IN PICS | ISU World Figure Skating Championships 2023: Pressure on for Japan as skaters aim to bring it home

With the competition returning to Japan for the first time since 2019, the pressure is on the country’s skaters to deliver strong results in front of a boisterous crowd at Saitama Super Arena.

Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier of the U.S. perform during the pairs' short program in the World Figure Skating Championships in Saitama, north of Tokyo, Wednesday, March 22, 2023. Knierim and Frazier started their 2022-23 campaign with a gold medal at 2022 Skate America. The achievement marked their first Grand Prix title in a full-fledged Grand Prix event. (Photo | AP)

Updated on:

22 Mar 2023, 8:01 am

2 min read

Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara of Japan perform during the pairs' short program in the World Figure Skating Championships in Saitama, north of Tokyo, Wednesday, March 22, 2023. The Japanese duo are on the cusp of winning the nation its first-ever pairs world title after the opening session of the worlds in Saitama, Japan. (Photo | AP)

Sara Conti and Niccolo Macii of Italy perform during the pairs' short program in the World Figure Skating Championships in Saitama, north of Tokyo, Wednesday, March 22, 2023. The duo are third with a 73.24, Macii roaring with delight as the two finished their program, a career-best score by some three points. (Photo | AP)

Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps of Canada perform during the pairs' short program in the World Figure Skating Championships in Saitama, north of Tokyo, Wednesday, March 22, 2023. They are placed fourth with a 72.81, while Emily Chan and Spencer Akira Howe round out the top five with a 70.23. (Photo | AP)

Emily Chan and Spencer Akira Howe of the U.S. perform during the pairs' short program in the World Figure Skating Championships in Saitama, north of Tokyo, Wednesday, March 22, 2023. Emily Chan and Spencer Howe are one of two duos in the pairs division making their world championships debut this year. Chan and Howe, who have been skating together since 2019, have consistently placed behind Knierim and Frazier, capturing silver Grand Prix medals at 2022 Skate America and the 2022 NHK Trophy competition. (Photo | AP)

Violetta Sierova and Ivan Khobta of Ukraine perform during the pairs' short program in the World Figure Skating Championships in Saitama, north of Tokyo, Wednesday, March 22, 2023. (Photo | AP)

Brooke Mcintosh and Benjamin Mimar of Canada perform during the pairs' short program in the World Figure Skating Championships in Saitama, north of Tokyo, Wednesday, March 22, 2023. (Photo | AP)

Camille Kovalev and Pavel Kovalev of France perform during the pairs' short program in the World Figure Skating Championships in Saitama, north of Tokyo, Wednesday, March 22, 2023. (Photo | AP)

Zhang Siyang and Yang Yongchao of China perform during the pairs' short program in the World Figure Skating Championships in Saitama, north of Tokyo, Wednesday, March 22, 2023. (Photo | AP)

Anastasia Golubeva and Hektor Giotopoulos Moore of Australia perform during the pairs' short program in the World Figure Skating Championships in Saitama, north of Tokyo, Wednesday, March 22, 2023. (Photo | AP)

Last year's gold medallists, US Alexa Knierim (L) and Brandon Frazier (R) pose on the podium during the medal ceremony after the Pairs Free Skating event at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships in Montpellier, south of France, on March 24, 2022. (Photo | AFP)

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