Malinin gets 'three-peat' with world figure skating title
AP News • • sports
Key Points:
- Ilia Malinin successfully defended his men's world figure skating title for the third consecutive year, delivering a strong free skate with five quadruple jumps and a backflip, though he did not attempt his signature quad axel.
- Malinin credited the supportive crowd and a fresh mindset free from Olympic pressure for his performance, finishing with a total score of 329.40, well ahead of silver medalist Yuma Kagiyama of Japan.
- Kagiyama achieved a personal-best free skate score and secured his fourth world silver medal, expressing relief at completing a satisfying performance after a disappointing Olympic free skate.
- In ice dance, Olympic champions Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron of France won the world title with personal best scores, while Canadian duo Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier earned silver for the third consecutive year.
- Other notable results included Kaori Sakamoto winning her fourth women's world title before retirement, and Germany's Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin capturing the pairs title; some skaters experienced falls and drops in standings, including France's Adam Siao Him Fa and Estonia's Aleksandr Selevko.
