Last year, Alexa Knierim/Brandon Frazier became the first American pair to win the World Championships since 1979. This year, they could become the first American pair to ever win multiple World titles. Similarly, history can be made with Riku Miura/Ryuichi Kihara winning the first ever World title for Japan, or Sara Conti/Niccolo Macii doing the same for Italy, or Deanna Stellato-Dudek becoming the oldest person to win a World title or even a World medal (at least as far as I can tell). Any way you look at it, the potential for something truly historic to happen in the pairs event is very high. The side-by-sides, as always, will likely hold the key to gold.
2023 Worlds predictions
Official hashtag: #WorldFigure
GOLD Alexa Knierim/Brandon Frazier USA - Scores-wise, it’s been neck-and-neck between them and Miura/Kihara all season, with the Japanese taking the slim win in their sole matchup this season so far at Grand Prix Final. But the defending champions come in on the heels of the adversity of one of their coaches, Todd Sand, having suffered a heart attack a few weeks ago. They did a fantastic job of peaking when it mattered most last season, and to get their second World title, they will need to do the same this year—but under very emotional circumstances.
SILVER Riku Miura/Ryuichi Kihara JPN - A first ever Japanese pairs gold on home ice? The possibility has never been greater. Last year at Worlds, Miura/Kihara had gold in sight but faltered in the free skate to take silver. Experience has helped since, and in the last big showdown moment at the Grand Prix Final, they made the best of it and kept it together. They will need to be even bigger and bolder in what they put down this week to hold off a surging Knierim/Frazier. Their side-by-sides will make all the difference.
BRONZE Deanna Stellato-Dudek/Maxime Deschamps CAN - A lot has been and will be said about Stellato’s age and her return-to-competition story. When she came back to competition in 2016, few would’ve expected her to not only still be competing seven years later, but also be as good as she’s ever been as a pair skater. Age aside, the fact is that Stellato/Deschamps have truly grown into a world class pair in the past season—what a story for both of them if they find themselves leaving Sapporo with a medal around their necks.
4. Emily Chan/Spencer Howe USA - It has truly been a breakthrough year for Chan/Howe—they made it to the Grand Prix Final, and though it was a competition they’d rather forget, the experience there set them up for a career-best showing at Four Continents, where they took silver. They’ve got a real shot at the podium if their side-by-sides cooperate this week.
5. Sara Conti/Niccolo Macii ITA - The new European champions are sadly the sole Italian pair to be at Worlds this season because COVID had taken their teammates out of last year’s Worlds, thereby giving Italy only one spot this season. It’s a real shame because Italy has had tremendous growth in their pair program this season. So besides the fight for the podium, Conti/Macii have the job of getting at least that second spot back for next season.
Top 16 PAIRS season best pre-#WorldFigure 2023
— Jackie Wong (@rockerskating) March 20, 2023
216.16 Miura/Kihara
213.28 Knierim/Frazier
201.01 Chan/Howe
197.89 Stellato-Dudek/Deschamps
195.13 Conti/Macii
186.33 Pereira/Michaud
186.17 Efimova/Blommaert
185.53 Golubeva/Giotopolous Moore
184.47 Hocke/Kunkel
179.85… https://t.co/PLjtoO0XQr
6. Lia Pereira/Trennt Michaud CAN - Michaud enters his fourth Worlds with Pereira making her Worlds debut. Their first season together has been very successful, and their most recent result was a fourth-place finish at Four Continents. Their biggest hurdle to the top will be their lower base value compared to the other teams, but their potential is there, and this competition should serve as a good springboard for their future success.
7. Annika Hocke/Robert Kunkel GER - It’s been a redemption-filled road back for the new German champions. Hocke/Kunkel had all kinds of issues last season as they tried to qualify for the Olympics, and they ultimately had to rebuild. But they have looked like a different pair this season in both their skating and their confidence. They could be a surprise if they go clean.
8. Ellie Kam/Danny O’Shea USA - In a season of new pairs, Kam/O’Shea’s partnership formed fairly late, but their progress has been very strong. And with bronze at US Nationals, they grabbed a spot at Worlds after just a few months together. Like Pereira/Michaud, they don’t have some of the big tricks yet, but their basics as solid.
9. Alisa Efimova/Ruben Blommaert GER - It’s been up and down for them this season. At their best, they have the goods to challenge for a medal, but their side-by-sides, even more than average, have been a liability.
10. Camille Kovalev/Pavel Kovalev FRA - Eighth at Worlds last year, Kovalev/Kovalev have continued to establish themselves as the top French pair, finishing sixth at Europeans.
Others to watch for: Anastasia Golubeva/Hektor Giotopolous Moore (AUS), Brooke McIntosh/Benjamin Mimar (CAN), Karina Safina/Luka Berulava (GEO)