Latest news with #FourContinents
Japan Times
29-03-2025
- Sport
- Japan Times
Women's skating favorites falter as Liu leads at worlds
Two-time U.S. champion Alysa Liu was the shock leader after stumbles by a trio of favorites in Wednesday's women's short program at the World Figure Skating Championships in Boston. The 19-year-old American led 24 qualifiers for Friday's women's free dance final by winning the short program with 74.58 points, followed by Japan's Mone Chiba on 73.44 and U.S. teen Isabeau Levito on 73.33. "Doesn't really change anything," Liu said. "My goals are still the same. I want to put out a really good performance for my free skate. "The ideal one — that would be a dream." Three-time defending champion Kaori Sakamoto of Japan, trying to become the first woman in 65 years to capture four consecutive world crowns, was a disappointing fifth on 71.03. American Amber Glenn, a winner in all five of her starts this season, fell and stood ninth on 67.65. South Korean teen Kim Chae-yeon, last month's Four Continents and Asian Winter Games champion, was 11th on 65.67. Even Liu struggled to explain how she came out on top in the short program. "It's so strange. I really don't know," Liu said. "I would say it's definitely my mentality. It's hard to get in whatever state of mind I have but I really like it and everyone keeps telling me it seems to 'work' — I don't know what that means but I'll just keep skating." Kaori Sakamoto placed a disappointing fifth in the women's short program at the World Figure Skating Championships on Wednesday. | Imagn Images / via Reuters Sakamoto, in the penultimate performance, landed a double flip instead of a triple in combination with a triple toe loop to set her score back, dimming the 24-year-old's chances to be the first to win four in a row since American Carol Heiss captured five in a row from 1956-1960. Reigning U.S. champion Glenn, 25, skated fourth from the end and fell on her first jump, a triple axel. "It just didn't lift like it does in practice," Glenn said. "There wasn't that efficiency that I usually have." Kim, third at last year's worlds, was the final skater and touched her hands to the ice on an under-rotated landing of a triple toe loop to fall back. Levito, last year's world runner-up, was nagged by a "terrifying" foot injury that kept her out for four months, but the 19-year-old was solid when it mattered. "I had 1,000 thoughts from start to finish in that entire program. At times I was thinking about something not even related to skating," Levito said. "I understand why I was nervous I would forget how to compete. It's a different kind of stress. But I'm glad to be back and I'm so happy." In the pairs competition, Japan's Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara dominated, the 2023 world champions scoring 76.57 points to the strains of The Rolling Stones' "Paint it Black." That placed them ahead of Italy's Sara Conti and Niccolo Macii (74.61 points) and Germany's Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin (73.59 points). The pairs free skate final takes place on Thursday. Memories of tragedy The world championships are being contested in the wake of a deadly January plane crash that rocked the figure skating world. Among the 67 people who died when an American Airlines plane collided with a military helicopter in Washington on January 30 were 28 members of the skating community, many of them young U.S. skaters returning from a training camp in Kansas accompanied by parents or coaches. An emotional memorial was held at the TD Garden on Wednesday as the world of figure skating paid tribute to the victims. "Someone once told me time is a great healer, but for those who have experienced deep loss, we know that time does not simply erase pain," International Skating Union President Kim Jae-youl told the arena. "For many of us it feels like we are frozen in time. Yet, in the spirit of unity and resilience, we stand together to support, to uplift and to remember."
