Sawt Falasteen - Siao Him Fa leads on sombre day at figure skating Europeans

A passenger jet carrying figure skaters and coaches, including former Russian world pairs champions Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, crashed into Washington's Potomac River on Wednesday.

A minute's silence was held at the European championships in Tallinn for those killed in the disaster.

"I really wanted to skate this programme with all my heart, for the victims, for their loved ones and for all their families," said Siao Him Fa after posting 93.12 in his short programme to boost his hopes of winning a third straight European title.

"The competition itself is no longer important compared to the message that I wanted to convey with the programme."

Georgian Nika Egadze is 1.18 points behind in second place, with Russian-born Pole Vladimir Samoilov in third after scoring 85.98.

Later on Thursday, Germany's Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin take a lead into the pairs free skate.

Authorities in the US have not confirmed the identities of any of the victims of the plane crash, but Russia's state TASS and RIA news agencies cited anonymous sources as saying that Shishkova and Naumov were on board, as well as Inna Volyanskaya, a former pairs skater who competed for the Soviet Union.

M.AlAhmad--SF-PST