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Ilia Malinin from the United States competes during the men's short program at the Figure Skating World Championships in Prague, Czech Republic, Thursday, March 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved
U.S. figure skater Ilia Malinin soared to first place in the Men’s Short Program on Thursday at the 2026 ISU Figure Skating World Championships, edging out former European champion Adam Siao Him Fa and Estonia’s Aleksandr Selevko in second and third, respectively.
Delivering a personal-best score to take a staggering lead, Malinin returned to dominance after an uncharacteristic effort in Milan-Cortina. “(Ilia Malinin) is back… but he never really went anywhere," commentator Tanith White reflected.
In a “showcase of a human journey,” Malinin triumphed over his mental woes from Milan-Cortina in Prague, nearly 33 years after his mother, Tatyana Malinina, made her World Championships debut in the same central European city.
Winning the short program by a whopping 10 points, Malinin enters Saturday’s free skate in prime position to win his third-straight world title. If Malinin can execute the win, he’ll become the first American since Nathan Chen to win three-straight world championshipt titles.
All three American skaters excelled in Thursday’s short program, with 2026 Olympian Andrew Torgashev and rookie Jacob Sanchez also posting personal bests to qualify in the top ten.
Men’s competition concludes with the free skate, slated for Saturday, March 28. Fans can stream the action live on Peacock, beginning at 7:30 a.m. ET.
Men’s Short Program Results (Top 10):
- Ilia Malinin (United States): 111.29
- Adam Siao Him Fa (France): 101.85
- Aleksandr Selevko (Estonia): 96.49
- Shun Sato (Japan): 95.84
- Stephen Gogolev (Canada): 94.38
- Yuma Kagiyama (Japan): 93.80
- Andrew Torgashev (United States): 89.07
- Daniel Grassl (Italy): 88.53
- Lukas Britschgi (Switzerland): 88.30
- Jacob Sanchez (United States): 85.15
The Prague Play-by-Play
Stephen Gogolev of Canada was the first skater to lay down the gauntlet with a personal-best score. The 2026 Olympian cruised through his opening combination, finishing with a fist bump and massive 94.38.
2026 Olympian Andrew Torgashev was the first American to skate on Thursday. The U.S. silver medalist delivered, posting a personal-best 89.07 to sit behind Gogolev mid-way through Thursday’s competition. Torgashev finished 12th in Milan-Cortina.
Though Gogolev’s score held for much of the group, Aleksandr Selevko (Estonia) was the first to unseat the Canadian. Skating to Prince, the former European silver medalist delivered a “medal-worthy presentation" despite a lower base value. The judges awarded Selevko a 96.49, a five-point improvement on his personal best.
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Aleksandr Selevko from Estonia performs during the men's short program at the 2026 ISU World Figure Skating Championships in Prague on March 26, 2026. (Photo by Michal Cizek / AFP via Getty Images)
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American Jacob Sanchez skated after Selevko. Sanchez wasn’t in Milan-Cortina – and didn’t expect to get the call for Prague – but the 18-year-old was confident in his world championship debut, skating to a season’s best.
Selevko’s lead held heading into the top group, but time would tell if his personal best score would hold.
Malinin Sets the Standard in Final Group
Group 6 featured the Olympic silver and bronze medalists, Kagiyama and Sato, as well as the two-time defending World Champion, “Quad God” Ilia Malinin, and former world medalist Adam Siao Him Fa of France.
Siao Him Fa collapsed in the free skate in Milan-Cortina and looked for redemption here in Prague. Much like U.S. women’s skater Amber Glenn, Siao Him Fa has long been in contention for international gold medals but has struggled under pressure.
On Thursday in Prague, the former European champion excelled, nailing his difficult program – including his trademark back flip – to emphatic roars from the Central European crowd. Siao Him Fa received a 101.85, good for the top spot with three skaters remaining. Malinin would skate next.
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Receiving a "rockstar reaction” from the crowd, the 21-year-old from Arlington, Virginia, took to the ice. As Malinin’s music opened, fans could hear a pin drop in Prague’s O2 Arena.
Opening with a quadruple flip, the skater landed without a flicker. Triple axel – nailed. Finishing with a lofty quadruple lutz to triple toe, Malinin was on.
Hitting his infamous back flip to another roar to close his program, Malinin broke into one of his best saved (and recently hidden) tricks: a smile. The skater received a personal-best 111.29 to cruise into the lead.
“From a human perspective…it’s both a delight, a relief and a joy to see such confidence (from Malinin)," commentator Mark Hanretty remarked.
Though two skaters waited in the wings in Prague, Malinin’s return was already triumphant. Next up: Malinin’s top challenger for gold, Yuma Kagiyama of Japan.
Kagiyama is a two-time Olympic silver medalist in the men’s event and seeks an elusive gold medal on the major international stage.
Though Kagiyama began his skate with trademark confidence, he suffered a fluke error on his final jump, a triple Axel. The skater’s blade appeared to catch on a “rut” in the ice, flinging Kagiyama across the ice, falling flat onto his chest.
The mistake would be costly. In an eerie similarity to Amber Glenn’s jumping error in Milan-Cortina, Kagiyama would receive no credit for his jump, obliterating his gold-medal hopes.
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Despite the major error, the skater earned a salvageable score for sixth overall.
Last up, Shun Sato of Japan. Sato was one of the bright spots of Milan-Cortina, clinching a surprise bronze medal in the men’s singles event. Could the Japanese rookie replicate his Olympic performance in Prague?
Sato opened beautifully, nailing his quadruple Lutz, his most difficult quad jump. Powering through his jump combination, Sato looked at ease on the ice. Though his final jump was the tightest of the three, the 22-year-old delivered a formidable bid for his first world medal.
The judges awarded a 95.84, good for fourth in the short program.
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