Ilia Malinin set for world championships medals showdown after all-star short program
The men's short program at the world figure skating championships lived up to the billing.
The sport's three most accomplished active men — Japan's Shoma Uno and Yuma Kagiyama and American Ilia Malinin — all delivered clean skates with two quadruple jumps each on Thursday in Montreal.
The free skate is Saturday, live on NBC and Peacock.
Uno, the two-time reigning world champion, leads after a 107.72-point program that included a quad flip and quad toe loop-triple toe combination.
FIGURE SKATING WORLDS: Results | Broadcast Schedule
Kagiyama, the Olympic silver medalist who missed last year's worlds in an injury-riddled season, trails by a mere 1.37 points after landing a quad Salchow and quad toe-triple toe combo.
Malinin, the world's top-ranked skater this season, landed a quad toe and a quad Lutz-triple toe combo and is 1.75 points behind. He chose not to try a quad Axel, a jump that only he has ever landed, but could attempt it in the free skate.
Two-time U.S. Olympian Jason Brown was fourth (13.85 points back) as the highest-ranked man without a quad.
Fellow American Camden Pulkinen placed 17th with a fall on a quad toe.
Worlds continue later Thursday with the pairs' free skate at 6:10 p.m. ET on Peacock with USA Network coverage starting at 8.
