It has been 56 years since the last time a woman won three titles in a row at the World Figure Skating Championships. It just goes to show how difficult it is in the ever-changing world of women’s skating that consistency and longevity coincide. And that’s even if many would say Kaori Sakamoto is the favorite next week at the 2024 Worlds, it would still be quite the feat if she can pull it off. The women this season have been variable in consistency, and that could make for an event that could end up with a surprise podium.
2024 Worlds top 12 predictions
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GOLD Kaori Sakamoto JPN - Though Sakamoto has been undefeated this season, she hasn’t been flawless. In winning her second World title last year, she showed that she was very much human in her nerves and overthought a combo late in her program. it will be important for her to keep it together here. Her most recent event was Challenge Cup a month ago, and if she skates the way she skated there, there are a number of skaters here who can overtake her. But two clean skates, and she’s unbeatable at this event.
SILVER Loena Hendrickx BEL - Last year, Hendrickx held on to stay on the podium at Worlds, but it wasn’t the way she wanted to finish her season. This year, she comes in on the heels of winning her first European title and breaking 200 in each of her competitions. She can’t go toe-to-toe with Sakamoto on base value because of her lack of a triple loop, so she doesn’t necessarily control her own destiny here.
BRONZE Mone Chiba JPN - Whatever she’s been doing the last two seasons, it’s certainly worked. Both last year and this year, she’s come out with a so-so fall season, and then just stepped right on the gas pedal once Japan Nationals rolled around. And this year, she took silver at Japan Nationals with two brilliant skates, only to follow with two more brilliant skates for a win at Four Continents. Does she have one more to get out there? Is there a colossal upset in the works if Sakamoto and Hendrickx open the door?
4. Amber Glenn USA - Ok, so fourth time’s the charm? There have been so many breakthroughs for Glenn this season—first triple axel, first National title—but they have all co-existed with an inability to close out what could have easily been clean programs. The second half jitters have happened for Glenn each of the three times she landed the triple axel in her free, and that will be the difference between her being out of the top 10 and her being in contention for a medal. Two clean skates from Glenn can very much get her a World medal this season. It’s really now or never.
5. Chaeyeon Kim KOR - Her silver at Four Continents was the best she’s delivered internationally this season. After taking sixth at Worlds last year, this season has seen artistic growth but also a greater tendency for underrotations for Kim. Those rotations will be key for her this week as she looks to take a step up to the podium.
6. Nina Pinzarrone BEL - The European bronze medalist continues her second breakout season in a row. Last year, she surprised a lot of people with an 11th-place finish at Worlds, and this year, she’s squarely among the best of the best. Her qualification and then fourth-place finish at the Grand Prix Final proved that it’s been no fluke.
7. Isabeau Levito USA - This season has been a minefield for Levito. She has had more inconsistent skates—both short and free—and she completely switched her short program before Nationals because she wasn’t feeling her previous program that well. All of that culminated in a second-half meltdown in her free skate at Nationals, dropping her to third there. Dealing with those nerves has been a recurring theme for her the past couple of seasons, and she will need to be steely focused here this week—if she is, she’s in the hunt for a medal.
8. Anastasiia Gubanova GEO - Second at Europeans this season, Gubanova hit some of the biggest scores of her career there, which is a relief for her after a lackluster fall on the Grand Prix. But she will absolutely need to replicate that free skate at Euros to have a chance to be near the top here.
9. Hana Yoshida JPN - The short program—and it’s such a great program—has been her downfall all season, and every time, she’s had to come from behind with a strong free skate. She did that incredibly well at both Cup of China and the Grand Prix Final, but in this final event of the season, she will have to get herself in a good spot early. Maybe this is the time to take that triple axel out of the short? She had one event between Nationals and Worlds, and it was the same story.
10. Madeline Schizas CAN - Can Schizas harness the energy from the home crowd to grab a top ten finish and earn a second spot back for the Canadian women? Some of her biggest international successes have come in front of the home crowd—the short at Skate Canada last year and the free at Skate Canada this year. Her sixth-place at Four Continents was a good step after faltering at Canadians earlier in January; this is as good a time as any for that push for the second spot.
11. Haein Lee KOR - It really is a wonder. Lee came into last year’s Worlds ready to take the competition by storm—and she won the free skate on her way to a silver medal. And though she had a solid start to her season, her trajectory has been very rocky, most recently with a sub-170 score at Four Continents, where she finished 11th. There’s a real possibility she doesn’t break top ten in her post-podium season, but there’s also a real possibility she surprises us all with a top five.
12. Kimmy Repond SUI - A surprise eighth at Worlds last year, Repond’s season has been hampered by injury. Her last couple of events have been decent but not spectacular. She was seventh at Europeans earlier this year.
Others to watch for the top 12: Niina Petrokina, Nella Pelkonen, Lorine Schild, Sarina Joos, Young You, Ekaterina Kurakova, Livia Kaiser