Adam Siao Him Fa’s bid to win the European men’s figure skating title three years running has ended with a bronze medal after Lukas Britschgi produced a stunning upset to take gold in Tallinn.

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.

Niina Petrokina fell, got back up, and completed the skate of her life. A freak fall on a transition between jumps threatened to derail Petrokina's bid for the European figure skating title but she recovered with a program that otherwise bordered on flawless to win a surprise gold medal on Friday.

Anastasiia Gubanova has taken a narrow lead in the short program as she aims to regain her title at the European figure skating championships.

Italy's Charlene Guignard and Marco Fabbri opened their bid for a third consecutive European title by leading the ice dance rhythm dance at the European figure skating championships on Friday. Former winner Anastasiia Gubanova of Georgia is leading the women's singles competition going into Friday's free skate final.