TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — The European figure skating championships carried on Thursday, even as the skating world mourned athletes who died when an American Airlines jet collided with an Army helicopter near Washington, D.C.

Germany's Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin put themselves firmly on course for their first European figure skating title Wednesday in the pairs short program. Coming off a win at the Grand Prix Final last month,

Germany's Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin led after the pairs short program on the first day at the European figure skating championships in Tallinn on Wednesday.