Beyond the Olympics: Women’s Figure Skating at the World Championships
Graphic by Sophia Rascoff
With the conclusion of the Winter Olympics, many assume the drama of figure skating has come to an end. However, for the skating world, the Olympics are far from the final chapter. In Prague from March 24 to March 29, the International Skating Union World Championships provided breakout skaters a chance to redeem themselves or continue their reputational climb in the international spotlight.
This year, beyond serving as a stage for redemption, Worlds offered rising skaters a chance to prove themselves on the global stage. The absence of prominent skater Alysa Liu was felt by fans who had hoped to see her free skate to Lady Gaga. Yet her withdrawal opened the door for others to step into the spotlight—most notably Nina Pinzarrone’s breakthrough and Kaori Sakamoto’s redemption arc.
A Japanese-Dominated Podium
Sakamoto, the renowned 25-year-old from Kobe, Japan, has established herself as one of the country’s premier skaters, returning from Milan with silver medals in both the team event and women’s singles. Going into her last season, Sakamoto’s fourth World Championship title makes her the first woman to hold this many titles since American Michelle Kwan, who claimed her fifth in 2003.
After being edged out by Liu in the 2025 Worlds and again at the Milan Olympics by a mere 1.89 points, Sakamoto struggled with falling short of both her own expectations and those placed on her by others. Following the Olympics, Sakamoto admitted the losses left her unable to sleep. She noted her unsatisfactory performance was largely a function of the “way I practiced leading up to this point [that] played a role in how things turned out,” leaving room for redemption in Prague.
At Worlds, she had the chance to redeem herself and end her career on a high, leaving it all out on the ice. In the Short Program, she hit a perfect triple Lutz, double Axel, and triple flip-triple toe loop to the fittingly chosen “Time to Say Goodbye,” putting her in the lead with 79.31 points. She followed this up with the best free skate of the night, garnering 158.97 points, a personal best, securing her 1st place.
Other Japanese skaters faced similar emotions following the Olympic Games. Mone Chiba is a rising Japanese skater from Sendai who used to share a rink with the now-retired Yuzuru Hanyu. Coming off a strong Olympic debut, Chiba placed 4th in the women’s single event. While many choke on Olympic ice, she drew attention for maintaining her artistry, poise, and consistency, landing a perfect triple flip-triple toe loop combination—but narrowly missed the podium by 1.28 points.
She defended her reputation as a top competitor in Prague, channeling her Olympic frustration of missing the top-three cutoff to a podium-winning performance. She trailed countrywoman Sakamoto by 0.86 points in the Short, having achieved a personal-best of 78.45 in Prague. Chiba maintained comfortable leads of 6.66 and 7.15 points over the U.S.’s Amber Glenn and Isabelle Levito in 3rd and 4th, ensuring she left Prague with the silver medal, racking a total of 228.47 points.
Chiba is proof that Japan’s future does not begin after Sakamoto leaves: it is already here. Chiba is not simply chasing Kaori, but even challenging her.
An American Upset
Amber Glenn is known for her emotional programs packed with artistry. After years of near misses following her junior success of winning the U.S. Junior Championships at 14, she finally achieved her breakthrough in 2024, winning her first senior U.S. National title and qualifying for the 2026 Olympics.
She was the only women’s skater to land a triple Axel in Prague, mastering the jump with near-perfect consistency—landing 12 of her 13 attempts this season, with positive GOEs (grades of execution; the technical score on how well an element is performed) on all but three. In the short, fans celebrated Glenn’s successful triple loop that eluded her in Milan during the short program, highlighting Worlds once again as an opportunity for skaters to close out their season.
Glenn was well-positioned after the short program, placing her in 3rd with 72.65 points. However, it was not meant to be, with Glenn once again experiencing heartbreak as the free skate reshuffled standings, dropping her to 6th overall—her triple loop letting her down once more.
Often the most neglected of Team USA’s “Three Blade Angels,” the 18-year-old Levito entered Prague as a quiet threat representing the United States. Though she is often overshadowed by Glenn and Liu, she is still one of the most technically refined skaters. She backs her technical ability with her storytelling approach, merging balletic artistry with character-driven performances, stemming from her love of reading.
The 2024 World silver medalist delivered one of her strongest short programs at Prague, landing the most difficult combination of the event, a triple Lutz-triple loop. However, in the free skate, a shaky opening triple Lutz-triple loop combination detracted from an otherwise clean skate, preventing her from medalling against the dependable Chiba and Sakamoto, leaving her in 4th. However, Levito and Glenn’s skates have secured three spots for the United States in next season’s Worlds in Finland.
Rising Stars and a Surprise Bronze
It is important to note that Worlds was not merely a source of disappointment for Team USA, but one of hope for rising new talent. Few skaters embody the unpredictability of post-Olympic Worlds more than Sarah Everhardt. Listed as the second alternate, Everhardt had the chance to represent the United States at Worlds after Liu withdrew and Bradie Tennell denied the offer.
In Prague, fans witnessed Everhardt’s Worlds debut, where she delivered a clean short program, placing 9th with 68.74, less than 0.5 points off her personal best. In the free, she further demonstrated her ability to adapt to the high-pressure environment, maintaining her composure despite a small mistake in the free skate. In a championship defined by chances for skaters to redefine themselves, Everhardt has seized her breakthrough opportunity to prove herself on the world stage.
The biggest surprise of the event, however, was Nina Pinzarrone. Representing Belgium, she rose from 5th in the short to the podium after the free skate, with 215.20 points. Pinzarrone’s performance truly highlights the unpredictability of skating, turning what looked like a Japan-U.S. medal race into something far more exciting.
Pinzarrone’s is a story of determination. During the 2024 Worlds, she underwent a blood vessel cauterization without anesthesia just before she took the ice, fighting through her performance with tissue stuck up her nose to secure two Milan Olympic spots for Belgium. She was also battling prolonged knee injuries that took her out in the 2022-23 season and persisted up to the Euros and Milan.
In Prague, Pinzarrone proved that even without huge jumps, artistry and consistent execution can win—signaling a major shift in the right direction for the sport, especially after criticism that Milan undervalued artistry in scoring.
Kaori may have left with the gold; however, hers is not the only legacy left in Prague. Chiba’s consistency proves Japan’s depth; Glenn and Levito’s missed opportunity at the podium will hopefully push them to regroup for the next skating season; and Pinzarrone’s unexpected bronze finish suggests figure skating judging may be moving in the right direction. Prague proved that drama and unexpected results are the norm in skating, not just an Olympic exception.
While many may tune in just for the Olympics and enjoy the drama, that was a mere vignette of the emotional weight behind this skating season. It was only at Worlds among fans who have been invested in skaters’ journeys for the year-long season, or beyond, that heartbreaks like Glenn’s and redemptions like Sakamoto’s found their true resonance.
Elisa See ’28 (elisasee@college.harvard.edu)wishes it were never time to say goodbye to Kaori.