The European Figure Skating Championships in Sheffield, UK will take place without the five-time German ice dance champions Jennifer Janse van Rensburg/Benjamin Steffan.
The people of Oberstdorf announced on Wednesday that they were canceling their participation due to illness. Steffan had to stop official training on Tuesday due to an infection and will not be able to compete in the European Championships.
“It’s a great shame that we can’t start 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 the big goal,” said Janse van Rensburg.
Charise Matthaei/Max Liebers will be playing at the European Championships in the short term. This is the second European Championship participation for the four-time German runners-up from Chemnitz. Reaching the freestyle final in Sheffield is the declared goal.
The European Figure Skating Championships start on Wednesday with the pairs short program. There the top German pair Minerva Hase/Nikita Volodin want to lay the foundation for the successful defense of their title. Before that, the second German pair Annika Hocke/Robert Kunkel steps onto the ice. The decision in pair skating will be made on Thursday evening in the free skate.