Sports

World figure skating championships preview

Published

9 months ago

March 25, 2025

Your Sports Nation

World figure skating championships preview

While there are two American teams competing in the pairs competition — Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov, and Ellie Kam and Danny O’Shea — both are considered outside contenders to make the podium and likely won’t factor into the championship conversation. So, while that might not be quite as fun for the Boston crowd as the other three events, this still could be a battle to remember between some accomplished duos.

Mar 25, 2025, 12:12 PM ET

Many of the skaters in this week’s competition knew and trained alongside some of the victims and they will undoubtedly be on everyone’s minds throughout.He tied the record for most landed quadruple jumps, landing six of his attempted seven, en route to his third straight U.S. figure skating title. pic.twitter.com/VUzH7uetj1A tribute will be held on Wednesday night ahead of the pairs short program to remember the victims of the American Airlines plane crash, in which 28 people associated with the figure skating community were killed on their way home from the national championships in January. Among those who lost their lives were skaters Spencer Lane and Jinna Han, Han’s mother Jin Hee Han and Lane’s mother Christine Lane, and coaches Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, from the Skating Club of Boston, the host of the championships.Just how good is Malinin, the 2024 world champion? The 20-year-old American hasn’t lost a competition since 2023 and carries an eight-event win streak to Boston. And it’s not just that he keeps winning, it’s how he does it.

Heavy hearts

Haven’t watched figure skating since the 2022 Games? Or just need a quick refresher? We’ve got you covered. Here are the skaters and storylines you’ll want to know.Editor’s Picks

In a separate news conference, Evan Bates, the two-time defending ice dancing world champion with Madison Chock, said, “I think everybody’s looking forward to having something to cheer for.”

While Stellato-Dudek and Deschamps have struggled at times this season, Germany’s Minerva Hase and Nikita Volodin and Japan’s Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara have stepped up. Hase and Volodin won the Grand Prix Final and Miura and Kihara, the 2023 world champions, claimed the podium’s top spot at the Four Continents. So, who will come out on top in Boston? Stay tuned.If she’s not at 100%, there are several others looking to pounce. South Korea’s Kim Chae-yeon, who defeated Kaori at the Asian Games and was the world bronze medalist in 2024, is capable of winning yet again. The 18-year-old earned a career-best score in the free skate to clinch the Four Continents trophy in her native Seoul just over a month ago.While he has yet to complete all seven in one performance, that has hardly slowed him down, and he remains the only man to have ever successfully landed a quadruple axel cleanly in competition. During his run at nationals, he landed the quad axel and his signature aerial twist (nicknamed the “raspberry twist”), earning a massive free skate score of 219.23 for an overall score of 331.31. This gave him more than a 44-point margin of victory over second-place finisher Andrew Torgashev.

Malinin’s dominance

“[I] really just have this mindset of skating for them now,” reigning world champion Ilia Malinin told reporters last week about those from his Washington Figure Skating Club who were on the plane. “I’ll always have them in my head and in my heart, just remembering them, and this worlds [performance], I really want to dedicate to everyone on that flight. [I want to] just really give my all in that performance and really just make it worth it for them.”And it could be a very exciting week for the Americans. The contingent is legitimately in contention to claim three of the four world titles — something that has never happened before. (It’s worth noting, the often-dominant Russians remain barred from competition due to the ongoing invasion of Ukraine.)

While Malinin is the clear favorite for the men’s title, there is considerably more intrigue in the women’s competition.During his 2024 showing at worlds, Malinin became the first man in history to land six clean quadruple jumps in one program. And since then, he’s only tried to push himself further by incorporating a previously banned backflip and adding yet another quadruple jump to his routine. He clinched his third straight national title in January.— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) January 27, 2025

When asked last week if he considered Kagiyama a “rival,” he didn’t hesitate.Madison Chock and Evan Bates reminisce ahead of #WorldFigure next week! Deanna Stellato-Dudek, now 41, became the oldest women’s world champion in the sport’s history in 2024 when she and Maxime Deschamps claimed gold last year. Their season has been somewhat derailed with injuries and illness, but they nabbed the Canadian national title in January and recorded a runner-up finish at the Four Continents. They now have their eyes on winning yet another world title — and qualifying for their first Olympics together after Stellato-Dudek officially became a Canadian citizen in December.Of course, winning his second consecutive world title won’t be as easy, although he is the heavy favorite. Japan’s Yuma Kagiyama, who took home silver last year, will look to rebound after a shaky showing at the Asian Winter Games, and France’s Adam Siao Him Fa, the last man to beat Malinin in 2023, won bronze last year and will be looking to get his up-and-down season back on track. But ultimately, this is Malinin’s title to win — and he knows it.

