The Japan Times - 'In my heart' - Malinin defends figure skating world title in wake of tragedy

Twenty-eight of the 67 people who died when an American Airlines plane collided with a military helicopter in Washington on January 30 were members of the skating community -- including several young US skaters returning from a training camp in Kansas accompanied by their parents or coaches.

At Boston's TD Garden, home of the NBA champion Boston Celtics, a tribute will be paid to the victims on Wednesday, the first day of competition, between the women's and pairs short programmes.

But thoughts of the tragedy promise to linger beyond the official tribute over the course of the four-day competition.

Two skaters, two coaches and two parents from the Boston Skating Club were among those who died, while three young skaters who trained with Malinin's Washington Skating club perished.

"Now I'll always have them in my head and in my heart, just remembering them," Malinin said. "Still some days I have some of those thoughts, kind of thinking about it.

"It does upset me a little bit that some days I wouldn't be able to see them on the ice training with me, looking up to me."

"This worlds I really want to dedicate to everyone on that flight (and) just really give my all in that performance and really just make it worth it for them."

But these championships are also about looking forward, specifically to the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics less than a year away.

Quotas for national Olympic teams will be allocated based on results in Boston, where Malinin, the self-proclaimed "Quad God" is the overwhelming favorite to win a second successive title.

Since he burst onto the international scene in 2022, Malinin has established himself as skating's new phenomenon, with everything it takes to be the star of the next Olympic Games.

- A lot of pressure -

France's Adam Siao Him fa and Japan's Yuma Kagiyama will do their utmost to keep him -- and the podium in their sights, but the most pressure Malinin looks likely to face is that he feels to defend his title on home ice.

"Right now I'm still in that zone of just being excited to go there and perform in front of that crowd," 20-year-old Malinin said. "But I know that in a few days I might start to feel that pressure of being at home and having a huge crowd behind me and being the reigning world champion.

"It's going to be a lot of pressure to handle, but I'm really looking forward to giving it my all."

On the women's side, three-time defending champion Kaori Sakamoto vies to become the first woman to win four straight world titles since American Carol Heiss 65 years ago

Her stiffest competition is expected to come from South Korean Kim Chae-yeon and American Amber Glenn -- winner of all five of her starts this year, including the Grand Prix Final.

In pairs, defending champions Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps of Canada have struggled for consistency this season. Germany's Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin, winners of the Grand Prix Final in December, could benefit.

Ice dance, meanwhile, could be a showcase for Americans Madison Chock and Evan Bates, who are chasing a third straight crown.

M.Sugiyama--JT