Malinin Wins Third Straight Men's World Title

Ilia Malinin reclaimed his dominance in men's figure skating by winning his third consecutive world championship title on Saturday in Prague, Czechia, just six weeks after a stunning eighth-place finish at the Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy. The 21-year-old American, known as the "Quad God" for his record-breaking jumps, delivered clean programs with five quadruple jumps to score 329.40 points overall, finishing 22.73 points ahead of silver medalist Yuma Kagiyama of Japan.

Malinin entered the competition as a heavy favorite for Olympic gold but faltered with two falls in the free skate, later attributing the performance to overwhelming pressure and mental hurdles. "I blew it," he told reporters after the Olympics, describing a flood of thoughts that disrupted his focus. In Prague, he adopted a more relaxed approach, skating the same routines from Milan without the visible nerves. He led after Thursday's short program with a personal-best score and maintained the advantage through a cautious yet dazzling free skate, including his signature backflip and a sideways spin. "All I wanted to do was skate for myself, enjoy every moment on the ice and just have fun out there, and...