CBC
29-03-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
Canada's Gilles, Poirier sit 2nd after rhythm dance at figure skating world championships
Canadian ice dancers Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier sit second at the figure skating world championships after scoring 86.44 points in the rhythm dance on Friday in Boston. Madison Chock and Evan Bates of the United States earned a season-best score of 90.18 to take the lead as they chase a third consecutive world title. In what has fast become the best rivalry in figure skating, Gilles and Poirier performed to the most American of music: The Beach Boys. WATCH l Gilles, Poirier earn 86.44 points in rhythm dance: Gilles and Poirier sit in 2nd place after the rhythm dance program at worlds 3 hours ago Duration 6:07 Scoring 86.44 in the rhythm dance program Friday at the world figure skating championship in Boston, Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier sit in second place in the standings. The American team followed them to the ice, and Chock and Bates — cheered on by a big home crowd in TD Garden — roared when they finished their "tour of the decades" program. "It was probably the most fun I've had thus far on competitive ice in a performance, maybe ever," Chock said. "It was really a joy to perform in front of a home crowd and share that excitement with Evan. It was the best." Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson were third with 83.86 for Britain, and Italy's Charlene Guignard and Marco Fabbri looked out of sync while scoring 83.06 for fourth. They were the only countries to break up a whole lot of Canada and U.S. on the leaderboard. Marjorie Lajoie and Zachary Lagha were fifth for Canada, just ahead of two American teams — Christina Carreira and Anthony Ponomarenko and the duo of Caroline Green and Michael Parsons — giving the neighbouring nations five of the top seven. "We really enjoyed this program," said Gilles, who along with Poirier took silver behind Chock and Bates last year, but recently beat the U.S. dynamo at Four Continents. "I think we really drilled it in training, and we know exactly where each step needs to be. That allowed us to lose ourselves in the performance. And so we just had so much fun." WATCH l Gilles and Poirier 'really felt that energy from the crowd': Canadians Gilles and Poirier 'really felt that energy from the crowd' in rhythm dance 2 hours ago Duration 1:30 Having scored 86.44 in the rhythm dance program at the world figure skating championship Friday in Boston, Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier of Canada sit in second place. The International Skating Union sets the requirements for the rhythm dance each season, and this year the world governing body settled on social dances and styles of the 1950's, 60's and 70's, providing the skaters plenty of latitude for their programs. There were sock hops aplenty, and Chubby Checker implored everyone in the arena to twist "'til we tear the house down." There were Watusis and Madisons, the "Soul Bossa Nova," and proof that disco isn't quite dead yet. And there were several homages to Donna Summer, who was born in the Boston neighborhood of Mission Hill. Chock and Bates threw all of it into their tour through the decades. There was the "Hawaii Five-O" theme and "Let's Twist Again." They were "Stayin' Alive" and took a trip through the "Car Wash." The couple even tried to "blame it on the boogie" before getting the crowd to do the "Y.M.C.A." And they fittingly finished with Summer's rendition of "Last Dance." WATCH l Full replay of rhythm dance at figure skating worlds: ISU World Figure Skating Championships Boston 2025: Rhythm dance 9 hours ago Duration 5:40:36 Watch the ice dancers compete in the rhythm dance program at the ISU world figure skating championships in Boston. The competition continued Friday night with the women's free skate, where American comeback kid Alysa Liu was trying to hold down first place following a short program that those in TD Garden rewarded with a standing ovation. Watch live coverage of the figure skating world championships on and CBC Gem. Here's the full streaming schedule and here are the latest results. Liu, who stepped away from the sport shortly after the 2022 Winter Olympics, announced her comeback early last year. And while there have been some bumps along the way, the 19-year-old delivered one of her career-best performances Wednesday night, scoring 74.58 points to take a narrow lead over Mone Chiba of Japan and American teammate Isabeau Levito. The U.S. has not had a women's world champion since Kimmie Meissner in 2006. Wakaba Higuchi and Kaori Sakamoto are close behind, and Sakamoto could make some history if she can overcome her three-point deficit and become the first woman to win four consecutive world titles since Carol Heiss in the 1950s and '60s.
Associated Press
28-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Associated Press
Chock and Bates lead for US at world figure skating championships as they chase 3rd straight title
