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All reigning ISU World Champions Kaori Sakamoto (JPN), Shoma Uno (JPN), Pair Skaters Riku Miura/Ryuichi Kihara (JPN) as well as Ice Dancers Madison Chock/Evan Bates plus Olympic silver medallist Yuma Kagiyama (JPN) are back in action at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships in Montréal (CAN) March 18-24. A total of 195 Skaters/Couples representing 41 ISU Members have been entered for this 113^th edition of the ISU World Championships: 40 Men, 35 Women, 24 Pairs and 36 Ice Dance couples. Montréal hosts the ISU World Figure Skating Championship for the second time since 1932.

 

Overview of the competitors

Men: ISU World Champion Uno (JPN) and the quad kids

Reigning ISU World Champion Shoma Uno (JPN) is up against strong young challengers that want to push him from the throne. Ilia Malinin (USA), nicknamed “quad God” for a reason, triumphed at the ISU Grand Prix Final, becoming the first Skater to land a quadruple Axel in the Short Program and also the first to have landed all types of quadruple jumps in competition, leads the pack.

Shoma Uno (JPN), Ilia Malinin (USA) and Yuma Kagiyama (JPN) pose during the ISU Grand Prix Final in Beijing (CHN). @ISU

The 2023 ISU World bronze medalist scored the highest seasons best so far with 314.66 points. 2022 Olympic silver medalist Yuma Kagiyama (JPN) celebrated a successful comeback this season after missing most of the past season due to injury and collected the bronze at the Final and the ISU Four Continents title, setting a seasons best of 307.58 points. Uno on the other hand will be hungry for his third World title after collecting silver medals on the ISU Grand Prix circuit this season. The two-time Olympic medalist comes with a seasons best of 297.34 points to Canada.

Following his second victory at the ISU European Championships, Adam Siao Him Fa (FRA) is aiming at the World podium and with a seasons best of 306.78 he can be confident. 2023 ISU Four Continents Champion Kao Miura (JPN/seasons best 274.56) wants to shine in his first ISU World Championship. 2023 ISU World silver medalist Junhwan Cha (KOR/seasons best 272.95) is on the comeback trail and earned the bronze at the 2024 ISU Four Continents Championships.

Adam Siao Him Fa (FRA) competes during the ISU European Figure Skating Championships 2024 in Kaunas (LTU). @ISU

Others to watch include 2023 ISU European bronze medalist Lukas Britschgi (SUI), Mikhail Shaidorov (KAZ), two-time ISU World bronze medalist Boyang Jin (CHN) and 2024 ISU European silver medalist Aleksandr Selevko (EST).

 

Women: World Champion Sakamoto (JPN) won’t settle for less

Two-time and reigning ISU World Champion Kaori Sakamoto (JPN) wants to continue her golden streak this season and won’t settle for less than gold in Canada. The Japanese star took her first ISU Grand Prix Final title in December and tops the seasons best list with 226.13 points. However, the competitors do not plan to make it easy. ISU European Champion Loena Hendrickx (BEL) is going for her third consecutive World medal after silver in 2022 and bronze in 2023 (seasons best 221.28).

Kaori Sakamoto (JPN), Loena Hendrickx (BEL) and Hana Yoshida (JPN) pose during the ISU Grand Prix Final Beijing (CHN). @ISU

A new challenger has entered the scene with the 2024 ISU Four Continents Champion Mone Chiba (JPN/seasons best 214.98).

After coming fourth in her debut at the ISU World Championships, Isabeau Levito (USA/seasons best 208.15 points) is aiming at the podium this time. 2023 ISU European Champion Anastasiia Gubanova (GEO/seasons best 206.52) could become the first ISU World medalist for her country.

Anastasiia Gubanova (GEO) competes during the SU European Figure Skating Championships 2024 in Kaunas (LTU). @ISU

Other top contenders include U.S. Champion Amber Glenn, 2023 Cup of China Champion Hana Yoshida (JPN), 2024 European bronze medalist Nina Pinzarrone (BEL) and 2024 Four Continents silver medalist Chaeyeon Kim (KOR).

 

Pairs: Stellato-Dudek/Deschamps (CAN) going for gold on home ice

2024 ISU Four Continents Champions Deanna Stellato-Dudek/Maxime Deschamps (CAN) dream of winning the World title on home ice in Montréal where they train. The Canadian Champions lead the seasons best list with 214.64 points. However, competition will be fierce. Reigning World Champions Riku Miura/Ryuichi Kihara (JPN) are back after missing the first half of the season due to injury and claimed silver behind Stellato-Dudek/Deschamps at the ISU Four Continents Championships (seasons best 190.77 points).

