MINSK — Russia's Olympic champion Alina Zagitova seized the lead after the women's short program on the opening day of the European figure skating championships in Minsk on Wednesday.

The 16-year-old defending European champion earned 75.00 points for a solid rendition of her routine to "The Phantom of the Opera" soundtrack by Andrew Lloyd Webber at the 15,000-seat ice arena.

"I was all geared up for a flawless performance here," Zagitova, who missed out adding a world title to her Olympics crown when only fifth in Milan last March, told Russian TV.

"I tried hard to keep my emotions under full control and it worked well.

"Of course there were some slight mistakes but it didn't seriously affect my mark today. Now I need to focus on my free skating to show my best on Friday."

Another Russian, Sofia Samodurova, earned her personal best mark of 72.88 points for her short program to "Nyah" by Hans Zimmer to lie second. Alexia Paganini of Switzerland is third on 65.64.

In the pairs competition, Vanessa James and Morgan Cipres of France, who were third at last year's world championships, led after the opening day with 76.55 points.

Two-time European champions Evgenia Tarasova and Vladimir Morozov of Russia, who came to the Belarusian capital to defend their title, are second, just 2.65pts behind the French duo after they produced a catalogue of errors in their routine to "Piano Concerto No. 2" by Sergei Rachmaninoff.

Italian duo Nicole Della Monica and Matteo Guarise sit third on 73.70 points. — AFP