BOSTON (AP) — American ice dancers Madison Chock and Evan Bates built a big cushion Friday night as they chase a third consecutive world title, scoring a season-best 90.18 points for their rhythm dance to lead Canadian rivals Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier. In what has fast become the best rivalry in figure skating, Gilles and Poirier scored 86.44 points to their dance, set to the most American of music: The Beach Boys. Then the American team followed them to the ice, and Chock and Bates — cheered on by a big home crowd in TD Garden — roared when they finished their 'tour of the decades' program. 'It was probably the most fun I've had thus far on competitive ice in a performance, maybe ever,' Chock said. 'It was really a joy to perform in front of a home crowd and share that excitement with Evan. It was the best.' Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson were third with 83.86 for Britain, and Italy's Charlene Guignard and Marco Fabbri looked out of sync while scoring 83.06 for fourth. They were the only nations to break up a whole lot of Canada and U.S. on the leaderboard. Marjorie Lajoie and Zachary Lagha were fifth for Canada, just ahead of two American teams — Christina Carreira and Anthony Ponomarenko and the duo of Caroline Green and Michael Parsons — giving the neighboring nations five of the top seven. 'We really enjoyed this program,' said Gilles, who along with Poirier took silver behind Chock and Bates last year, but recently beat the U.S. dynamo at Four Continents. 'I think we really drilled it in training, and we know exactly where each step needs to be. That allowed us to lose ourselves in the performance. And so we just had so much fun.' The International Skating Union sets the requirements for the rhythm dance each season, and this year the world governing body settled on social dances and styles of the 1950's, 60's and 70's, providing the skaters plenty of latitude for their programs. There were sock hops aplenty, and Chubby Checker implored everyone in the arena to twist ''til we tear the house down.' There were Watusis and Madisons, the 'Soul Bossa Nova,' and proof that disco isn't quite dead yet. And there were several homages to Donna Summer, who was born in the Boston neighborhood of Mission Hill. Chock and Bates threw all of it into their tour through the decades. There was the 'Hawaii Five-O' theme and 'Let's Twist Again.' They were 'Stayin' Alive' and took a trip through the 'Car Wash.' The couple even tried to 'blame it on the boogie' before getting the crowd to do the 'Y.M.C.A.' And they fittingly finished with Summer's rendition of 'Last Dance.' The competition continued Friday night with the women's free skate, where American comeback kid Alysa Liu was trying to hold down first place following a short program that those in TD Garden rewarded with a standing ovation. Liu, who stepped away from the sport shortly after the 2022 Winter Olympics, announced her comeback early last year. And while there have been some bumps along the way, the 19-year-old delivered one of her career-best performances Wednesday night, scoring 74.58 points to take a narrow lead over Mone Chiba of Japan and American teammate Isabeau Levito. The U.S. has not had a women's world champion since Kimmie Meissner in 2006. Wakaba Higuchi and Kaori Sakamoto are close behind, and Sakamoto could make some history if she can overcome her 3-point deficit and become the first woman to win four consecutive world titles since Carol Heiss in the 1950s and '60s. ___
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Ilia Malinin sets personal best to lead after short program at world championships
Ilia Malinin of the United States performs his short program on Thursday at the world figure skating championships in Boston. Photograph: Cj Gunther/EPA Ilia Malinin arrived in Massachusetts as the clear favorite to defend his world figure skating championship. On Friday afternoon at TD Garden, he performed like a man unbothered by that weight, launching his title defense with one of the greatest short programs ever performed. The 20-year-old American nicknamed the Quad God delivered a career-best first segment, scoring 110.41 points to take a 3.32-point lead over Japan's Yuma Kagiyama heading into Saturday night's free skate. It was the highest short program score of Malinin's career, and ranks behind only Olympic gold medallists Nathan Chen and Yuzuru Hanyu on the ISU's all-time list. Advertisement Schedule All times EST. Wed 26 Mar • Women's Short, 12.05pm (Peacock) • Women's Short, 3pm (USA Network) • Remembrance Ceremony, 6.15pm (Peacock) • Pairs' Short, 6.45pm (Peacock) Thu 27 Mar • Men's Short, 11.05am (Peacock) • Men's Short, 3pm (USA Network) • Pairs' Free, 6.15pm (Peacock) • Pairs' Free, 8pm (USA Network) Fri 28 Mar • Rhythm Dance, 11.15am (Peacock) • Rhythm Dance, 3pm (USA Network) • Women's Free, 6pm (Peacock) • Women's Free, 8pm (NBC/Peacock) Sat 29 Mar • Free Dance, 1.30pm (Peacock) • Free Dance, 3pm (USA Network) • Men's Free, 6pm (Peacock) • Men's Free, 8pm (NBC/Peacock) Advertisement Sun 30 Mar • Exhibition Gala, 2pm (Peacock) How to watch outside the US United Kingdom As of last year, Premier Sports holds the broadcasting rights for the World Figure Skating Championships in the UK, with coverage extending until 2028. To watch the championships, you'll need a subscription to Premier Sports, which offers live coverage of the events. You can subscribe through their official website or via certain TV providers that include Premier Sports in their packages. Australia SBS provides live and free coverage of the World Figure Skating Championships in Australia through SBS On Demand. Advertisement With Kagiyama also skating one of the best programs to date – about one point shy of a personal best himself – the stage is set for a showdown between two of the most electrifying skaters in the sport today. Kazakhstan's Mikhail Shaidorov (94.77), this year's Four Continents winner, sits in third but more than 15 points adrift of Malinin's mark. Related: Amber Glenn, the skater redefining what power looks like on the ice 'I can't describe how I feel right now,' Malinin said. 