The World Figure Skating Championships has begun at the Saitama Super Arena near Tokyo, with American Nathan Chen and Pyeongchang Olympic gold medalist Alina Zagitova of Russia leading after the short program.

Here is a photo collection of top competitors' performances:


Men's short program

(Nathan Chen)

[ISU/Getty/Kyodo]

(Jason Brown)[ISU/Getty/Kyodo]

[ISU/Getty/Kyodo]

(Yuzuru Hanyu)

(Shoma Uno)

(Keiji Tanaka)

 

(Figure skater Shizuka Arakawa, center, who won gold at the Turin 2006 Olympics, performs during the opening ceremony of the world figure skating championships at Saitama Super Arena.)

[ISU/Getty/Kyodo]


Women's short program

(Alina Zagitova)

[ISU/Getty/Kyodo]

[ISU/Getty/Kyodo]

[ISU/Getty/Kyodo]

 

(Kaori Sakamoto)

[ISU/Getty/Kyodo]

(Elizabet Tursynbaeva)

(Evgenia Medvedeva)[ISU/Getty/Kyodo]

(Rika Kihira)

(Satoko Miyahara)

[ISU/Getty/Kyodo]