Figure skating-World junior champions Metelkina, Berulava leaders after European short programme

SHEFFIELD, England, Jan 14 : Georgia's Anastasiia  Metelkina and Luka Berulava seized the spotlight at the European Figure Skating Championships on Wednesday, storming 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 in the final international competition for Olympic-bound skaters before the Milano Cortina Games.

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.

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

The women's short programme was scheduled for later on Wednesday.