A World Championships post-Olympics is always an undeniably interesting meet, one that tells us what the lay of the land might be for the following cycle. The 2026 World Figure Skating Championships in Prague were no different, with moments of redemption, glory and – of course – a little controversy too.

Men’s

The Quadgod put on one of several redemption performances this World Championships. After a difficult Free Skate at the Games, he went in strong after a Short Program (111.29) that put him in the lead. He went in smart for the Free Skate, prioritising a clean confident performance that paid off with a score of 281.11 (total 329.40) and a gold to boot. After the devastation of Milano-Cortina, it was delightful to see Malinin leave the ice with a smile on his face after a clean skate. Though the routine did not reach his seven-quad peak, this skate was Malinin showing to himself and the world that he’s put the Olympics far, far behind him.

In silver, Yuma Kagiyama also put in redemption skate that saw him put on a clean performance to a specially recorded mix of Puccini’s Turandot. For many fans this was the clean skate of ‘Yumadot’ that they have been waiting for all season, and he was rewarded with his highest every PCS and another silver medal (306.67). Even though he went into the Free Skate in sixth place, one might argue that it was worth it for what some have hailed as one of the greatest male figure skating performances of all time.

The excited hug between Malinin and Kagiyama at the end of Malinin’s performance sums up a heartwarming and redemptive end to the season for two of the most beloved skaters in the discipline.

Shun Sato ended his quietly brilliant season on a high, going in fourth after the Short Program (95.84), to pull off another lovely Free Skate (192.70) and another bronze medal. Given that he’s finisheing the season with both a Worlds’ bronze and an Olympic bronze, hopefully he goes into next season with renewed confidence that he deserves his place amongst the best in the field.

Alexandr Selevko also had a brilliant Short Program (100.45) that will be sorely missed next season, putting him in third going into the Free. Though errors meant he wasn’t able to capitalise on this advantage in the Free, his 10th place finish earns Estonia two spots at the World Championships next year, meaning we’ll get to see him and his brother take to the stage together next year. French champion Adam Siao Him Fa went into the Free in second (101.78), a strong position to challenge for the podium. However, several costly errors meant that he dropped down to fifth (271.56).

Women’s

Although the women’s discipline is full of fantastic skaters, this World Championships was all about Kaori Sakamoto, who performed her very last routines on competitive ice before retirement.

Her Short Program (79.31) was confident but measured, leaving her in first going in the Free. However it was the Free Skate (158.97, total 238.28) was what had the crowd on their feet. Skating to Edith Piaf, she said her goodbye to the competitive skating community with not only a flawless routine, but two World Records in Program Component Scores for both her Short Program and her Free Skate. A redemption after her Milano-Cortina performance performance that saw her win her fourth Olympic silver medal. She leaves the scene as one of the greatest Women’s Singles skaters of all time with four World Championships (five WC medals in total) and four Olympic medals.

It was a changing of the guard as Mone Chiba, Sakamoto’s compatriot, also posted a Season’s Best score for her Free Skate (150.02) to Romeo + Juliet. Coming into second after the Short Program (78.45), she too blew the crowd away after a difficult rendition of the same program at the Olympics which saw her come in fourth place. With only a minor error to be seen, it is perhaps telling of how Chiba’s star is rising that she could only be outdone by a skater whose unstoppable legacy she inherits.

Another changing of the guard was quietly occuring in third place as well. Whilst questions surround whether Loena Hendricx, a leading light of Belgian and European skating for years, might retire after this season, her countrymate, Nina Pinzarrone found herself with her first World Championship medal of her career. Whilst she was in fifth (71.82) after the Short Program, her beautifully performed Free Skate (143.38) saw her sit in the leader’s chair up until Chiba took the ice. After so many years silently moving up the ranks, it was truly delightful to see another young skater make their first World Championship podium.

The USA’s Amber Glenn also sought redemption after a difficult Olympics but could not quite manage it after a difficult Free Skate. Although she was in third after the Short Program (72.65), a few errors in the Free Skate (130.47) saw her off the podium. However, her legacy beyond the Olympics is undeniable, and her many fans will be looking forward to how she makes a comeback next season.

Pairs

Another discipline, another redemption skate. Germany’s Minerva Hase and Nikita Volodin made up for the mistakes in their Free Skate in the Olympics to claim gold at the World Championships. Leading after the Short Program (79.78), they put on a breathtaking performance of their Free Skate (148.55, total 228.33) to the delight of the crowd. As one of the couples whose future is not in doubt post- Olympics, we look forward to see how this showstopping pair continue to dominate in the upcoming years.

Anastasiia Metelkina and Luka Berulava claimed another silver medal after their Olympic silver (218.41), with two great performances across their Short Program and Free Skate. This pair have ascended quickly since their burst on the scene, it remains to be seen just how much their star can rise before the next Olympics in France in 2030.

In a delightful win for Canada, Lia Pereira and Trennt Michaud also pulled off a post-Olympics redemption skate after a gutting eighth place finish after Milano Cortina. With a total score of 216.09, the two also finished the Free Skate in the 2nd place only behind Hase / Volodin. A fabulous result for Canada’s number 2 pairs team, and surely a sign that they are ones to watch this upcoming quad.

As Japanese Olympic champions Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara withdrew, the flag for Japan’s pair’s skating was flown by Yuna Nagaoka and Sumitada Moriguchi. The young team finished in fourth (209.13), yet another redemption skate from a team who had a difficult Olympics. With questions around whether Miura / Kihara will retire, Japanese paris skating certainly remains in safe hands if the Olympic champions do bow out.

Ice Dance

Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron’s Rhythm Dance (92.74) saw them going into the Free Dance in the lead, which lead them ultimately getting gold overall. After a less erroneous performance of their undeniably fascinating Free Dance to The Whale, this pair has had a brilliant season after both an Olympic gold and World Championship gold. It remains to be seen whether the French pair will return for another quad.

Olympic Bronze medallists Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier used this World Championships as a victory lap after their storied partnership, choosing to not re-perform their iconic Vincent Free Dance in Prague. Instead, they revived their well-loved routine to Wuthering Heights; whilst a little shaky, it was a celebration of a storied career and saw them clinch the silver (211.52), which makes their fifth World Championship silver and sixth World Championship medal overall. Whilst questions still remain as to whether or not they will retire after this season, they’ve certainly left their many fans with much to celebrate this season. If this is the end, they leave the ice as one of the greatest Canadian Ice Dance teams of all time, behind Virtue / Moir and Weaver / Poje, and as one of the very best of their era.

In a final changing of the guard for this World Championships, the USA’s Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik edged onto the podium (209.20) with two remarkable performances that saw them keep the American flag on the podium following the withdrawal of Madison Chock and Evan Bates. With Emilea Zingas only starting ice dance in 2022, it’s no exaggeration to say that their meteoric rise shows how Zingas / Kolesnik have the potential to become one of the defining ice dance teams of this new generation.

Just behind them, Great Britain’s Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson missed out on a podium by 0.22 points, due to an error in a lift that left them with a devastating two point deduction. However, the highly popular team will surely come back stronger next season, with more crowd-pleasing routines. Spain’s Olivia Smart and Tim Dieck also put on one of the most stunning Free Skates of the night, with only their sixth place finish after the Rhythm Dance hampering their ability to get a higher placement. However, they should certainly be proud of their fifth place finish (206.37), and we can’t wait to see what artistically stunning routines they bring us next year.