By Lori Ewing
March 23 (Reuters) – On the heels of Ilia Malinin’s shocking collapse at the Olympic Games that he said was caused by pressure and the magnitude of the moment, the American heads to the world figure skating championships with one mission in mind: redemption.
The double world champion arrived at the Olympics as one of the overwhelming favourites for gold among all the sports having not lost in more than two seasons.
But he crumbled under the weight of expectations, and his free programme unravelled in stunning fashion as he fell twice and nailed only three of his planned seven quadruple jumps to finish eighth.
“I’m looking forward to getting myself that redemption competition,” Malinin told Olympics.com. “I’m definitely looking at that and I can be satisfied with it if everything goes well.”
The 21-year-old is aiming to become the first to win three consecutive world men’s titles since Nathan Chen in 2021 at this week’s event in Prague.
The self-named “Quad God” showed he had not lost an ounce of form post-Olympics, dazzling spectators at a show in Zurich days after the Games with a jaw-dropping quadruple Axel – a jump only he has landed in competition – into a back-flip.
It was the kind of audacious, showman‑like flourish that reminded everyone why Malinin remains one of the sport’s most electrifying talents.
Kazakhstan’s Mikhail Shaidorov, the shock winner in Milan, will not compete in Prague.
Olympic ice dance champions Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron of France will look to add their first world title in only their sixth major event since they teamed up a year ago.
OTHER BIG NAMES BOW OUT
This year’s championship field can almost be defined as much by who is not competing as who is, which is common in an Olympic season after an intense, months‑long physical and emotional peak that leaves many athletes exhausted.
Fresh off two Olympic gold medals, in women’s singles and the team event, American Alysa Liu will not defend her world title, citing a packed post‑Olympic off-ice schedule.
“There’s been a lot of exciting things happening since my return from Milan, so I’m taking some time for that … see yall next season,” the 20-year-old said in an Instagram post.
Japan’s Kaori Sakamoto heads the women’s field with a chance to shape the final note of an already exceptional career that includes three consecutive world titles from 2022-24.
Sakamoto, who has announced she will retire after the championships, was in tears in Milan after missing gold by less than two points.
With retirement and a transition to coaching planned, a world title would solidify her legacy and serve as a symbolic passing of the torch as she moves from athlete to mentor.
American Amber Glenn will also hope for redemption after a fifth-place finish at the Olympics, climbing from 13th after a poor short programme that included a missed jump.
After an emotionally charged Olympic ice dance silver, the decision to skip the worlds means Milan was the final competition for Chock and Bates.
The married couple said they had left it all on the ice in Milan. Their withdrawal ended their pursuit of a fourth successive world title.
Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara, who captured Japan’s first Olympic gold in pairs, also withdrew due to the tight turnaround between the two major events.
“After winning the gold medal at the Olympics, we realised it would be difficult to return our physical and mental condition to the pre-Olympic level in time for worlds,” the double world champions said in a statement.
Canada’s 2024 world champions Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps are also skipping the worlds, leaving the field wide open.
Olympic silver medallists Anastasiia Metelkina and Luka Berulava of Georgia and bronze medallists Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin of Germany are the favourites.
Competition begins on Wednesday with the women’s and pairs short programs.
(Reporting by Lori Ewing, editing by Ed Osmond)
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