Stellato Dudek/Deschamps(CAN), Miura/Kihara (JPN) and Kam/O'Shea (USA) pose during the ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championship 2024 in Shanghai (CHN). @ISU

ISU Grand Prix Final Champions Minerva Fabienne Hase/Nikita Volodin (GER/seasons best 206.43) are eager to redeem themselves after missing out on a medal at the ISU European Championships and the same goes for reigning ISU World bronze medalists Sara Conti/Niccolo Macii (ITA/seasons best 205.88).

More challengers are waiting for their chance as well: Anastasiia Metelkina/Luka Berulava (GEO/seasons best 202.11) come fresh of winning the ISU World Junior title and the new ISU European Champions Lucrezia Beccari/Matteo Guarise (ITA/seasons best 199.19) are looking for more hardware to take home.

Lucrezia Beccari and Matteo Guarise (ITA) competes during the ISU European Figure Skating Championships 2024 in Kaunas (LTU). @ISU

Others to watch include 2024 ISU Four Continents bronze medalists Ellie Kam/Danny O’Shea (USA), 2023 Grand Prix de France Champions Lia Pereira/Trennt Michaud (CAN), 2023 Skate America Champions Annika Hocke/Robert Kunkel (GER) and ISU Grand Prix Finalists Mariia Pavlova/Alexei Sviatchenko (HUN). ). 2023 ISU Four Continents silver medalists Emily Chan/Akira Spencer Howe (USA) return to competition after his shoulder surgery.

Ice Dance: Hot competition for World Champs Chock/Bates (USA)

Current ISU World Champions Madison Chock/Evan Bates (USA), silver medalists Charlène Guignard/Marco Fabbri (ITA) and bronze medalists Piper Gilles/Paul Poirier (CAN) are the top favorites again, but the question is in which order will they finish.

Chock/Bates scored a confident victory at the ISU Grand Prix Final and lead the seasons best list with 221.61 points. They missed the ISU Four Continents Championships due to illness. There, Gilles/Poirier won the title and they count on the support of the home crowd in Montréal (seasons best 219.01 points). Guignard/Fabbri can be confident after defending their European title (seasons best 215.51 points).

Guignard/ Fabbri (ITA), Chock/Bates (USA) and Gilles/Poirier (CAN) pose during the ISU Grand Prix Final 2024 in Beijing (CHN). @ISU

Meanwhile, more teams are waiting for their chance to get on to the podium or as close as possible to the podium: 2024 ISU European silver medalists  Lilah Fear/Lewis Gibson (GBR/seasons best 215.19), 2024 ISU Four Continents silver medalists Laurence Fournier Beaudry/Nikolaj Soerensen (CAN/seasons best 207.54), ISU Grand Prix Finalists Marjoie Lajoie/Zachary Lagha (CAN/seasons best 206.02 points) as well as 2024 ISU European bronze medalists  Allison Reed/Saulius Ambrulevicius (LTU/seasons best 203.37).

Fear/Gibson (GBR) compete during the ISU European Figure Skating Championships 2024 in Kaunas (LTU). @ISU

Other contenders include 2024 ISU Four Continents bronze medalists Christina Carreira/Anthony Ponomarenko (USA), 2023 ISU European bronze medalists Juulia Turkkila/Matthias Versluis (FIN) and  Evgeniia Lopareva/Geoffrey Brissaud (FRA).

Skaters/Couples need to have obtained a minimum total technical score in Short Program and Free Skating in order to compete at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships.

The International Skating Union (ISU) has supported the Skating Federation of Ukraine since the start of the war, implementing ISU Communication 2469, and also granting financial support to assist Ukrainian Skaters. The ISU reiterates its sympathy for and solidarity to all affected by the War in Ukraine. The ISU maintains its condemnation of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in the strongest possible terms.

The ISU Council met on June 9-11, 2023 and discussed the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) recommendations of March 28, 2023 for International Federations on the participation of athletes with a Russian or Belarussian passport in international competitions.

The ISU Council decided to explore the feasibility issues with regard to potential pathways to implement the IOC recommendations within ISU Sports.

The Council will continue to monitor the situation in Ukraine and its impact on the ISU activity as well as the decisions and their implementation within the Olympic Movement. In the meantime, ISU Communication 2469 remains in force.

Schedule of the event

The schedule of the ISU World Figure Skating Championships is as follows:

Wednesday, March 20:            Pairs & Women’s Short Programs
Thursday, March 21:               Men’s Short Program & Pairs Free Skating
Friday, March 22:                     Rhythm Dance & Women’s Free Skating
Saturday, March 23:                Free Dance & Men’s Free Skating
Sunday, March 24:                   Exhibition Gala

 

For full entries and results, please see the ISU event page and the official website. Follow the discussion on social media using #WorldFigure and #FigureSkating. 

Where to watch the ISU World Figure Skating Championships 2024:

The ISU World Figure Skating Championships will be live streamed on the Skating ISU YouTube Channel. Geo-restrictions will apply in markets where TV rights are in place. You will find the full list in the Where to Watch news here.

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