2026 Worlds Womens FS PBP - La Vie En Drone

[Smiley0884]

Speaking as a long-suffering Sandhu fan, Amber is more like the Eman - a Grand Prix Final champion who can't seem to win a Worlds medal.

“Long-suffering” is such an accurate way to describe being a Sandhu fan

 

[Karen-W]

Do we know if Loena Hendrickx is going to keep competing? Next season, with a healthy Loena and Nina, Belgium would have an awesome one-two punch.

I think she sort of hinted at competing next season when she announced her Worlds withdrawal but I'm giving that as big of a side-eye as I'm giving GuigFab's similar comments earlier this month.

 

[Matryeshka]

I hope Belgium is partying up tonight!!

 

[Jay42]

Do we know if Loena Hendrickx is going to keep competing? Next season, with a healthy Loena and Nina, Belgium would have an awesome one-two punch.

She hasn't stated specifically that she's done, but she did say she's definitely not doing another quad because her body can't handle it. She's had too many injuries.

 

[Desperado]

Well, there's still Kaori's Gala performance to look forward to.

 

[JoannaLouise]

Kaori's tears on the podium

 

[skatingcheckers]

I've cried about skating results before! Just not in awhile, lol.

I cried yesterday when Minerva and Nikita won the gold ... ! Like you, I almost never cry about skating results.

 

[miffy]

Kaori telling Nina to hold her medal up and then laughing

 

[MacMadame]

There really were fireworks! [First podium ceremony I watched this time. And possibly the last.]

 

[skatingcheckers]

I hope and pray that Kaori and some of the other wonderful skaters have changed the women’s discipline for good. It’s not about the hardest jumps and starving children. It’s the combination of brilliant basic skating and expression and bringing your whole self to the ice.

Yes - very well said!

 

[marshallpond]

So happy for Kaori. I've never cried watching medal ceremonies before but this one had me bawling like a baby. What an ending to an amazing career. Met her before when she trained in our rink with our Japanese coach and I was super impressed that she is so down to earth.

 

[Sally1214]

Well ...... that was certainly an intense and highly emotional ladies' event.

Sooooooo ........ gentlemen, it's now over to you. Don't you be bringing all of us down from this high, OK? No pressure ....but the bar has been set VERY high and we are all counting on you. So, get a good night's sleep and bring your A-games to the rink tomorrow. We will all be here waiting for you.

 

[fan]

I had to take a call before the medals. Can someone please link here if they find a video?

 

[Cachoo]

I'm happy with this podium and happy that Kaori and Mone have post-Olympic joy. And Nina has been a favorite for awhile so I'm thrilled to pieces for her. Something Mark said after Amber's skate stuck with me when he was talking about how Kaori mentioned that there could be an ugly side to competition but Amber (and Kaori too for that matter) are so open to skaters supporting one another.

Amber has her ups and downs. Her down today led to a sixth place finish. That isn't what she wanted. It also indicates she is still a top skater with a huge heart. I hope she sticks around.

 

[millyskate]

Watching on delay - loved Gubaniva, such a solid skater with refined presentation.
Pinzaronne - that dress and combination spin. Loved it.
Isabeau - crawling across the ice. Pretty shapes but just not the skating skills to match the other top tier skaters. I find her generously scored in general.

Amber Glenn - wowza triple axel. Was starting to look like a world champion then...
She is Olympic gold medallist. And that is already a pretty great legacy.
Happy for Pinzaronne with a deserved medal.

I am not wowed by Chiba who doesn't get much height on jumps and has soft ankles. I'd rather watch Gubanova. But she maintains more speed than Leviteau. I find her generously scored.

Kaori - glad she came. The class of the field.

 

[honey]

Bravo to Kaori and Mone! Beautiful skating, excellent quality and I enjoyed every second of it.

Nina did well for herself and deserved bronze today. Another panel would have had something else to say, but in this universe where everyone was getting away with everything, this seems fair.

