Figure skating-American Malinin embracing pressure of defending world title
Source: news.source.channelnewsasia
U.S. figure skater Ilia Malinin, known as the 'Quad God', is preparing to defend his world title at the upcoming world championships in Boston. Malinin, who recently won his third U.S. senior title, is considering attempting a program with seven quadruple jumps, a feat yet to be accomplished in competition. He acknowledges the pressure of competing as the reigning champion in a pre-Olympic year but is motivated to handle it and perform well.
Key Points
Ilia Malinin plans to assess the ice conditions and his physical state before deciding whether to attempt seven quadruple jumps at the world championships.
Malinin, who has been dubbed the 'Quad God', is favored to win his second consecutive men's singles title.
He acknowledges the pressure of defending his title in Boston, especially as the reigning world champion in a pre-Olympic year.
Yuma Kagiyama from Japan is seen as Malinin's closest challenger and is working to close the gap between them.
In the women's singles, Kaori Sakamoto and Amber Glenn are the favorites.
The top-ranked pairs team this season is Germany's Minerva Hase and Nikita Volodin, while Canada's Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxim Deschamps aim to overcome a challenging season.
