A little over a month after the biggest high of his career, the figure skating calendar demands Luke Digby and the rest of the world’s best must do it all again this week.

For just weeks after his Olympic debut in Milan-Cortina, the 25-year-old from Sheffield is back competing at another huge event, the ISU World Figure Skating Championships in Prague.

Coming at the end of a season in which he also contested in the European Championships in his home city of Sheffield in January, finishing seventh, it has been a prolonged stretch of trying to reach and maintain the peak of his physical ability.

It has also proven to be a mental challenge for the Yorkshireman, who alongside long-time pairs partner Anastasia Vaipan-Law, has never known a schedule as demanding as this winter’s as they get used to competing at the top table of figure skating.

Anastasia Vaipan-Law and partner Luke Digby of Team Great Britain compete in Pair Skating - Short Program on day nine of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at Milano Ice Skating Arena on February 15, 2026 (Picture: Elsa/Getty Images)

placeholder image — Anastasia Vaipan-Law and partner Luke Digby of Team Great Britain compete in Pair Skating - Short Program on day nine of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at Milano Ice Skating Arena on February 15, 2026 (Picture: Elsa/Getty Images)

“It has been pretty tough getting back into training since the Olympics,” Digby admitted to The Yorkshire Post.

“You are coming off the back of the most unbelievable and almost indescribable experience.

“It truly was the best few weeks that were worth every bit of hard work over my skating career. Therefore, having to almost put that to one side and re-focus on worlds has been tough.”

He has also been managing the wrist injury that almost threatened his Olympic participation in Milan.

Luke Digby and Anastasia Vaipan-Law of Team Great Britain made their debuts at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics (Picture: Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

In both the Olympic team event and pairs competition the following week - in which he and Vaipan-Law set a personal best score of 112.99 to finish 15th - Digby competed with his wrist in supportive strapping.

“The wrist is substantially better than before and during the Olympics where it was very touch and go,” said Digby.

“It’s something I have to be careful and monitor through training. I also have a slight back issue I have been struggling with since the Olympics.

“Overall, it’s been a tough few weeks physically and mentally, however we are taking it day by day and I’m doing absolutely everything I can to be at worlds in the best possible shape.”

This will be a fourth appearance at the world championships for Dundee-based Digby and Vaipan-Law, who finished 16th on their debut in Japan in 2023, 20th in Montreal the following year and 12th in Boston 12 months ago.

The pairs competition begins on Wednesday night with the short program, followed by the free skate the following evening.

“Even though there has been a few difficulties since the Olympics, confidence is pretty good and we know we can deliver something special at the world championships,” said Digby, who will be up against the Olympic champions in Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara of Japan in Prague as well as the European champions from Sheffield, Anastasiia Metelkina and Luka Berelava of Georgia.

“We feel hungry and mentally ready for this competition and that brings us lots of confidence.”

Sheffield’s Olivia Smart, who finished ninth in the Olympics and seventh at her home European Championships alongside Tim Dieck, will represent Spain once again in the ice dance competition out in Prague.