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Riku Miura/Ryuichi Kihara (JPN) regained the World title they won for the first time in 2023, edging Minerva Hase/Nikita Volodin (GER) by less than one point at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships 2025 in Boston (USA) on Thursday. The excitement had built through the night, until the final couple finished their performance to claim gold. Tension was especially high as the 20 pairs in the Free Skating were also competing for the 16 quota places available for the Olympic Winter Games 2026.  

Riku Miura/Ryuichi Kihara (JPN) skate to gold with re-found joy 

Riku Miura/Ryuichi Kihara finished a season with some ups and downs on the highest note, regaining the title they won in 2023 as the first Pairs Champions from Japan. Germany’s Minerva Hase/Nikita Volodin took the silver medal, one step up from last year. Sara Conti/Niccolo Macii of Italy earned bronze, matching their performance in 2023.

The overnight leaders followed up their strong Short Program with a fast-paced performance to “Adios”, which was highlighted by a triple twist, triple Salchow and difficult lifts.
 

Riku Miura/Ryuichi Kihara (JPN) claimed their second World title with a second-place finish in the Free Skating on Thursday © ISU

However, Miura two-footed the throw loop and flip, which cost them a few points. Miura/Kihara were ranked second in the Free Skating on 143.22 points and had to wait a few nerve-racking seconds before their total score of 219.79 came up. When they realized they had won, they hugged each other happily. 

“When we got our first title, it was just straightforward happiness,” Miura said. “But since then, these two years have been very hard for us. We had some injuries, we had some periods of times when things were not going the way we wanted, so getting this title for the second time is very emotional.”

Re-discovering that feeling of joy was key to their success.  

“I think that we were not able to enjoy ourselves,” Kihara said. “This was really something that we needed to do. We finally got to the end of the season, and we remembered that was a very important thing for us. Going forward for the next season, we think that we need to have that mindset from the first competition on.

“On the technical side, the throws are usually one of our best elements. But somehow, this season, we weren't able to do them cleanly too many times. Maybe we have to think about the order of our elements for the next season.”

Hase/Volodin continue to amaze in only their second season as a team. A year ago, they took bronze. Thursday, they took silver — and earned the small gold medal for the best Free Skating of the night.

Minerva Hase/Nikita Volodin (GER) had the best Free Skating performance of the night, setting a personal best of 145.49 © ISU

The couple from Berlin executed each element with ease – the triple jumps and throws, death spiral, spin and lifts — with just the very last lift somewhat shaky. As soon as the program was over, Hase let herself drop on to the ice. 

“I just felt like I need to lay down. I had given everything I have,”  she said.

Hase/Volodin collected a personal best score of 145.49 points and totaled 219.08 to move up one spot on the podium.

“It was an amazing feeling. I was so zoned out,” Hase said. “I was so anxious to go out and then to put out a skate like this, I don’t have words for that. For one second we hoped it would be enough (to win), but we did everything in this Free Skate and we cannot be ashamed or regret that we held back. We did our maximum in the program. It was a little bit sad (not to win the gold), but we are so happy with the skate. And next season, I hope we will make it.”

Volodin agreed. 

“When you are done, everything comes out. It was the best skate of the season. We did everything we could in that skate. It was the last performance for us and it was very important.”

For Conti/Macii, it meant a lot to be back on the World podium after some struggles.
 

Sara Conti/Niccolo Macii (ITA) won their second bronze medals at an ISU World Championships, matching their performance from 2023 © ISU

Second in the Short Program, the Italians delivered another excellent performance to “Papa Can You Hear Me?” in the Free Skating. It featured a triple twist, side by side triple Salchow and level four lifts, with the only glitch a somewhat messy triple toe-double Axel-double Axel combination. The 2025 ISU European silver medalists netted 135.86 points and were third in the Free Skating and third overall at 210.47 points.  

One year before their home Olympic Games in Milan, this season was about coming back from disappointment and learning to better deal with stress. 

“I think tonight we discovered that the mental part is the toughest part,” Macii said. “Speaking for myself, most of the time I feel squeezed by the tension and that I almost feel that I have to throw up before going on the ice. I would like to enjoy more what we do and to have more, as I can say, the knife between the teeth, to go and fight for it. Sometimes it works and I can manage it, sometimes I don't. Sara is stronger than me. Even yesterday, I was really tense and she was like, we'll do it.”

Macii said they already have plans for next season. 

“We're going to try to improve the technical aspect and we will work on two new programs, probably, and we will choose the right music for us. We will try to give even more emotions and work more on the components, too.” 

Up-and-coming two-time ISU World Junior Champions Anastasiia Metelkina/Luka Berulava (GEO) finished fourth on 202.21 points. 
  

Anastasiia Metelkina/Luka Berulava (GEO) finished fourth in Boston after winning back-to-back World Junior titles © ISU

The 2024 ISU World Champions Deanna Stellato-Dudek/Maxime Deschamps (CAN) pulled up to fifth from seventh with 199.76 points. 

“We went out there to fight to the end,” Stellato-Dudek said. “I’m really proud of how we came back, but I'm mad about my combo because I haven't missed a triple toe in about two years. 

“We watched Riku and Ryuichi win in Japan (in 2023) then have a hard year the following year, and we were hoping we could learn from someone, not being in their shoes, but it turns out you can't. You have to go through your own hardships, which we've been through this year.” 

Alisa Efimova/Misha Mitrofanov (USA), who live and train in Boston, finished sixth with 199.29 points in their debut as a team at the ISU World Championships. 

Remembrance moment 

While celebrating the sport of Figure Skating, the community does not forget those who were lost. At the start of the Championships, the ISU — together with US Figure Skating and the Skating Club of Boston — will remember and honor the victims of the aviation tragedy of January 29 where 28 young athletes, parents and coaches lost their lives. This “Remembrance moment” took place on Wednesday, March 26th, at 18:15 p.m. (local Boston time). 

Road to Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games

The 2025 ISU World Figure Skating Championships in Boston will serve as the primary qualification event for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina. The first quota places will be allocated during the World Championships in Boston and the remaining ones at the Olympic Qualifying competition in Beijing (CHN) from September 17-21, 2025 (read more here). 

What and when 

The schedule of the ISU World Figure Skating Championships 2025 is as follows:

Wednesday, March 26:  Women’s & Pairs Short Programs
Thursday, March 27:  Men’s Short Program & Pairs Free Skating
Friday, March, 28:  Rhythm Dance & Women’s Free Skating
Saturday, March 29:  Free Dance & Men’s Free Skating
Sunday, March 30:  Exhibition Gala & ISU Figure Skating Awards

A total of 190 Skaters representing 42 countries have been entered for the Championships: 39 Men, 33 Women, 23 Pairs and 36 Ice Dance couples. Boston hosts the ISU World Championships for the second time after 2016 and this the 14^th time that the USA are hosting the event.

For more information, full entry lists and results, visit the ISU event page of the ISU World Figure Skating Championships 2025 and the official event website of the Championships. Follow the discussion on social media using #WorldFigure and #FigureSkating.

Where to watch the ISU World Figure Skating Championships 2025:

The ISU World Figure Skating Championships will be live streamed on the Skating ISU YouTube Channel. Geo-restrictions will apply in markets where TV rights are in place. You will find the full list in the Where to Watch news. 

Subscribe to the Skating ISU YouTube Channel to receive alerts when the live streams start and when new videos are posted.