I thought Amber was going to keep it together. She looked aggressive and relaxed. Sigh. Beauty of a triple axel though.

 

[Karen-W]

Spots for next season -
3 - JPN, USA
2 - BEL, ITA, EST, KOR, GEO
1 - all other feds

Seeded GP skaters for next season -
Sakamoto
Chiba
Pinzarrone
Levito
Gutmann
Glenn
Petrokina
Shin* (presuming Glenn retires)

Invited GP skaters for next season -
Nakai
Gubanova
Everhardt
Samodelkina
Lee
Karhunen* (presuming Glenn retires)

 

[SkateFanBerlin]

I was there. It's been a long season. Most skaters looked at the 3 min mark like they couldn't go on. Several looked at the end like they were surprised they DID finish.

 

[BittyBug]

(presuming Glenn retires)

Wut? Has she said she’s retiring? (Apologies if it was discussed earlier in this thread.)

 

[Cachoo]

Wut? Has she said she’s retiring? (Apologies if it was discussed earlier in this thread.)

I don't think she is retiring.

 

[SkateFanBerlin]

Panel seems extremely pro Pinzaronne for some reason. The GOE for those jumps that barely leave the ground is something.

But that was very nice to watch.

So many skaters just about stumbled through their programs. Don't really know Nina or her jumps but she skated smoothly with each item flowing into the next. It was a relief

 

[Vagabond]

Glenn did say on air during Nationals that she was going to retire, but Liu, who was with her said something to the effect of "Oh, you're not going to retire." As far as I know, Glenn has said nothing more on the subject, but her coach has seemed to suggest that Glenn will continue to compete. Perhaps Glenn will make an announcement tomorrow one way or the other, but I suspect that she is going to consider things for a while longer before saying anything more.

 

[leilaofpaper]

Glenn did say on air during Nationals that she was going to retire, but Liu, who was with her said something to the effect of "Oh, you're not going to retire." As far as I know, Glenn has said nothing more on the subject, but her coach has seemed to suggest that Glenn will continue to compete. Perhaps Glenn will make an announcement tomorrow one way or the other, but I suspect that she is going to consider things for a while longer before saying anything more.

Amber said that the sport would be in good hands when she retires, and Alysa and Isabeau both were like “you’re never allowed to retire”. I don’t take that as a guarantee that this was her last season.

I would bet on one or two more years, likely one.

 

[Aceon6]

@Karen-W Alyssa isn’t on your list.

 

[YukiNieve]

From the venue:

The ceremony was so moving and emotional that many of us in the stands, not only Kaori, were in tears. I will share the video links once they have been uploaded.

Here is one: after the skaters got off the podium and held flags for photos, they played "Time to Say Goodbye" (different recording) again.

Kaori started crying again, and Mone and Nina came to hug her.

https://x.com/YukiNieve/status/2037646594359587173

 

[Karen-W]

@Karen-W Alyssa isn’t on your list.

Alysa is not a seeded or invited skater - those are determined by Worlds results alone. She is currently WS 1 and SB 4, so she'll most definitely get 2 GPs, she just won't be seeded.

As far as Amber is concerned - I marked her with an asterisk because no one knows what her intention is with regard to continuing. My bet, based on her X post (shared in the US Women's thread) is that she's probably done.

 

[Firedancer]

I thought Mark said Damon said Amber is continuing?

 

[Vagabond]

I thought Mark said Damon said Amber is continuing?

I don't think Mark knows what he's talking about when it comes to retirements and "final" skates.

 

[Karen-W]

I thought Mark said Damon said Amber is continuing?

I don't think Mark knows what he's talking about when it comes to retirements and "final" skates.

I'm not sure Damon knows either, TBH. Amber may have been leaning toward staying in and told him as much but she could easily change her mind once she's had some time to decompress from the entire season.

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

Wut? Has she said she’s retiring? (Apologies if it was discussed earlier in this thread.)

The commentator Mark said that Amber is planning on doing another season or two but not a quad … that was announced by her coach.