Worlds 2026 PAIRS PREVIEW — Figure Skating Championships

In the second of our Worlds 2026 previews, we deep dive into the Pairs competition — including what looks to be a likely rematch from Europeans for the top of the podium. With Olympic Gold medalists Muira and Kihara out of the competition, the door is open for a new champion team.

March 23, 2026

PAIRS PREVIEW: World Figure Skating Championships 2026

The pairs competition at the 2026 World Figure Skating Championships will be missing some of the top competitors from Milano Cortina — including Olympic Champions Riku Miura and Ruche Kihara. Olympic silver medalists, Anastasia Metelkina and Luka Berulava, have the advantage of momentum being on their side to take their first World title in Prague, but several other extremely talented teams are standing in their way.

Most notably, the German pair of Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin are fresh from earning bronze at the Olympic Games and were first after the short program in Milan. They are more than capable of taking their first World title here, but will likely need a very strong free skate to beat the Georgians.

Also in the running for a Worlds medal will be Maria Pavlova and Alexei Sviatchenko of Hungary. They are the season’s most improved pair and have taken big steps forward. Making their first World podium is definitely within their grasp.

While those three teams seem the most likely for the podium, there are several “spoilers” who could all make it on the right day. Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov from the US didn’t get to go to the Olympics despite being National Champions due to Alisa’s citizenship, but in the interim they won the title at Four Continents. That championship victory gives them a great dose of momentum coming into Prague.

Also, Lia Perreira and Trennt Michaud from Canada were in 3rd after the short program at the Olympics. They struggled in their free skate and fell well back from the podium, but that short program placement shows they are contenders.

The pairs competition begins Wednesday, March 25, with the free skate wrapping up this very long season on Thursday, 3/26.

Chapters

00:00 Intro
00:38 Withdrawals: Who WON’T Be There
06:17 Metelkina and Berulava
08:57 Hase and Volodin
11:04 Pavlova and Sviatchenko
13:10 Efimova and Mitrofanov
15:37 Nagaoka and Moriguchi
18:20 Chan and Howe
19:26 Pereira and Michaud
21:38 Other notable teams competing here
25:50 Podium Predictions
27:29 Wrap-Up

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