“Get ready to lace up your skates and cheer on the top athletes from across the globe at the Senior Figure Skating Championships. The high-flying world of figure skating is heating up, and this year’s competition is shaping up to be one for the ages. As the top teams and skaters from the United States, Canada, Russia, and other nations gather in St. Petersburg to vie for gold, one star is shining brighter than the rest: U.S. skaters are looking to claim their first-ever ice dance title, and it all comes down to one figure: Ilia Malinin.”
World Figure Skating Championships
The 2025 World Figure Skating Championships took place at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts, from March 27 to 29, 2025. The event featured competition in men’s, women’s, pairs, and ice dance events.
Ice Dance Showdown
Reigning Champions Reveal Their Moves
The ice dance competition at the 2025 World Figure Skating Championships saw reigning world champions Madison Chock and Evan Bates take the lead in the rhythm dance portion of the event.
Madison Chock and Evan Bates Take the Lead
Chock and Bates, who have indicated that next season will be their last, entered this year’s worlds as the favorites and proved why. Their score of 90.18 was more than three points higher than that of Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier, their main rivals from Canada.
The theme for the rhythm dance portion of ice dance is set every season, giving each team a genre or specified parameters within which to work. Bates said they took this year’s guidelines to heart and went to great lengths to weave actual dance moves and patterns into their program.
Music and Choreography
Chock and Bates performed to a compilation of music from various decades, reflecting their theme. Their program highlighted their technical skill and artistry, with Gilles and Poirier also performing to a similar theme.
Women’s Singles
Alysa Liu Wins Women’s Singles Title
Alysa Liu won the women’s singles title at the 2025 World Figure Skating Championships, becoming the first U.S. woman to win the world title in the event since 2006.
Liu won both the short program and free skate en route to an overall score of 222.97. Kaori Sakamoto of Japan finished second, while her compatriot Mone Chiba took third.
Liu’s Historic Victory
Liu’s performance set the tone for the rest of the event, with her score of 222.97 leading the competition and securing her place in the podium.
“I would say that’s probably one of the best [times] that we’ve performed that program,” Chock said. “The theme this year was 50s, 60s, 70s. But the importance of this year’s guidelines to heart and went to great lengths to weave actual dance moves and patterns into their program.”
Men’s Short Program
Ilia Malinin Leads the Competition
Ilia Malinin led the competition in the men’s short program, with a score of 110.41. Malinin, the defending world champion, performed a nearly flawless routine, nailing all of his jumping elements.
“I was not expecting them to cheer me on halfway through my step sequence,” Malinin said. “But it was definitely an uplifting experience.”
Yuma Kagiyama in Second Place
Yuma Kagiyama of Japan finished in second place, with a score of 107.09. Kagiyama said that Malinin’s performance was impressive, but that he feels like he is getting better year by year.
“It’s not just his jumps but I feel like his skating and his artistry, his expression is getting better year by year,” Kagiyama said.
Pairs Competition
Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara Win Pairs Title
Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara of Japan won the pairs title at the 2025 World Figure Skating Championships, with a score of 219.79.
Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin of Germany finished in second place, while Sara Conti and Niccolo Macii of Italy took third.
American Teams Finish Sixth and Seventh
The American teams of Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov finished sixth, while Ellie Kam and Danny O’Shea finished seventh.
Japanese Skater Mone Chiba Takes Third Place
Japanese skater Mone Chiba took third place in the women’s singles event at the 2025 World Figure Skating Championships, held at TD Garden in Boston.
Men’s Long Program: Ilia Malinin Defies Expectations
Ilia Malinin’s Journey to the Podium
The defending world champion turned in a nearly flawless short program, nailing all of his jumping elements en route to a massive score of 110.41.
His jumps − including two quads − were clean, his choreography energetic and crisp.
And an incredible personal best score of 110.41 followed.
Malinin, unsurprisingly, will enter Saturday night’s free skate atop the leaderboard.
Yuma Kagiyama and Japan’s Riku Miura in Second and Third Places
Kagiyama and Miura’s performance preceded the second half of pairs competition later Thursday night.
Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara of Japan won the first world title of the week with a beautiful free skate, followed by Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin of Germany in second and Italy’s Sara Conti and Niccolo Macii in third.
The American teams of Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov and Ellie Kam and Danny O’Shea finished sixth and seventh, respectively.
Legacy on Ice: Tributes and Analysis
Tributes to the Memory of the Plane Crash Victims
‘Legacy on Ice’ A Tribute to the Victims
A show honoring the victims of the plane crash on January 29th.
The event features a special message from the skaters and a slideshow of photos.
The goal is to bring the community together in a time of grief.
Analysis and Implications
The impact of the plane crash on the figure skating community.
The significance of the world championships and its impact on the skaters’ careers.
The challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for the athletes.
Conclusion
The recent World Figure Skating Championships have wrapped up, with the United States claiming victory in the ice dance event. The article highlights the U.S. team’s triumph, as well as the promising prospects of Russian skater Ilia Malinin, who will be making his next appearance at the U.S. Championships. The event showcased exceptional performances from top skaters, emphasizing the fierce competition that defines the figure skating world.
The championships’ results have significant implications for the sport, as they set the stage for the upcoming Olympic Games. The U.S. team’s success demonstrates the country’s continued strength in figure skating, while Malinin’s rise to prominence raises hopes for a potential Russian resurgence. As figure skaters continue to push the boundaries of artistry and technical skill, the sport remains a captivating spectacle that captivates audiences worldwide.
As the figure skating community looks to the future, one thing is clear: the next generation of skaters will face increased pressure to perform. With Malinin and other talented athletes on the rise, the stage is set for a thrilling showdown at the U.S. Championships. The true test of their skills will come when they take the ice at the Olympic Games, where the world will be watching. The question on everyone’s mind is: will the momentum of this year’s championships carry over into the next?