Ilia Malinin won a third consecutive World title Saturday at the ISU Figure Skating World Championships 2026 in Prague, Czech Republic, outpacing the field by nearly 23 points and putting Olympic disappointment firmly into his rearview mirror. Meanwhile, the ice dance team of Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik secured the bronze medal in their World Championships debut.
Malinin, the four-time reigning U.S. champion and 2026 Olympic team event gold medalist, won the free skate with 218.11 points and the title with an overall score of 329.40. This marks his fourth World Championships medal, adding to a bronze from 2023 and gold medals in 2024 and 2025. The threepeat lifts the "Quad God" from Vienna, Virginia, into rarefied company, alongside David Jenkins (1957-59) and Nathan Chen (2018, 2019, 2021).
"I've thought about the Olympics a lot, and I mainly think about the good points, because there was so much fun at the Olympics. There were a lot of ups and downs. Another version of me and another part of me kind of appeared out of nowhere after the Olympics, and that's just the person of not trying to put so much expectation on me and really just wanting to enjoy what I do and what I love." — Ilia Malinin
Malinin had set the tone for his week with a career-best 111.29 points in the short program — 9.44 points ahead of the field. With seven Level 4 elements and his signature blend of quad jumps and expressive artistry, he entered the free skate with an insurmountable lead and skated accordingly, landing his quadruple Axel in the exhibition gala for good measure.
Zingas and Kolesnik Win Bronze in Debut
The ice dance competition provided one of the Championships' most memorable moments, as Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik secured bronze in their very first World Championships appearance — just months after finishing fifth at their Olympic debut in Milan. Their total of 209.20 placed them on the podium behind France's Fournier Beaudry and Cizeron, who took gold, and Canada's Gilles and Poirier with silver.
"This whole season has just been surreal. From fifth at the Olympics to the World podium in our first Worlds — I still can't fully process it." — Emilea Zingas
The event marked the first World Championships without Madison Chock and Evan Bates since 2012, as the three-time reigning World champions withdrew following the Olympic Games. Christina Carreira and Anthony Ponomarenko, called up after Chock and Bates withdrew, finished eighth in their World Championships debut.
For full results, visit the ISU Figure Skating World Championships 2026 Competition Central.
