The World Figure Skating Championships in the year before the Olympics carry added importance. For American skaters, there’s even more significance given these worlds are at home in Boston.
The U.S. hosts worlds for the first time since 2016 and for the first time in the year before the Olympics since 2009. On the ice this week, Americans are in the mix to win three of the four world titles, which they’ve never done at one edition.
The U.S. headliners are 2024 World champion Ilia Malinin and two-time defending world ice dance champions Madison Chock and Evan Bates.
Plus Amber Glenn, the world’s top women’s singles skater this season, who is joined by 2024 World silver medalist Isabeau Levito returning from injury.
Everyone is competing to earn 2026 Olympic spots for their nations. The best are also trying to position themselves as medal favorites for the Milan Cortina Games.
The local organizing committee for the competition, which starts Wednesday at TD Garden, is the Skating Club of Boston. It was one of five U.S. figure skating clubs that lost members in the Jan. 29 mid-air collision between American Airlines Flight 5342 and an Army helicopter.
A tribute and remembrance is scheduled between Wednesday’s women’s and pairs’ short programs.
“We know the community has been through hard times, and we’re really looking forward to bringing a great event,” said Bates, one of many members of the U.S. world team that took part in the Legacy on Ice benefit event on March 2. “U.S. Figure Skating is working very hard to host a wonderful event, and I think everybody’s looking forward to having something to cheer for.”
Ilia Malinin takes streak, quadruple jumps into worlds
At home, Malinin has a wall poster commemorating his world title from 2024, when he became the first man to land six clean quadruple jumps in one program.
“Every time I come home from practice, I usually get a glimpse of it,” he said. “It kind of reminds me of how much work and effort I really put in.”
Malinin, a 20-year-old from the D.C. area, continued pushing the limits this season. At his last two events, he tried seven quads in the free skate, falling on one each time.
His winning streak, which dates to December 2023, is now up to eight competitions overall.
However, Olympic and world silver medalist Yuma Kagiyama of Japan outscored Malinin in their last head-to-head program — the free skate at December’s Grand Prix Final. That’s proof that Malinin’s unrivaled collection of jumps — he’s the only man to ever land a clean quad Axel — doesn’t guarantee victory.
“I would consider myself to be my biggest rival,” Malinin said. “For me, that’s my whole motto is I always like to compete against myself and to really just push my own limit. For example, last year I had this limit, and this year I want to double or triple that.”
Amber Glenn is the new leading U.S. woman
A year ago, Glenn entered worlds seeded 14th in the field by best total score that season and improved on that by placing 10th overall.
She is undefeated in five competitions since.
At age 25, Glenn has blossomed in her 10th senior international season, relying on a triple Axel and a mental game boosted by neurotherapy.
She notched the biggest win for a U.S. women’s singles skater in 14 years at December’s Grand Prix Final. If she triumphs this week, it’ll be the first world title for a U.S. woman since 2006 (Kimmie Meissner).
Glenn said the last few weeks have not been easy. She skated at Legacy on Ice to honor both the victims of the mid-air-collision and her grandmother Barbara, who died Feb. 28, according to U.S. Figure Skating.
“Facing mental health struggles brought on by grief and loss while training to perform on the biggest stage of my career has been a challenge but I’ve been so lucky to have an incredible team around me that has kept me on a healthy and productive path going into worlds,” Glenn posted last Thursday.
Levito, last year’s silver medalist, is back after missing three months in the fall and winter with a foot injury.
The Americans — Glenn, Levito, plus 2022 World bronze medalist Alysa Liu — will look to dethrone Kaori Sakamoto of Japan. Sakamoto is bidding to become the first woman to win four consecutive world titles since American Carol Heiss took five in a row from 1956-60.
Chock, Bates challenged in ice dance three-peat bid
Chock and Bates are trying to become the first ice dance couple to win three world titles in a row in 28 years.
Unlike the last two years, they go into these worlds coming off a defeat in their most recent competition.
Canadians Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier edged the Americans by 53 hundredths of a point at last month’s Four Continents Championships.
Chock and Bates, who partnered up in 2011 and got married last June, took bronze when Boston hosted the 2016 Worlds. The 2026 Milan Cortina Games could be their fourth and final Olympics together, which could make these their last World Championships.
“I would say never say never (about competing beyond 2026), but at this point we’re putting all of our chips on the table for next season,” Bates said. “We have been so focused on just absolutely maximizing our potential for Boston, for the next 12 months. We’re going to treat it like it’s our last shot.”
Pairs’ event a clash of titans
Last year, pairs’ produced the story of the championships with 40-year-old Canadian Deanna Stellato-Dudek taking gold with partner Maxime Deschamps to become the oldest female world champion. On home ice in Montreal to boot.
Stellato-Dudek, who formerly competed as an American in singles against Michelle Kwan before a 15-year retirement, and Deschamps have not had the follow-up season they envisioned.
Stellato-Dudek has dealt with “a lot of little issues” — ankle, shoulder and wrist injuries, plus a giant bruise to her glute after a training fall in February. They missed December’s Grand Prix Final due to Deschamps’ illness. They say they are healthy now.
“Every year is like climbing a different mountain, and this year has had a lot of treacherous obstacles,” she said.
The top two pairs this season have been Germans Minerva Hase and Nikita Volodin, who won the Grand Prix Final, and 2023 World champions Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara of Japan.
