Figure skating-Estonia's Petrokina roars back to lead the European women's short program

SHEFFIELD, England, Jan 14 : Defending champion Niina Petrokina seized the lead in the women's short programme at the European Figure Skating Championships on Wednesday despite missing most of the season after undergoing Achilles tendon surgery in October.

The Estonian delivered a gutsy, virtually flawless skate to score 70.61 points, putting her comfortably ahead of Nina Pinzarrone and Anna Pezzetta.

It was a stunning comeback for an athlete who had been uncertain about being healthy enough to compete in Sheffield, the final international event for Europe's Olympic-bound skaters before next month's Milano Cortina Games.

Belgium's Pinzarrone scored 64.97 to sit second heading into Friday's free skate, while Pezzetta of Italy was third with 64.85.

Georgia's Anastasiia  Metelkina and Luka Berulava stormed to the top of the pairs short programme with a crisp skate that left the reigning champions trailing.

The double world junior champions scored 75.96 points for their programme to Bolero, powered by side‑by‑side triple Salchows and a throw triple flip.

Germany's reigning European champions Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin scored 74.81 points for second place heading into Thursday's free programme, losing marks when Fabienne Hase touched a hand down on their side-by-side triple Salchows. Their side-by-side spins were also not synchronised.

Maria Pavlova and Alexei Sviatchenko of Hungary were third with 73.32.

The Georgians' superb skate - which opened with Metelkina in a handstand while Berulava spun her by the feet - came despite their late arrival in Sheffield on Tuesday evening due to a delay with their visas.

Their only practice was on Wednesday morning. Metelkina complained about her 0400 GMT wake-up for hair and