'All I remember is getting on that ice. I felt really nervous, more than usual, and I didn't know what was going to happen. But once the music came on, I just got into a flow state and it really just went from there.' Malinin's performance, set to Running by the American rapper NF, included a clean quadruple flip, a triple Axel and a quad Lutz–triple toe loop combination. He typically saves his signature quad Axel – the four-and-a-half-revolution jump that had never been landed in competition until Malinin pulled it off at the 2022 US Classic – for the free skate. He hasn't lost since 2023 and is riding a win streak of eight straight events. Advertisement By the time Malinin closed with his signature raspberry twist with about a half-minute to go, the entire building was on its feet and aroar. 'I heard the cheering but I didn't take enough time to see how people were reacting to me,' Malinin said. 'I was so excited. I didn't even finish skating yet and they were already standing and cheering me so loud.' His main rival, Kagiyama, was elegant and precise in his own right, continuing a return to form after an injury-hit season. The 2022 Olympic silver medalist had offered an offered an extraordinary confession seated beside Malinin at last year's worlds after coming in second – 'If we both perform at 100% of our ability, I don't think that I will be able to win,' he said – but has spent the year recommitting himself to closing the gap. 'I was able to skate and perform as I planned,' Kagiyama said. 'I know the special pressure skating after Ilia, but I just imagined how cool it is to do a great skate as the last skater. I was more excited about my being able to close the competition with a great skate than any other negative thinking.' Behind them, France's Adam Siao Him Fa – bronze medallist at last year's worlds and the reigning European champion – has work to do after falling on the back half of his opening quad Lutz-triple toe combination and placing ninth (87.22). The 23-year-old was the last skater to beat Malinin internationally, back at the 2023 Grand Prix de France, and has rebounded well from injury earlier this season. Advertisement The men's free skate on Saturday will bring more than medals into play. Malinin is expected to attempt a full seven-quad layout, including the quad Axel, and he'll likely feature his signature backflip – a legal addition to his program for the first time at worlds. The move hasn't been landed legally at a world championships in nearly 50 years. The last to do it was American Terry Kubicka in 1976, after which the International Skating Union banned the element for being too dangerous. It returned last June, with the ISU stating: 'Somersault-type jumps are very spectacular and nowadays it is not logical anymore to include them as illegal movements.' Famously, France's Surya Bonaly defied the ban at the 1998 Nagano Olympics, landing a one-footed backflip in protest. Though penalized, the move became a symbol of resistance and individuality in the sport. Malinin, a former gymnast, first debuted the backflip in competition at the Lombardia Trophy in September and has used it as a crowd-pleasing punctuation ever since. 'It fits the music really well,' he's said. 'It gets that audience applause, feels really suspenseful, and I really just like doing it.' Advertisement While it doesn't earn points, the flip enhances his performance scores and speaks to his creative flair – something few others in the field can match. It's that combination – technical innovation, competitive nerve and choreographic audacity – that's made Malinin a star. And the crowd seems to be catching on. The lower bowl and much of the upper deck of the 17,850-seat TD Garden were filled for Friday afternoon's session – an unusually robust crowd for a Thursday afternoon in a sport where weekday sessions often play to half-full arenas. It was a signal that Malinin's profile is growing, both within the sport and beyond. Fellow Americans Andrew Torgashev and Jason Brown also delivered strong performances, with Torgashev finishing eighth (87.27) and Brown 12th (84.72) after each posted their highest international scores of the season. But Friday belonged to Malinin. He skated clean, he skated fearless, and on a stage primed for something bigger, he delivered his best. The first medals of this year's worlds will be doled out later Thursday with the pairs' free skate, with Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara of Japan leading Italy's Sara Conti and Niccolo Macii after Wednesday's short program.
The Guardian
27-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Ilia Malinin sets personal best to lead after short program at world championships
Ilia Malinin arrived in Massachusetts as the clear favorite to defend his world figure skating championship. On Friday afternoon at TD Garden, he performed like a man unbothered by that weight, launching his title defense with one of the greatest short programs ever performed. The 20-year-old American nicknamed the Quad God delivered a career-best first segment, scoring 110.41 points to take a 3.32-point lead over Japan's Yuma Kagiyama heading into Saturday night's free skate. It was the highest short program score of Malinin's career, and ranks behind only Olympic gold medallists Nathan Chen and Yuzuru Hanyu on the ISU's all-time list. Schedule All times EST. Wed 26 Mar • Women's Short, 12.05pm (Peacock) • Women's Short, 3pm (USA Network) • Remembrance Ceremony, 6.15pm (Peacock) • Pairs' Short, 6.45pm (Peacock) Thu 27 Mar • Men's Short, 11.05am (Peacock) • Men's Short, 3pm (USA Network) • Pairs' Free, 6.15pm (Peacock) • Pairs' Free, 8pm (USA Network) Fri 28 Mar • Rhythm Dance, 11.15am (Peacock) • Rhythm Dance, 3pm (USA Network) • Women's Free, 6pm (Peacock) • Women's Free, 