World Figure Skating Championships Begin in Prague

PRAGUE, Czech Republic - The World Figure Skating Championships begin Wednesday in Prague, drawing a field marked by high-stakes redemption quests and notable absences following the intense Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics last month. American Ilia Malinin, the 21-year-old men's singles star known as the "Quad God," leads the headlines as he seeks a third consecutive world title after an eighth-place Olympic finish that ended his two-year unbeaten streak.

Malinin entered the Olympics as a heavy favorite, having dominated the sport with his signature quadruple jumps. But pressure overwhelmed him in the free program, where he fell twice and landed only three of seven planned quads, unraveling what had been a flawless season. "It was so stressful, so much pressure," Malinin said of his Olympic debut. "But we have to get up and keep going no matter what. It's not the last of me." He aims to match Nathan Chen's feat from 2021 by winning three straight worlds titles. Post-Olympics, Malinin showcased his resilience with a quadruple Axel into a backflip at a Zurich exhibition, signaling his form remains sharp. Olympic men's champion Mikhail Shaidorov of Kazakhstan is skipping the event,...