As for the women …

And a trio of Americans could contend in front of a passionate home crowd. Amber Glenn, 25, brings an undefeated record this season. The two-time reigning national champion won at the Grand Prix Final in December — the biggest title for an American woman since 2010 — and seems to be peaking at the right time. Isabeau Levito, 18, captured silver at worlds last season. She missed nationals with a foot injury but was able to petition onto the team and made her return to competition last month. Nineteen-year-old Alysa Liu, a 2022 Olympian, came back in 2024 after a two-year retirement and has since finished in second place at U.S. nationals and in fourth place at last month’s Four Continents.It could be a close competition. Chock, 32, and Bates, 36, were bested by Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier at the Four Continents event this year by a fraction of a point. The Canadian duo were the runners-up at the 2024 world championships and have twice placed on the podium before but have never won gold. Will this be their year?Three-peat loading! ⏳

Japan’s Kaori Sakamoto is the three-time defending champion and hopes to become the first woman in over 60 years to win four in a row. But she has struggled as of late, finishing third at the ISU Grand Prix Final in December and then ending up in second place at the Asian Winter Games last month behind a near-disastrous free skate. Will she be able to rediscover her form and her confidence in time for Boston?

In addition to collecting some shiny new hardware, skaters will also be aiming to earn Olympic quota places for their respective countries during the competition — 24 spots are up for grabs in the men’s and women’s singles events, 16 in pairs and 19 in ice dance.Ilia Malinin isn’t backing down from a challenge.— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) November 2, 2024

Dance party

Italy’s Charlene Guignard and Marco Fabbri, the most experienced team in the field, finished in third place in 2024 and in second place in 2023. Americans Christina Carreira and Anthony Ponomarenko finished in seventh place last year and finished just off the podium at the Four Continents.

“Not necessarily,” he said. “I would consider myself to be my biggest rival. I mean for me, my whole motto is, I always like to compete against myself and to really just push my own limit.”How to watch ➡️: https://t.co/z7jqy4nmxH pic.twitter.com/8lsh0YgYobGLENN IS GOLDEN 🥇— U.S. Figure Skating (@USFigureSkating) March 19, 2025

1 RelatedD’Arcy Maine

More history for Stellato-Dudek and Deschamps?

The 2025 ISU World Figure Skating Championships get underway on Wednesday in Boston as the sport’s best look to make their mark with less than a year to go before the Milano Cortina Olympic Games.Five-time world medalists Chock and Bates are in search of their third straight world championship title — and would become the first duo to do so since Oksana Grishuk and Evgeni Platov claimed four in a row from 1994-1997. While Chock and Bates haven’t formally announced retirement plans, the recently married pair — who just won their sixth national title — have called the upcoming year leading into the Olympic Games as their “last shot” and have their eyes on gold in both Boston and in Italy next winter.

At Grand Prix France, reigning U.S. champion Amber Glenn secures her first-ever Grand Prix title! #GPFigure pic.twitter.com/imbwJ65Vbx

Sports

Men’s T&F Opens Season at Diplomat Open

Published

35 minutes ago

December 7, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Lancaster, PA (December 6, 2025) – The DeSales University men’s track & field team opened the 2025-26 indoor T&F season competing at the Diplomat Open at Franklin & Marshall College on Friday.

The Bulldogs posted 10 MAC qualfying times/marks in the meet.

Among the qualifying times were junior Bryce Guthier taking second in the 400-meters with a time of 52.08. It is the fifth fastest time in indoor history. Senior Davis Trump also qualified in the 5K with a time of 16:20.32.

