2026 World Figure Skating Championships | Men's Free Skate

[16Olympics]

I would be remiss if I didn't acknowledge how I felt about Stephen Gogolev's past month of skating. In the OG, he was instrumental in getting the team into the team finals. He had 4 strong performances in his first ever OG. Bravo. I remember him as a young, young teen when he was with Orser and winning the JGPF as the substitute. I hoped he was on his way but all of that has lead him where he is today.

He has now earned a 2nd spot for Canada's men's team. Combined with his OG outings and the WC, it makes my heart happy to see him arrive. Finally. And he smiles more now, too.

The future with Ilia, Mikhail, Shun, Stephen, Yuma, Rio, Adam, Jacob and Andrew and a host of others looks like we'll be enjoying their athleticism and artistry for years to come.

 

[ice coverage]

... the strongest US men’s World debut since Ilia Malinin in 2022.

Since Camden Pulkinen's fifth place in his Worlds debut in 2022 is what I would say.
Ilia placed ninth in 2022. (No disrespect to Ilia -- I am a longtime fan.)

My congratulations to top four today!
Gogolev was my favorite debut among 2026 Worlds men.
Also happy for Torgashev in top ten.

Lets see...NBC rabbit ears is covering alot of gymnastics and golf today...oh look! TWO hours of skating.

Not rabbit ears, but USA channel is showing four hour of Worlds today, as it did yesterday. Plus two hours on Thursday. I'll take what I can get.

 

[reader3]

Yes, Ilia & well done! He was quite excited after that FS. If only he skated like that last month, wink. Here's hoping for a redemption skate at the Olympics in '30, if possible, as Nathan did the 2nd time around.

I'm very glad that Yuma was able to medal after the sp misfortune. Kudos to Shun as well.

 

[Puchi]

He’s like Sasha Cohen in that way, though she never won 4CC or even a Grand Prix Final.

Just for the record, Sasha Cohen won the Grand Prix Final in the 2002-2003 season

 

[skylark]

Ouch...but yes, I think the judges might be mesmerized by Ilia's technical ability to a point where they perceive it as artistry.

Or perhaps, some or most of the judges have less limited views of artistry, so that they perceive there's more than one kind of artistry that figure skaters may have and practice. And they evaluate Ilia's artistry differently than some who go by the typically valued and defined artistry.

I, and many other fans here and everywhere, have always thrilled to Ilia's style of artistry, even though it's different from Andrew's, Jason's, Yuma's styles.

 

[reneerose]

Not rabbit ears, but USA channel is showing four hour of Worlds today, as it did yesterday. Plus two hours on Thursday. I'll take what I can get.

So glad USA channel is showing the 4 hours of Worlds today! That supplements my Peacock viewing.

 

[mirai4life]

Yuma and Ilia's PCS are too close for my liking. I will be rewatching Yuma's performance for the time to come

 

[skatedreamer]

Or perhaps, some or most of the judges have less limited views of artistry, so that they perceive there's more than one kind of artistry that figure skaters may have and practice. And they evaluate Ilia's artistry differently than some who go by the typically valued and defined artistry.

I, and many other fans here and everywhere, have always thrilled to Ilia's style of artistry, even though it's different from Andrew's, Jason's, Yuma's styles.

Fair point. Ilia's jumps always knock my socks off but I guess my ideas of artistry are more traditional. It will be interesting to see how he develops.

Let me be clear: I'm thrilled for his win today -- especially after the Olympics -- and wish him all the best!

 

[skylark]

Fair point. Ilia's jumps always knock my socks off but I guess my ideas of artistry are more traditional. It will be interesting to see how he develops.

Let me be clear: I'm thrilled for his win today -- especially after the Olympics -- and wish him all the best!

I love your responses.

 

[skatedreamer]

I love your responses.

to you, too!

 

[Arigato]

He doesn't need such high scores and he doesn't deserve them. It's unfair to a skater like Yuma.

It goes way beyond a simple case of unfairness to Yuma.

 

[4everchan]

It goes way beyond a simple case of unfairness to Yuma.

definitely. but life is short and the case too deep for me to elaborate further.

 

[Zora]

Yuma can mess up and win silver and skate perfectly and win silver, he's just bound to win silver

 

[Janice4th]

...it was a 3A

I was yelling at him not to do the quad axel and he listened. He needed a good skate after the Oly, not a spectacular one.

 

[reader3]

Or perhaps, some or most of the judges have less limited views of artistry, so that they perceive there's more than one kind of artistry that figure skaters may have and practice. And they evaluate Ilia's artistry differently than some who go by the typically valued and defined artistry.

I, and many other fans here and everywhere, have always thrilled to Ilia's style of artistry, even though it's different from Andrew's, Jason's, Yuma's styles.

Well said, @skylark!

 

[discodisco]

Okay, biggest beef is NOT Ilia winning, but the unecessary HYPER-Inflated marks for both tech and PCS.

What is the point of someone like Yuma mastering blade and Edge quality, speed and effortless flow, and wonderful expression, if it's going to get him one point more then Ilia?

That was not a skate that should be getting mid-9's. I'm sorry, it's just not. Ilia was not over his blades tonight so I he should have received less PCS than he typically does. For Yuma to skate his personal best, in what is a masterful program choreographically, and barely edge out Ilia... that's ridiculous.

Look, Ilia has mastered rotation, and should get incredibly high tech marks - usually. I was devastated for him when he didn't win the Olympics because on any other night he would and should have..

But you are telling me that his opening quadflip, which was barely fully rotated, threw up tons of ice, and was nowhere near the best quadflip he has done, deserved plus four and five goe? Give me a break...

I don't doubt it all that he should have won overall - but let's be accurate and fair...

 

[cocteautwin]

Yuma can mess up and win silver and skate perfectly and win silver, he's just bound to win silver

This silver deserved to be displayed in a gold frame though

 

[Arigato]

Okay, biggest beef is NOT Ilia winning, but the unecessary HYPER-Inflated marks for both tech and PCS.

What is the point of someone like Yuma mastering blade and Edge quality, speed and effortless flow, and wonderful expression, if it's going to get him one point more then Ilia?

That was not a skate that should be getting mid-9's. I'm sorry, it's just not. Ilia was not over his blades tonight so I he should have received less PCS than he typically does. For Yuma to skate his personal best, in what is a masterful program choreographically, and barely edge out Ilia... that's ridiculous.

Look, Ilia has mastered rotation, and should get incredibly high tech marks - usually. I was devastated for him when he didn't win the Olympics because on any other night he would and should have..

But you are telling me that his opening quadflip, which was barely fully rotated, threw up tons of ice, and was nowhere near the best quadflip he has done, deserved plus four and five goe? Give me a break...

I don't doubt it all that he should have won overall - but let's be accurate and fair...

To me it was like paying someone 95 bucks to mow my lawn but they only mowed half of it.

 

[4everchan]

Brian Orser was known for his silvers, but I think Yuma has surpassed him

Orser managed one gold though, in 1987

 

[Alex D]

Ilia is such a humble and well mannered person and his skating is in my opinion some of the best ever in mens figure skating that I could experiece live. Don´t let yourself be clouded by watching in TV, this guy is just amazing on ice.