Malinin wins third straight world figure skating title
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- Ilia Malinin won his third consecutive world figure skating title in Prague, landing five quadruple jumps — but not his pioneering quad axel — for a free skate of 218.11 and a winning total of 329.40
- Yuma Kagiyama of Japan settled for a fourth career world silver (306.67) and compatriot Shun Sato took bronze (288.54); Kagiyama's five world medals and four Olympic silvers still include no gold from either event
- Malinin said he came to worlds with "almost no pressure," describing it as an "escape" from Olympic expectations and saying his only goal was to get through the free skate "in one piece"
- Malinin's three-peat makes him the first man to win consecutive world titles since fellow American Nathan Chen (2018, 2019, 2021; 2020 was canceled due to COVID)
- Olympic gold medalist Mikhail Shaidorov of Kazakhstan did not compete at worlds, a common choice for champions facing a rush of media and commercial opportunities after the four-year Olympic buildup
- Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron of France won ice dance gold (230.81, a personal best) in their first season together, while Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier of Canada took silver for the third straight year
- Kaori Sakamoto won women's gold Friday for a fourth world title before retiring, and Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin won pairs for Germany on Thursday
Why it matters: Malinin's third consecutive world title matches Nathan Chen's modern-era record and extends his dominance in men's figure skating. His 23-point margin over Kagiyama signals a widening gap at the top of the men's field, while the emotional relief on display — fist pumps and crowd thanks after weeks of post-Olympic torment — underscores how the Olympic collapse had weighed on the sport's biggest star.
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