2025 Worlds tidbits

September 4, 2025
By Reut Golinsky
Photo © Reut Golinsky, International Skating Union (ISU)

Before we lace up for the new season, we're taking a moment to look back at an electric week in Boston.

Over the course of the championships we gathered a stack of mixed zone interviews, some of which we posted on our Instagram, often in shortened form, and some of which never made it online. This piece brings them together in one place: a collection of "tidbits from" Worlds 2025. Consider it a snapshot of the thoughts and moods that emerged on the ice and in the mixed zone, and a last look back before the new season begins.

Olga Mikutina: "I feel like I've made a bigger impact"

Olga Mikutina was missed in Tallinn; unfortunately, she had to withdraw from Europeans due to health issues.

"I had six weeks to prepare. I'd say it was just enough to get back into shape, but it required a lot of strength and many tough days where I had to push myself and overcome hurdles," she shared after her short program. "It was actually quite difficult after the illness... But thanks to my coaching team, who planned every single day, I had a task for each practice. I also did a lot of off-ice training, so much work over these six weeks just to be able to come here."

Olga's free skate was choreographed to "La terre vue du ciel," a well-known piece by Armand Amar that has been used often in figure skating, but her version has a twist.
"The theme of this program is time. It's about the clock, time passing by, the infinity of time. I really like the remix I'm using and the unexpected change in the program. When I performed it in Texas at my Grand Prix, Skate America, I loved how the crowd reacted. Everyone screamed, it was amazing!"

Olga's very first Worlds was four years ago in Stockholm, which was also an Olympic qualifier. She arrived as an underdog, and her phenomenal performance - finishing eighth overall - was a huge surprise. Did she think back to that championship before coming to Boston, or is she a completely different person now, focused only on the present?

"Oh, I'd say I'm still the same person. But every year, I build up. I don't compare myself to who I was five years ago, because I see things differently now. I feel more confident, my skating is more feminine. And I like myself now, compared to the years before. I try not to compare scores or placements, but rather the support I get from the audience. And I feel like I've made a bigger impact, that I'm more popular, that people support me, love me, and look forward to seeing me on the ice. And that tells me I've improved, thanks to all the work I've put in."

Olga will open her Olympic season at the Nebelhorn Trophy.

Olivia Smart and Tim Dieck: "We have to 'fast-track' our relationship"

The atmosphere in the virtual mixed zone when Olivia and Tim came to speak with journalists was exhilarating. After their exceptional performance had cemented their place in the top ten - and made history for Spain by opening the door to two Olympic spots (by qualifying one and earning the opportunity for another Spanish team to qualify the second in September) - they learned, in the middle of the interview, that they'd been awarded the small bronze medal for the free dance. And to think that just a year earlier they had finished in a disappointing 19th place!

What an incredible season this has been for you: a first Grand Prix medal, a top-five finish at Europeans, and now this amazing result at Worlds. How did you do it?

Olivia: We've worked a lot physically, of course - on the ice, on our technique, our partnership, and on building that growth. But also the mileage of our off-ice work - our mentality, our relationship. We're competing against teams that have been together for 15-plus years. We're trying to get there as well, but we have to "fast-track" it, building our connection and trust in each other, in our skating, in our programs, and in our coaches. I think we really excelled in that this season.

Your free dance was widely praised and surely earned you many compliments. I'd love to hear the whole story: how did you create what many call a masterpiece? How do you create the best dance of the season?

Olivia: We were looking for a specific style of music for our free dance. I wanted something strong and emotional, with a female vocal. When I saw the movie, it just hit the spot, the soundtrack had everything: strong, emotional music, the female vocal, and that airy "Dune" vibe. We tried it on the ice, and everyone was on board right away. It really suited us and fit what we wanted to try as a team. Everything came together naturally: the choreography, the costumes, the story. We just put it all together, and it really paid off.

Since so many skaters chose music from this movie this season, what was your reaction?

Tim: We had it in the back of our minds that probably some skaters would choose this music because it was a new movie and Hans Zimmer's score is incredible there. So we knew some skaters were going to take it, but I think there are not so many ice dance teams out there who could perform to this music. And, obviously, ice dance is different from singles: you have the couple's connection, like in the movie itself, and that's what, in my opinion, makes the program so special.

The team has already announced their new programs. Their rhythm dance will be to "Freedom" by George Michael and "Let Me Entertain You" by Robbie Williams. And, as many fans hoped, they will continue to skate their free dance to music from "Dune," but they'll use different tracks from the film. Next season will be exciting for Olivia and Tim for many reasons, not least because Europeans will truly be a home event for Olivia: it will be held in her hometown of Sheffield.

Deniss Vasiljevs: coming full circle in Boston

Deniss Vasiljevs was the only competitor in the men's discipline returning to Boston. It felt like only yesterday we had a long talk with him during "Ice Legends," discussing his impressions of Boston 2016. "The competition I enjoyed the most was Worlds in Boston," he said back then. "It was a unique experience... The standing ovation I got after my short program was unforgettable."

Many more standing ovations later, it's both heartwarming and a bit amusing to look back at his words: "Of course, there is a lot I need to work on, for example, quadruple jumps, but I already start thinking about how to stay in people's minds and in the history of figure skating." Not yet certain whether this coming Olympic season will be his last, one thing remains clear: Deniss has already secured his place in people's hearts, just as he once dreamed. And he continues to ponder the mark he wants to leave on his sport.

"Right after practice, when I got off the ice, I had this strong moment of reflection: how much had happened in those nine years since I came here? How much had I changed? And how much of it was simply a force of nature driving that change?" Deniss shared. "I felt like I had lived through an evolution of figure skating, witnessing it transform. And I wondered, what had I added? How had I contributed? How had it shaped me, and in turn, how had I helped shape the culture of figure skating as a sport?

