Uno retains world figure skating title | The Express Tribune
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SAITAMA: Japan's Shoma Uno said he felt "relief" after shrugging off mental doubts and injury to retain his world figure skating title in front of an adoring home crowd on Saturday. Uno held off a challenge from American teenager Ilia Malinin -- who became the first skater ever to land a quadruple axel at a world championship -- to claim gold in Saitama, north of Tokyo. Uno went into the competition anxious about his jumps after twisting an ankle in practice one week earlier, then injuring it again on the eve of the short programme. But he stamped his class all over the event to earn an overall score of 301.14 and finish ahead of South Korea's Cha Jun-hwan on 296.03 and third place Malinin on 288.44. Olympic champion Nathan Chen is currently taking a break from competition, while Russian skaters were banned over the war in Ukraine. Uno said he "needed to give more in the competition than in practice" to win the title and felt relie...