2016 World Figure Skating Championships

When: Wednesday through Sunday.

Where: TD Garden in Boston. The city is hosting the event for the first time.

Ladies' preview: Russia leads the way with 16-year-old Evgenia Medvedeva, the Grand Prix Final and European champion, and Elena Radionova, 17, who won bronze at last year's worlds. The Russians are so deep that Julia Lipnitskaia (won team gold at the 2014 Olympics), Adelina Sotnikova (2014 individual Olympic champion) and Elizaveta Tuktamysheva (reigning world champion) are not on the team.

Men's preview: Japanese star Yuzuru Hanyu has put up dominating wins and record-breaking scores this season. Javier Hernandez of Spain is the reigning world champion, and Canada's Patrick Chan is a three-time world champ who has returned after taking a season off.

U.S. contingent: There are 16 skaters representing the United States, including the winners from January's national championships in St. Paul: Gracie Gold (ladies), Adam Rippon (men), Tarah Kayne and Daniel O'Shea (pairs), and Maia and Alex Shibutani (ice dancing). Gold is a Massachusetts native. Polina Edmunds, second to Gold in St. Paul, withdrew from worlds because of a bone bruise in her right foot. At 25, Grant Hochstein is the oldest American man to make his worlds debut since 27-year-old Rudy Galindo two decades ago. He made the team as the first alternate.

U.S. medal chances: The Americans' best chance at a medal likely will come in ice dance, where they have last year's silver medalists, Madison Chock and Evan Bates, as well as the Shibutani siblings. The 20-year-old Gold was fourth at worlds last year and at the Sochi Olympics.

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