In the field events, DSU posted eight qualfying marks. Junior Weston Simak qualified for the MAC Championships in both the long jump (6.52m) and triple jump (13.72m). His triple jump mark was the second best in team history. First-year Luke Heimann also qualfied in the triple jump (11.86m).

Junior Jonathan Castronovo took home first place in the long jump with a mark of 6.58m, the second best long jump in team history.

First-year John Amoretti qualified in the shot put (12.33m), seniors Jonathan Eudja and Giovanni Wellington qualified in the weight throw with marks of 14.85m and 14.23m. First-year Ryan Rodriguez also quallified in the weight throw (11.89m).

The Bulldogs won’t return to action till the New Year at the Blue and Grey Invitational on Jan. 17th.

Link

Sports

Women’s Track & Field Turns in Multiple High Marks to Begin Season at Cornell

Published

51 minutes ago

December 7, 2025

Your Sports Nation

RESULTS

ITHACA, N.Y. –

The Ithaca College women’s track & field team opened its 2025-26 season over the weekend as the Bombers made the short trip across town to compete in the Greg Page Relays hosted by Cornell University on December 5-6.

Lola Gitlin posted a time of 10:25.57 in the 3000-meter run to finish third overall.

Rachel Larson was a fourth place finisher with a time of 8.58 seconds in the 60-meter hurdles. That time is currently No. 1 in Division III after the opening weekend of the season.

Aynisha McQuillar took fifth in the 200-meter dash in a time of 26.61 seconds. McQuillar also ran in the 60-meter dash and posted the 11th fastest time in DIII during the prelim with a performance of 7.78 seconds.

Lyla Powers was fifth in the 500-meter dash with a time of 1:21.75.

Lily Seyfert claimed fifth in the shot put with a heave of 12.78 meters, which is currently ninth in the nation.

Bree Boyle and Erin Eastwood each cleared 3.54 meters in the pole vault, which is tied for 11th on the Division III performance list.

Alexis Brown turned in a leap of 11.02 meters in the triple jump for the 17th best mark in the country.

Ithaca is off for the remainder of 2025 and will return to Cornell on January 10 for the Southern Tier Invitational.

Link

Sports

Men’s Track & Field Opens Indoor Season at Cornell Greg Page Relays

Published

1 hour ago

December 7, 2025

Your Sports Nation

RESULTS

ITHACA, N.Y. –

The Ithaca College men’s track & field team opened its 2025-26 season over the weekend as the Bombers made the short trip across town to compete in the Greg Page Relays hosted by Cornell University on December 5-6.

Anik Vossschulte claimed third in the 200-meter dash in a time of 23.32 seconds, while Jacob Antilety was seventh at 23.71 seconds.

Matt Lokshin posted a time of 8.65 seconds in the 60-meter hurdles to place third in the event. Aidan Irwin took fourth in the high jump with a mark of 1.70 meters.

Quinten Lewis posted a mark of 13.73 meters in the triple jump to place fourth and Sebastien-Oliver Lacrete was sixth at 12.68 meters, while Evan Cherry secured fifth in the long jump with a leap of 6.84 meters.

IC’s 4×400-meter relay team of Damian Simmonds, Griffin Lupes, Noah McKibben and George Nilson placed sixth in 3:34.49.

Luke Ellor finished sixth in the shot put with a mark of 14.40 meters.

Three Bombers finished within the top eight in the 500-meter dash as Brad Kellogg was sixth in 1:09.73, Peter Tysiak followed in seventh with 1:10.74 and Matthew DeJulio was next at 1:11.59.

Kaiden Chandler and Luke Ferrer posted times of 4:41.29 and 4:53.44 in the mile to finish in seventh and eighth.

Raf Campanile was seventh in the pole vault with a clearance of 4.25 meters.

Ithaca is off for the remainder of 2025 and will return to Cornell on January 10 for the Southern Tier Invitational.

Link

Sports

Women’s track and field athletes win three events at Utica Holiday Classic

Published

2 hours ago

December 7, 2025

Your Sports Nation

UTICA, N.Y. – The Hamilton College Continentals competed against 13 teams at the non-team scoring 2025 Utica University Track & Field Holiday Classic inside the Todd & Jenn Hutton Sports and Recreation Center on Saturday, Dec. 6.

