TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — 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.

The European figure skating championships carried on Thursday in Tallin, Estonia, even as the skating world mourned athletes who died in an aircraft collision near Washington, D.C.

The European figure skating championships have carried on, even as the skating world mourned athletes who died when an American Airlines jet collided with an Army helicopter near Washington, D.C. The second day of the competition in Estonia continued on schedule with the men's short program Thursday afternoon,

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.

Minerva Fabienne Hase frontNikita Volodin of Germany compete in pairs short program at ISU European Figure Skatin

Frenchman Adam Siao Him Fa paid tribute to the victims of the plane crash in the United States after taking the men's singles lead on a sombre Thursday at the European figure skating championships.