Names, times, live streams – you need to know that at the World Cup World Cup

At the figure skating World Cup in Boston, Minerva Hase and Nikita Wolodin are among the top favorites on gold. The title fights are also important for the Olympic qualification.

It was a long time ago when the German figure skaters belonged to the World Elite. In the meantime it has become thin at the top. If it weren’t for Minerva Hase and Nikita Wolodin. At the upcoming World Cup in Boston (26 – 30.03.) The European Cycling Master are among the top favorites and are allowed to dream of the next title.

You have filled up with a lot of self -confidence in past competitions. In addition to the European Championship title, they also won the Grand Prix final, which is considered the most important competition alongside the big championships. Now they want to fight precious metal in Boston’s TD Garden, in which NBA and NHL games are otherwise played. “They are European champions and therefore a bit the hunted”said Knut Schubert, home trainer of the two in an interview with the RBB. The favorites include defending champion Deanna Stellato-Dudek/Maxime Deschamp from Canada and the Vice World Champions from 2024 Riku Miura/Ryuichi Kihara (Japan).

Problems during preparation

The preparation was not quite optimal. Again and again the duo was thrown back by diseases. Wolodin had to struggle with a long -lasting infection in February. “Accordingly, we had to start training a little slower again”said Hase. “Then there were ailments here and there.”

Nevertheless, the duo feels well prepared and is ready to attack the medal ranks. Because the World Cup is not just about the title. A year before the Winter Olympics, the quota places for the competitions in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo are awarded. If the qualification in Boston does not succeed, the final chance only remains the qualification competition IIM September in Beijing. “The goal is to get quota places at the World Cup in all possible disciplines”said Claudia Pfeifer, sports director of the German ice skating union.

These are the World Cup favorites

For men, Nikita Starostin starts, who has to make amends to 27 after a disappointing European Championship to solve the Olympic ticket. The top favorite on gold are the defending champion and local hero Ilia Malinin from the USA and Swiss Lukas Britschgi. Kaori Sakamoto from Japan will be in focus again for women.

Jennifer Janse van Rensburg/Benjamin Steffan take part in the Eisanz. In the pair run, the World Cup fifths Annika Hocke/Robert Kunkel are there in the pair run. The Americans Madison Chock and Evan Bates, but Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier from Canada also want to fight for gold.

For 22 years: no German runner at the start

For the first time since 2003, no woman is taking part in the World Cup for Germany, since none of the runners met the starting requirements. “This is very, very annoying and of course a setback”said Pfeifer. Germany has lost connection to the top of the world. The glorious times in the 1970s and 80s, in which the FRG and the GDR were dominant in the women’s ice skating and the East with Katarina Witt had produced a world star, are long over.

There is hardly any hope that this situation will soon change in the individual disciplines. “The cause is certainly that, first of all, we cannot draw out of the masses in terms of performance density in Germany. And on the other hand, it is also because we just need very, very long breath to train the junior athletes in quality. This has something to do with training sizes”said Pfeifer.

In -depth problems in the system

The problem: The system in Germany requires more stamina than in other countries, according to the official. “We have a lot, a lot of system constraints and there are very, very many talented athletes even at a young age, which we of course lack in adult concentration.”

So the hopes rest on the rabbit and wolodine. It would be the first gold after seven years when Aljona Fereki and Bruno Massot won the title for Germany. Have you ever been to the rabbit and Wolodin? “You should have the form of your life at the Olympic Games next year”said Schubert. “You have a good shape and have achieved top results.” For the two, the short program on Wednesday (6.45 / 11:45 p.m. CET) and in the decisive freestyle on Thursday (6.45 / 11:15 p.m. CET) are about medals.