The meet was the first of the 2025-26 season for the Hamilton women, who will be back at Utica for the Pioneers’ Winter Opener on Friday, Jan. 16 after taking a break for finals and the winter holiday.

The Continentals qualified for the 2026 All-Atlantic Region Track & Field Conference Indoor Championships in four different events and finished first in three events.

Emily Pogozelski ’26 won the 3,000-meter run by over 20 seconds with a regional-qualifying time of 10:27.93. Mackenzie Loudon ’29, who was competing in her first collegiate meet, took first place and qualified for regionals in the triple jump.

Loudon was also part of Hamilton’s winning 4×200-meter relay with Tatiana McCray ’28, Ava Chiappinelli ’29 and Marley Meyers ’28. Their performance was more than five seconds faster than the regional-qualifying time.

McCray ran a regional-qualifying 7.96 seconds and finished in second place in the 60-meter dash final. Chiappinelli also qualified for regionals in her first collegiate meet and finished right behind McCray with a time of 7.99 seconds.

TOP PERFORMANCES

300-Meter Dash (17 Runners)

4. Marley Meyers ’28, 43.08

7. Hannah Turner ’26, 43.91

60-Meter Dash (35 Runners)

2. Tatiana McCray ’28, 7.96 (PR, AARTFC)

3. Ava Chiappinelli ’29, 7.99 (AARTFC)

600-Meter Dash (16 Runners)

5. Aisha Kandji ’29, 1:47.31

4×200 Meter Relay (9 Teams)

1. McCray ’28, Mackenzie Loudon ’29, Chiappinelli ’29, Meyers ’28 (1:46.42, AARTFC)

3000-Meter Run (19 Runners)

1. Emily Pogozelski ’26, 10:27.93 (PR, AARTFC)

Triple Jump (15 Athletes)

1. Loudon, 11.29 meters (37 feet, 0.5 inches; AARTFC)

Link

Sports

Volleyball Advances to Program’s First Sweet Sixteen, Sweeps Florida Saturday

Published

2 hours ago

December 7, 2025

Your Sports Nation

DALLAS (SMU) – For the first time in program history, SMU volleyball is headed to the Sweet Sixteen after sweeping Florida (16-12) in the Round of 32 on Saturday with set scores of 25-11, 25-21, 26-24.

With the win, SMU won its 27th match of the season, tying the program record for single-season wins. It also gave coach Sam Erger her 100th victory at SMU and in her Division I head coaching career.

Averi Carlson dished out 38 assists, the most in a three-setter for the senior setter this season. Carlson led the Mustangs to a .370 hitting percentage in the win. Kennedi Rogers went for 14 kills, hitting .440, with four digs and three blocks. Malaya Jones closely trailed Rogers with 13 kills, eight digs and seven blocks, tying her career high.

SMU out-blocked the Gators 15-4, spearheaded by a career-high nine blocks from freshman Maggie Croft. The Mustangs’ blocking efforts helped hold the Gators to a .156 hitting percentage for the match.

MATCH NOTES

With 13 kills against Florida, Jones (503) is now the second player in SMU Volleyball history to reach 500 kills in a season. She joins Rachel Giubilato, who notched 568 kills in 2006.

Averi Carlson (1,341) moved to third in the rally scoring era and sixth all-time for single-season assists at SMU.

Jones reached the double-digit kill mark for the 26th time this season and for the ninth straight match.

Rogers recorded double-digit kills for the sixth time this season.

It marked Schilling’s 22nd time in double-figures this season and her fifth straight.

With six blocks against the Gators, Anyanwu draws within 14 of breaking the program record for most blocks in a season. (188 by Janelle Giordano in 2015)

SMU had double-digit blocks (15) for the 17th time this season and for the second straight match.

SMU has won 20 of its last 21 matches and its 12th straight.

The Mustangs end the 2025 season with 15 wins at Moody Coliseum, tying the program record for most in a season.

The win marks the Mustangs’ 15th sweep, 11th at home this season.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

SMU controlled the first set from start to finish in all phases of the game. SMU hit .483 with no errors on 29 swings in the first, while holding Florida to a .000 hitting percentage. Rogers put in five kills to lead the Mustangs, who got point production from six different players to help propel them to a 25-11 set one victory. SMU commanded the net with a 5-0 advantage in blocks.

