Title: Berlin's Shining Stars Hase/Volodin Sweep to Beijing's Grand Prix Final

An open-hearted victory dance for Hase/Volodin, as they stormed the NHK Trophy in Osaka, Japan, clinching the lucrative Grand Prix Final in Beijing with a dazzling display. Having secured the top spot in Finland a week before, the dynamic duo, Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin, continued their stunning run.

Despite a minor setback during the free skate, the Berlin sweethearts output a nearly flawless performance, cracking a personal best of 202.51 points, thanks to the collective power of their short program and free skate, save for a double Salchow from Hase. In a precarious situation minutes before their free skate, Nikita's skate suffered a lace malfunction. In an instant, coach Dmitri Savin repaired the lace skate akin to a superhero. "Nikita is a hero. He skated a clean free skate with a broken skate," exalted Hase.

The pair's apparent calm disguised the thrill of the moment, according to Hase, "It was much better than in Finland, and that was our goal. We crossed the 200-point threshold for the first time." The couple, who have been partners on the ice for a mere 15 months, harmonize with auburn colors, attributable to their relentless work ethic. Highlighting their joint strength, Volodin emphasized, "There is a lot of hard work behind it."

In the thrilling Grand Prix Final, Hase/Volodin will meet their fellow German rivals, Annika Hocke/Robert Kunkel, qualifying with a first-place finish and a fourth-place show at their Grand Prix events. This is a memorable inaugural occasion for Germany, having two pairs participating in the same final. The last time a German duo reached the final of the top six in the Grand Prix series was in 2017 with the Olympic champions Aljona Savchenko/Bruno Massot.

Olympic silver medalist Yuma Kagiyama from Japan narrowly edged out his teammate, two-time world champion Shoma Uno, in the men's competition. The women's event saw a shocking win from Ava Marie Ziegler of the USA. In the dramatic ice dancing competition, European silver medallists Lilah Fear/Lewis Gibson from Great Britain overtook the European champions Charlène Guignard/Marco Fabbri from Italy in the free dance.

Hase and Volodin's victorious performance at the NHK Trophy paved their way to the upcoming Grand Prix Final in Beijing. Despite the minor snag in Volodin's skate during the free skate, they delivered an awe-inspiring performance, establishing their place as Grand Prix Final participants once more.

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Insights on Hase/Volodin's Recent Performances and Expectations for Beijing's Grand Prix Final

With recent performance highlights and high expectations, Hase/Volodin are primed for success in the upcoming Grand Prix Final.

Recent Performances

1. 2025 European Figure Skating Championships:
2. Short Program: Hase/Volodin delivered an almost flawless short program, scoring 71.59 points despite one deduction for time violation.
3. Free Skate: Successfully executing powerful and dramatic elements, they scored an impressive 140.89 points in the free skate. The pair finished with a total score of 212.48, placing first in the competition.
4. Grand Prix Final:
5. Previous Performance: As reigning ISU Grand Prix Final champions, they demonstrated undeniable skating skills in the previous Final, with criticisms of their program being described as demanding.

Expectations for Bejing's Grand Prix Final

Given their impressive performances and skills, here's what to expect from the Berlin powerhouse in Beijing:

• Consistency
• Flawless element execution
• Mental preparedness and resilience
• Continued growth and improvement in areas such as jump consistency and precise execution.

Overall, Hase/Volodin exhibit strong potential for a successful showing at the Grand Prix Final in Beijing. Their powerhouse performances and relentless dedication to improvement will surely shake up the competition.