM-Team für Sheffield nominiert

Die Deutsche Eislauf-Union e.V. ist nationaler Spitzenverband für Eiskunstlaufen, Eistanz und Synchroneiskunstlaufen und einer von nur 7 olympischen Wintersportverbänden.

www.eislauf-union.de

Excerpt:

Hase/Volodin to lead European Championship team for Sheffield.

Following the German Championships, German Skating Union (DEU) Sports Director Jens ter Laak announced the nominations for the 2026 European Figure Skating Championships in Sheffield. In pairs skating, Minerva Hase/Nikita Volodin and Annika Hocke/Robert Kunkel were nominated. In ice dance, Jennifer Janse van Rensburg/Benjamin Steffan will represent Germany. Genrikh Gartung will make his European Championship debut in the men's competition. Nikita Starostin (men's) and Charise Matthaei/Max Liebers (ice dance) were named as alternates.

As a goal for the European Championships, the sports director stated that the defending European champions in pair skating, Hase/Volodin, should once again win a medal, and in ice dancing, a top-ten finish to secure a second German starting place. "We want to position Genrikh Gartung well for his first appearance at the European Championships. There's no specific placement target for his European Championship debut; he impressively demonstrated his abilities in his German Championship free skate," said Jens ter Laak about the newcomer to the European Championship team.

Following the European Championships, the highlight of the season awaits: the Winter Olympics in Milan/Cortina (ITA; February 5-22, 2026). The Olympic qualifying standard in figure skating has been met by pair skaters Minerva Hase/Nikita Volodin and Annika Hocke/Robert Kunkel, as well as ice dancers Jennifer Janse van Rensburg/Benjamin Steffan. The Olympic nominations will be announced by the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) on January 20, 2026. The German Skating Union (DEU) aims to be represented in all four disciplines and the team event at the 2030 Winter Olympics.

Reposting here from the Pairs general discussion thread:

Minerva Hase - The Art of Lightness - DAY BY DAY (Team Deutschland; Dec. 19, 2025): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mH0ODKxvwvA

Oberstdorf, December 2025. When figure skater Minerva Hase glides across the ice with her partner Nikita Volodin, she captivates entire arenas. But what appears so effortless and magical in competition is the result of hard work in training. Nothing is taken for granted or done by magic; instead, it is shaped by countless repetitions and passionate discussions before that one big moment in the spotlight arrives. Production: Team D Studios. Director, Camera, Editing: Maurice Stach

To change subtitles to English, the steps below worked on my computer. (I was not using a phone.)
Click on Settings "cogwheel" at lower right of YouTube screen. Menu will drop "up."
On menu, click on Subtitles (second choice from top).
On next menu, select Auto-translate. From Auto-translate menu, select English.

 

[Sylvia]

German federation's Jan. 14th press release:

Eistänzer Janse van Rensburg/Steffan müssen EM-Start zurückziehen

Die Deutsche Eislauf-Union e.V. ist nationaler Spitzenverband für Eiskunstlaufen, Eistanz und Synchroneiskunstlaufen und einer von nur 7 olympischen Wintersportverbänden.

eislauf-union.de

Five-time German ice dance champions Jennifer Janse van Rensburg and Benjamin Steffan have had to withdraw from the European Figure Skating Championships in Sheffield (GBR; January 14-18, 2026) due to illness. As a result, ice dance pair Charise Matthaei and Max Liebers will be competing at the European Championships at short notice.

Two-time World Championship finalists Jennifer Janse van Rensburg and Benjamin Steffan will not be able to participate in the European Figure Skating Championships in Sheffield. Benjamin Steffan had to cut short his official training on Tuesday due to an infection and will not be able to compete in the European Championships. "It's a real shame that we can't compete at the European Championships. But health comes first, and we don't want to take any risks on our way to the Olympic Games. The Winter Games in Milan are our ultimate goal," explained Jennifer Janse van Rensburg.

The European Championship reserve ice dance pair Charise Matthaei and Max Liebers will step in at short notice. This will be the second European Championship appearance for the four-time German vice-champions from Chemnitzer EC. At the 2024 European Figure Skating Championships in Kaunas, Lithuania, they narrowly missed the final of the top 20 pairs. Reaching the free skating final will again be their goal in Sheffield.

 

[text_skate]

Hase/Volodin on their result yesterday: Wake-up call for Hase/Volodin: ‘It won't happen again’

Weckruf für Hase/Volodin: „Wird nicht noch mal passieren“

www.sueddeutsche.de

‘There are always competition days when things just don't come together, and tonight was one of those days,’ said Hase, adding: ‘The warm-up was good, but then in the free skate, various wobbles and perhaps a lack of concentration meant that it didn't go perfectly.’ However, she added that it was ‘not a complete disaster’.