8pm (NBC/Peacock) Sat 29 Mar • Free Dance, 1.30pm (Peacock) • Free Dance, 3pm (USA Network) • Men's Free, 6pm (Peacock) • Men's Free, 8pm (NBC/Peacock) Sun 30 Mar • Exhibition Gala, 2pm (Peacock) How to watch outside the US United Kingdom As of last year, Premier Sports holds the broadcasting rights for the World Figure Skating Championships in the UK, with coverage extending until 2028. To watch the championships, you'll need a subscription to Premier Sports, which offers live coverage of the events. You can subscribe through their official website or via certain TV providers that include Premier Sports in their packages. Australia SBS provides live and free coverage of the World Figure Skating Championships in Australia through SBS On Demand. With Kagiyama also skating one of the best programs to date – about one point shy of a personal best himself – the stage is set for a showdown between two of the most electrifying skaters in the sport today. Kazakhstan's Mikhail Shaidorov (94.77), this year's Four Continents winner, sits in third but more than 15 points adrift of Malinin's mark. 'I can't describe how I feel right now,' Malinin said. 'All I remember is getting on that ice. I felt really nervous, more than usual, and I didn't know what was going to happen. But once the music came on, I just got into a flow state and it really just went from there.' Malinin's performance, set to Running by the American rapper NF, included a clean quadruple flip, a triple Axel and a quad Lutz–triple toe loop combination. He typically saves his signature quad Axel – the four-and-a-half-revolution jump that had never been landed in competition until Malinin pulled it off at the 2022 US Classic – for the free skate. He hasn't lost since 2023 and is riding a win streak of eight straight events. By the time Malinin closed with his signature raspberry twist with about a half-minute to go, the entire building was on its feet and aroar. 'I heard the cheering but I didn't take enough time to see how people were reacting to me,' Malinin said. 'I was so excited. I didn't even finish skating yet and they were already standing and cheering me so loud.' His main rival, Kagiyama, was elegant and precise in his own right, continuing a return to form after an injury-hit season. The 2022 Olympic silver medalist had offered an offered an extraordinary confession seated beside Malinin at last year's worlds after coming in second – 'If we both perform at 100% of our ability, I don't think that I will be able to win,' he said – but has spent the year recommitting himself to closing the gap. 'I was able to skate and perform as I planned,' Kagiyama said. 'I know the special pressure skating after Ilia, but I just imagined how cool it is to do a great skate as the last skater. I was more excited about my being able to close the competition with a great skate than any other negative thinking.' Behind them, France's Adam Siao Him Fa – bronze medallist at last year's worlds and the reigning European champion – has work to do after falling on the back half of his opening quad Lutz-triple toe combination and placing ninth (87.22). The 23-year-old was the last skater to beat Malinin internationally, back at the 2023 Grand Prix de France, and has rebounded well from injury earlier this season. The men's free skate on Saturday will bring more than medals into play. Malinin is expected to attempt a full seven-quad layout, including the quad Axel, and he'll likely feature his signature backflip – a legal addition to his program for the first time at worlds. The move hasn't been landed legally at a world championships in nearly 50 years. The last to do it was American Terry Kubicka in 1976, after which the International Skating Union banned the element for being too dangerous. It returned last June, with the ISU stating: 'Somersault-type jumps are very spectacular and nowadays it is not logical anymore to include them as illegal movements.' Famously, France's Surya Bonaly defied the ban at the 1998 Nagano Olympics, landing a one-footed backflip in protest. Though penalized, the move became a symbol of resistance and individuality in the sport. Malinin, a former gymnast, first debuted the backflip in competition at the Lombardia Trophy in September and has used it as a crowd-pleasing punctuation ever since. 'It fits the music really well,' he's said. 'It gets that audience applause, feels really suspenseful, and I really just like doing it.' While it doesn't earn points, the flip enhances his performance scores and speaks to his creative flair – something few others in the field can match. It's that combination – technical innovation, competitive nerve and choreographic audacity – that's made Malinin a star. And the crowd seems to be catching on. The lower bowl and much of the upper deck of the 17,850-seat TD Garden were filled for Friday afternoon's session – an unusually robust crowd for a Thursday afternoon in a sport where weekday sessions often play to half-full arenas. It was a signal that Malinin's profile is growing, both within the sport and beyond. Fellow Americans Andrew Torgashev and Jason Brown also delivered strong performances, with Torgashev finishing eighth (87.27) and Brown 12th (84.72) after each posted their highest international scores of the season. But Friday belonged to Malinin. He skated clean, he skated fearless, and on a stage primed for something bigger, he delivered his best. The first medals of this year's worlds will be doled out later Thursday with the pairs' free skate, with Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara of Japan leading Italy's Sara Conti and Niccolo Macii after Wednesday's short program.