I ended up feeling uncertain and decided I would reflect on it further after the event. For now, I thought it was important to focus and stay in the present moment. But ultimately, one of the main things that came to mind was that I felt shaped by the changes in figure skating - I was adjusting reactively rather than proactively striving for something."

In essence, the changes Deniss hopes to make are simple: revive what once made people fall in love with skating, and put the audience and genuine emotion back at the heart of performances.

"The most important thing I wish we would see more in figure skating," he elaborated, "is attention to bringing the best from the past, without trying to completely replace it with a new vision. We need to bring back the elements that encouraged people to watch figure skating, that shaped the industry and the mindset.

I spoke with people who shared that, for them, coming to a competition was largely about performance - it was about the people, about selling it. Today, we, as athletes, lack some of that. We tend to focus too much on execution, locking ourselves into it, and struggle to let go and express pure emotion. I believe it's emotion that connects people, that draws them in to watch. It's something TV tries to capture but never fully can. That's why being in a massive arena makes me realise how genuinely unique it is to experience figure skating live. I understand that the tendency nowadays may be to move further away from physically being present, but it truly changes the experience, making it much bigger. I really wish more people would come and see it for themselves."

It's always fascinating to talk with Deniss and see the world through his eyes. Recently, his fans have been getting an even closer glimpse into that world, as he's been blogging regularly on his Ko-Fi account, sharing not only his dreams and crazy adventures, but also his doubts and struggles. You can follow and support him here: https://ko-fi.com/denissvasiljevs
Deniss is about to begin his season in Oberstdorf, his "lucky" place, where he has medalled every time he competed (at the Bavaria Open and the Nebelhorn Trophy).

Annika Hocke and Robert Kunkel: "The season was pretty tough for us"

Entertainers at heart, Annika and Robert are always a joy to watch - in competitions, practices, and shows. They consistently receive great feedback from the crowd, and their competitive programs are so engaging and fun that they can be performed at galas and shows without any changes.
You can see and feel how much they love their craft. That makes it all the sadder when things don't go as planned, when setback follows setback in their career, hindered by injuries and medical issues. The 2022/23 season was disrupted when both (at different times) contracted COVID, which impeded their preparations and forced them to withdraw from one of their Grand Prix events. In 2023/24 they had to withdraw from the Grand Prix Final after Robert suffered an injury. In 2024/25 it was Annika who was forced to step back because of health challenges.

"I had an edema in my left foot and a microfracture. It's serious, you want to avoid a full fracture, which would be much worse. So we took a good amount of time off, went to Berlin, did rehabilitation and a lot of physio, and then started back slowly. But I still have to be a little cautious with the jumps," she explained when we spoke during the "Music on Ice" show in January. "I have to limit the number of jumps, I can't do as many as I'd like if I want to keep my foot healthy. But sometimes a limited number is actually better, because it forces you to be more efficient."

Even though they managed to recover in time for the two big events of the second half of the season, neither turned out as they had hoped. In Tallinn they placed fifth in the short program and eighth in the free skate, finishing eighth overall. Two months later in Boston, they finished twentieth after the short program, barely qualifying for the free skate. Their 18th place overall, combined with their teammates' silver, secured Germany two Olympic berths, but it was a close call.

"Physically I'm good," Annika said in the mixed zone after the competition. "That wasn't an issue. The preparation [for Worlds] was actually going really well health-wise, and I wasn't limited in the number of jumps in training. Mentally it's a bit up and down, but of course one influences the other..."
"If you look at it from the outside, without focusing only on results, actually this season was... awesome," Robert reflected. "Our short program in Japan was nice. Both our Grand Prix events - even though we couldn't deliver our maximum - the audience, the atmosphere, everything was great. All the shows we had... But if you look more closely, the season was pretty tough for us. There were definitely some good things, but also some very hard times."

And it feels like they just can't catch a break. When it seemed things were finally coming together again, in July, during a practice session, Annika cut Robert's hand open with her blade. As a result, he required a skin transplant and is still recovering. It's hard to imagine how frustrating that must have felt. Hopefully, in those low moments they remember what they once said when asked how they stay motivated despite all the challenges, how they keep radiating such joy in their skating. Their answer was simple: because they love what they do.
"We just really enjoy skating together. Of course, there have been a lot of ups and downs, like in everyone's life. We enjoy competitions a lot and it's especially rewarding when a competition goes well. On the other hand, we also enjoy daily practice and progress. That's probably our main advantage: whatever is happening in between, we still have fun in practice. If you do what you like, it's still fun."

Since 2022, the team has been training at the Ice Lab ISU Center of Excellence in Bergamo. Now they are among the more experienced teams in this fast-growing centre. "It's a bit weird because I don't really feel that way," Annika said about their veteran status. "Almost always I was the youngest at the rink. Same with Robert. But I'm happy if someone needs advice, I'm always glad to help. It's a nice position to be in."

Their team includes Ondrej Hotarek, Luca Demattè, and Luca Lanotte as their main choreographer. But Anna Cappellini, Luca Demattè, and Ondrej also contribute to the creative process. "We really enjoy working with Luca and Anna because it's nice to have the ice dance perspective. But sometimes it helps a lot to go over the program with someone coming from pair skating. We would like and we would enjoy doing a full ice-dance-style performance, but with all the elements, it's just not possible. You have to find a balance."

Unlike in previous seasons, Annika and Robert have changed both programs for the Olympic year, and they are scheduled to premiere them at the Nebelhorn Trophy. They are back on the ice now, "chasing highs again," as Annika wrote on her Instagram. So fingers crossed they will be healthy, fit, and ready by then.