‘So, considering the mistakes we made, we scored very well,’ said Hase. ‘We're not worried at all that the point gap was big today. It was simply our performance that wasn't good.’

Hase looked surprised in the Kiss'n'Cry when she realised, they were placed in front of PavSvia.

 

[Ananas Astra]

Hase/Volodin on their result yesterday: Wake-up call for Hase/Volodin: ‘It won't happen again’

Weckruf für Hase/Volodin: „Wird nicht noch mal passieren“

www.sueddeutsche.de

Hase looked surprised in the Kiss'n'Cry when she realised, they were placed in front of PavSvia.

Not surprising.

 

[Sylvia]

Jan. 20, 2026:

DOSB nominiert sechs Eiskunstläufer für Olympische Winterspiele 2026 in Mailand/Cortina

Die Deutsche Eislauf-Union e.V. ist nationaler Spitzenverband für Eiskunstlaufen, Eistanz und Synchroneiskunstlaufen und einer von nur 7 olympischen Wintersportverbänden.

www.eislauf-union.de

Nominierte Eiskunstläufer*innen für die Olympischen Winterspiele 2026:

Paarlaufen:
Minerva Hase/Nikita Volodin (Berliner SV 1892 / BER)
Annika Hocke/Robert Kunkel (SC Charlottenburg / BER)

Eistanzen:
Jennifer Janse van Rensburg/Benjamin Steffan (EC Oberstdorf / BAY)

 

[Andrea82]

Jan. 20, 2026:

DOSB nominiert sechs Eiskunstläufer für Olympische Winterspiele 2026 in Mailand/Cortina

Die Deutsche Eislauf-Union e.V. ist nationaler Spitzenverband für Eiskunstlaufen, Eistanz und Synchroneiskunstlaufen und einer von nur 7 olympischen Wintersportverbänden.

www.eislauf-union.de

Nominierte Eiskunstläufer*innen für die Olympischen Winterspiele 2026:

Paarlaufen:
Minerva Hase/Nikita Volodin (Berliner SV 1892 / BER)
Annika Hocke/Robert Kunkel (SC Charlottenburg / BER)

Eistanzen:
Jennifer Janse van Rensburg/Benjamin Steffan (EC Oberstdorf / BAY)

The promotional shots by German Olympic Committee with the team gear

Team Deutschland on Instagram: "Jetzt ist klar, wer uns im Eiskunstlauf bei den Olympischen Winterspielen in Mailand vertritt. 🖤❤️💛 ⭐ Sie sind bereit, das Eis zum Funkeln zu bringen! #TeamD #Eiskunstlauf #Olympics #MilanoCortina2026"

1,514 likes, 11 comments - teamdeutschland on January 20, 2026: "Jetzt ist klar, wer uns im Eiskunstlauf bei den Olympischen Winterspielen in Mailand vertritt. 🖤❤️💛 ⭐ Sie sind bereit, das Eis zum Funkeln zu bringen! #TeamD #Eiskunstlauf #Olympics #MilanoCortina2026".

www.instagram.com

Deutsche Eislauf-Union | DEU ⛸️ on Instagram: "😍 Officially selected for the Olympics 🥳 Für sechs Eiskunstläufer*innen erfüllt sich der Olympia-Traum! Paarlaufen ✨️ Minerva Hase/Nikita Volodin Annika Hocke/Robert Kunkel Eistanzen ✨️ Jennifer Janse

425 likes, 5 comments - deutsche_eislauf_union on January 20, 2026: "😍 Officially selected for the Olympics 🥳 Für sechs Eiskunstläufer*innen erfüllt sich der Olympia-Traum! Paarlaufen ✨️ Minerva Hase/Nikita Volodin Annika Hocke/Robert Kunkel Eistanzen ✨️ Jennifer Janse van Rensburg/Benjamin...

www.instagram.com

 

[Sylvia]

Jennifer Janse van Rensburg & Benjamin Steffan were guests on the Off The Podium podcast (recorded last month):

Episodes | Off The Podium

Browse the full Off the Podium archive. Explore our collection of Olympic interviews and stories, searchable by sport, athlete country, and specific Games.

www.offthepodiumpod.com

Also on YT (premiered Jan. 29, 2026): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42_PqgZwYmo

A real treat coming down your speakers today as we welcome our first-ever German athletes to the show in the outstanding ice dance duo Benjamin Steffan and Jennifer Janse van Rensburg! The pair join us to reflect on their remarkable careers so far and to share their ambitions as the Milano Cortina Olympic Games draw ever closer. We dive into their individual journeys in the sport, how their paths eventually aligned to form a partnership, and what it truly takes to chase an Olympic dream in ice dance. Along the way, they break down the intricacies of ice dance as a discipline, what sets it apart on the Olympic stage, and offer insight into the current state of the sport in Germany. It’s an engaging, insightful conversation with a fascinating pair of athletes in an interview you won’t want to miss!