Sakamoto Kaori goes for first world title after winning Olympic bronze - Preview and how to watch

In February, at the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022, Sakamoto Kaori became the first Japanese woman to win a figure skating Olympic medal since Asada Mao in 2010.

This week at the World Figure Skating Championships, the reigning Olympic bronze medallist looks to match Asada's 2014 accomplishment, when she won the world title following the Sochi Olympics. No Japanese woman has done so since - and Sakamoto would be the fifth all-time.

The women's singles and pair skating disciplines are set to kick off worlds competition in Montpellier, France, on Wednesday (23 March) at the Sud de France Arena. It’s the final major figure skating event of the long Olympic season.

Earlier this month, the International Skating Union announced that "no skaters belonging to the ISU Members in Russia and Belarus shall be invited or allowed to participate in international ice skating competitions," including the world championships.

Sakamoto is joined by Higuchi Wakaba (Japan); You Young (South Korea); Alysa Liu (USA); and Loena Hendrickx (Belgium), the quartet finishing fifth to eighth in women's singles last month at the Winter Games.

Americans Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier lead a pairs field that is without the top five teams from Beijing, including Olympic champions Sui Wenjing and Han Cong. China opted not to send any skaters to the world championships.

Knierim/Frazier were sixth in Beijing, while Japan’s Miura Riku and Kihara Ryuichi were seventh.

Preview: Opportunity awaits in women's, pairs events

Sakamoto showcased some of her best skating in Beijing, finishing third in both the short and the free to secure her first Olympic medal in singles across two appearances. She scored a 233.13 total - a career best.

The 21-year-old cried with joy after earning her podium spot, and her blend of strong component scores and competitive technical content make her among the favourites in Montpellier, if not the leading contender.

Teammate Higuchi could stand out, however, following her landing both of her triple Axel attempts in Beijing on her way to a fifth-place finish in the singles. A silver medallist at Worlds in 2018, Higuchi joins Sakamoto in a small group of skaters who will look to use their experience to their advantage on the world stage.

Teenagers You and Liu both possess triple Axels, as well, albeit much less consistent ones than Higuchi's. You, the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) champion at Lausanne 2020, and Liu, a two-time American winner, could compete for the podium, too.

So will Hendrickx, who at 22, is another 'veteran' skater with two Olympic appearances under her belt. Errors in both her short and long programs proved costly in Beijing, where she was eighth. An injury post-Games has hampered her training, as well.

Also to watch for: Top 10 finisher at the Olympics Mariah Bell of the U.S., as well as Ekaterina Kurakova (Poland), who skated a career-best free skate at the Olympics to jump from 24th to 12th. Meanwhile, Olga Mikutina (Austria), Karen Chen (USA) and Madeline Schizas (Canada) will all look for higher finishes here than in Beijing (14th, 16th and 19th, respectively).

You's Korean teammate Haein Lee is one to watch, as well.

With key teams absent in pairs, Knierim/Frazier are thrust into the leading role unexpectedly, a position they arguably share with Miura/Kihara, who finished less than a point behind them at the Olympics.

Neither team has been among the podium favourites previously, adding an extra layer of pressure. How they handle the situation could determine where - and if - they land on the podium.

The American No.2 team of Ashley Cain-Gribble and Timothy LeDuc finished eighth last month at the Games, while Karina Safina and Luka Berulava (Georgia) were ninth.

Pairs also presents an opportunity for Vanessa James and Eric Radford (Canada), who were 12th in Beijing but have won world medals with separate partners previously.

Also to watch out for: Miriam Ziegler and Severin Kiefer of Austria and Germany's Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nolan Seegert.

Schedule, how to watch World Figure Skating Championships 2022

The women and pairs skate first in Montpellier, with their respective short programs set for Wednesday 23rd March. The pairs will contest the free skate on Thursday evening, with the women finishing on Friday night. All times are local to France - Central European Time (CET).

Wednesday, 23 March
11:10 Women's singles - short program
18:30 Pair skating - short program

Thursday, 24 March
18:53 Pair skating - free skate

Friday, 25 March
18:00 Women's singles - free skate

You can watch the world championships on your domestic broadcaster, or the ISU streams on YouTube in some territories. A list of ISU broadcasters can be found here.