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PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC – MARCH 25: Amber Glenn of United States performs during ISU World Figure Skating Championships – Prague on March 25, 2026 in Prague, Czech Republic. (Photo by Jurij Kodrun – International Skating Union/International Skating Union via Getty Images)

Sakamoto Dominates Women’s Short Program In Prague

Originally posted on Stadium Rant | By Stefania Zajdel | Last updated Mar 26, 2026 9:06 AM ET

The 2026 Figure Skating World Championships opened in Prague with the Women’s Short Program. As is always the case with the sport, the programs stunned with both their beauty and technicality. Even though all the competitors dazzled, only some did well enough to secure a spot in Friday’s free skate.

The Beginning

The event started with the Czech Republic’s own Barbora Vrankova, who set the benchmark of 50.59 with her performance. From the first group of athletes, only Ruiyang Zhang managed to beat her score, reaching an impressive 58.96. Despite their efforts, no athlete from group two was able to move to the top of the standings. Zhang’s reign only came to an end when Olga Miktuna broke the barrier of 60 points, with a score of 60.11.

The fight for the lead gained momentum when the fourth group spilled onto the ice. The very first skater of the bunch, Iida Karhunen, put forward a performance that launched her to P1. She didn’t get to stay there for long, pushed down by two Korean compatriots, Jia Shin and Haein Lee. With four out of the six groups done with their short programs, the latter took the lead with 68.50 points to her name.

The Final Fight

After a short break, group five appeared on the rink for their six-minute warmup. Sarah Everhardt’s clean skate pushed her to the top. She only got to enjoy the position for a few short minutes, as soon after, Nina Pinzarrone broke the 70 barrier, jumping over the American and straight into the lead. Her score of 71.82 became the benchmark for the incoming skaters.

The last group contained some of the biggest names in women’s skating and was set to provide a tense but incredible fight for the lead. Three skaters managed to beat Pinzarrone’s score. The first one to do so was Isabeu Levito, promptly followed by another American skater, Amber Glenn. The latter scored 72.65 and secured a spot on the small podium, given that only two skaters were set to go onto the ice after her.

Kaori Sakamoto was flawless in what is set to be her last professional short program. Move after move, the Olympic silver medalist reminded everyone why she was typed as one of the favorites. Her final score was an astonishing 79.31, a season best for the skater. Her compatriot, Mone Chiba, also managed a great performance, but came just short of taking the lead. For her song, Sakamoto has chosen the poignant “Time to Say Goodbye”. After the skate, she commented:

“Obviously, it was a special season, and I was given this special song to skate to for this last season. So I am very happy that I was able to put in 22 years of [my] skating career in this last, special season.”

The Other Side Of The Coin

While Sakamoto, Chiba, and Glenn celebrated their success, on the other side of the leaderboards, hearts broke. Since only 24 skaters qualify for the upcoming free skate, a few of them ended their World Championship journey early. The cut-off score ended up being 50.59, achieved by the first woman to go on ice, Vrankova. Anastasia Gracheva, Kristen Spours, Nagriz Sueleymanova, Niki Wories, Julija Lovrencic, Jade Hovine, Meda Variakojyte, Mia Risa Gomez, and Stefania Yakovleva found themselves on the wrong side of the standings.

End Of My Short Program Rant

The short program provided a Japanese-American podium, just like many fans had expected. The fight for the World Championship will continue on Friday, when the women will show their best in the free skate.

This article first appeared on Stadium Rant and was syndicated with permission.

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