Figure skating-Malinin seeks post-Olympics redemption at world championships in Prague

March 23 : On the heels of Ilia Malinin's shocking collapse at the Olympic Games that he said was caused by pressure and the magnitude of the moment, the American heads to the world figure skating championships with one mission in mind: redemption.

The double world champion arrived at the Olympics as one of the overwhelming favourites for gold among all the sports having not lost in more than two seasons.

But he crumbled under the weight of expectations, and his free programme unravelled in stunning fashion as he fell twice and nailed only three of his planned seven quadruple jumps to finish eighth.

"I'm looking forward to getting myself that redemption competition," Malinin told Olympics.com. "I'm definitely looking at that and I can be satisfied with it if everything goes well."

The 21-year-old is aiming to become the first to win three consecutive world men's titles since Nathan Chen in 2021 at this week's event in Prague.

The self-named "Quad God" showed he had not lost an ounce of form post-Olympics, dazzling spectators at a show in Zurich days after the Games with a jaw-dropping quadruple Axel - a jump only he has landed in competition - into a back-flip.

It was the kind of audacious, showman‑like flourish that reminded everyone why Malinin remains one of the sport's most electrifying talents.

Kazakhstan's Mikhail Shaidorov, the shock winner in Milan, will not compete in Prague.

Olympic ice dance champions Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron of France will look to add their first world title in only their sixth major event since they teamed up a year ago.

OTHER BIG NAMES BOW OUT

This year's championship field can almost be defined as much by who is not competing as who is, which is common in an Olympic season