Down four (16-12) in the second frame, SMU responded with five straight points on a run that included two aces from Madison Scheer. After trading points, SMU went on a 4-0 run to pull away in the frame. The Mustangs went on to win the frame 25-21.

Tied 20-20 entering the red zone of the third set, SMU got the first two points on an ace from Carlson and a block from the freshman tandem of Rogers and Croft. Despite a 3-1 run by Florida that put the Gators at set point first, the Mustangs responded with three straight to close the match, ending the frame with their sixth block of the set to win 26-24.

SMU LEADERS:

SMU Kills Leader: Kennedi Rogers (14)

SMU Assists Leader: Averi Carlson (38)

SMU Digs Leader: Jordyn Schilling (11)

SMU Blocks Leader: Maggie Croft (9)

SMU Ace Leader: Madison Scheer (2)

SMU Points Leader: Malaya Jones (17.5)



Up Next: SMU will get a rematch with No. 3 seed Purdue in the NCAA Regional Semifinal on Thursday evening in Pittsburgh, Pa.

Link

Sports

Trans volleyball player Blaire Fleming hits back at claim about female teammate’s eating disorder

Published

2 hours ago

December 7, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Transgender college volleyball player Blaire Fleming has hit back at claims that she triggered her teammate’s eating disorder due to emotional distress — and said that she doesn’t “feel bad for her.”

Fleming, 23, was at the center of a scandal last year involving Brooke Slusser, who filed multiple lawsuits against her San Jose State University (SJSU) teammate after discovering that she was transgender.

Slusser alleged that the panic and stress from that period of her life led her to develop an eating disorder, leading to anorexia so severe that her menstrual cycle stopped for nine months.

The pair had previously shared hotel rooms and changing spaces for a whole season in 2023 before Slusser said she found out that Fleming, who is biologically male but reportedly started medically transitioning at 14, was trans.

“From the stress and how anxious I was every single day, I just wasn’t eating really at all,” Slusser told Fox News Digital last week.

“I went from around 160 to 128 [lbs] in that one semester. It definitely isn’t healthy for someone of my size to be that weight, and I ended up losing my menstrual cycle for nine months. So it was definitely severe,” she said.

Slusser later dropped her classes in the final semester this past spring, citing constant in-person harassment by students who opposed her stance.

Fleming has since responded, claiming that Slusser’s eating disorder dated back for as long as she knew her, prior to her learning that she was trans.

“She’s been anorexic and struggled with food since I’ve known her aka since 2023. She literally would weigh herself 2-3x a day and keep track of it on her whiteboard in her room,” Fleming told Fox News Digital on Sunday.

“So I really don’t care or feel bad for her. And she didn’t drop her classes, she failed out, hope that helps!” Fleming said.

Slusser has now come back and disputed Fleming’s allegations.

“These statements are just not true. I have always lived a very healthy lifestyle. Before these events took place I was very disciplined in fueling myself for athletics and [kept] track to make sure I was where I need to be to be the best athlete,” Slusser told Fox News Digital.

“It wasn’t until all the craziness started that my healthy lifestyle turned very unhealthy into not eating the amount I should,” Slusser said.

“As for school, I decided to stay home after fall 2024 to better myself and heal. So no, I did not return to San Jose and enroll myself in more courses at an institution that didn’t have my best interest,” she added.

Slusser alleged that she was never told Fleming’s birth sex and said the two regularly shared hotel rooms on away trips, according to her lawsuits filed against the NCAA and Mountain West Conference.

Fleming allegedly requested to be roomed with Slusser, a request she said was granted by team leadership, according to lawsuits.

Slusser said that the 6ft1 Fleming confessed to being transgender during a conversation over ice cream with another teammate in April 2024.

In September 2024, Slusser joined swimmer Riley Gaines’ lawsuit against the NCAA.

At the same time, SJSU’s volleyball team saw a series of forfeits by opposing teams, with police protection regularly assigned.

The US Department of Education is currently investigating SJSU for potential Title IX violations.

Link