The World Figure Skating Championships 2012 begins in Nice, France, on March 26, 2012. Nice hosted the World Figure Skating Championships once before in 2000, taking over as a substitute for the Championships that were to have been held in Sydney, Australia that year.

219 skaters/couples, a record number, from 55 ISU members have been entered for the Preliminary Rounds and Championships.

The entry quota system comprises two types of entries (direct entries and preliminary round entries). Skaters from countries with competitors that placed in the top 18 for Singles, top 12 in Pairs and top 15 in Ice Dance in the 2011 Championships are entered directly in the Short Program or Short Dance. Member countries that are unable to fill their quota through direct entries may enter the remainder of their competitors in the Preliminary Round.

The Preliminary Round takes place before the official competition starts.  Results from the Preliminary round do not count for final placement, but are used to narrow down the fields to a manageable number. The top 12 Men and 12 Ladies, the top 8 Pairs teams and the top 10 Ice Dance couples in the Preliminary Rounds are qualified to compete in the Short Program/Short Dance with the skaters entered through the direct entries.

In total 30 Men and Ladies, 20 Pairs teams and 25 Ice Dance couples compete in the Short Program/Short Dance. Entries are trimmed again after the first segment.  Competitors placed in the top 24 in Single Skating, the top 16 Pair Skating, and the top 20 Ice Dance couplescontinue on with the Free Skating/Free Dance.

Three of the four reigning World Champions are back to defend their titles.

2011 World Champion Patrick Chan (CAN) has won the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final and the ISU Four Continents Championships this season. He comes to France with a season's best of 273.94 points. 2010 World Champion Daisuke Takahashi (JPN) was the runner up to Chan in the Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final and at the Four Continent Championships and is aiming recapture the Men's title in Nice (seasons best 259.75 points).

The Men's field is deep and there are several more men challenging for the podium. Reigning World silver medallist Takahiko Kozuka (JPN) is looking to improve on his results from the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating. ISU Grand Prix Final bronze medallist Javier Fernandez (ESP) wants to make history in the sport once again by claiming Spain's first ISU Championships medal. Defending World bronze medalist and 2012 European silver medallist Artur Gachinski (RUS) hopes to return to the podium. Multiple World medalist Brian Joubert (FRA) and 2011 European Champion Florent Amodio (FRA) are counting on their home country advantage. Others to watch include 2011 Four Continents silver medallist Yuzuru Hanyu (JPN), U.S. Champion Jeremy Abbott, Adam Rippon (USA), Tomas Verner (CZE) and Michal Brezina (CZE).

In the Ladies' event, attention will be focused on two-time World Champion Mao Asada (JPN) and four-time European Champion Carolina Kostner. Kostner, the reigning World bronze medallist, posted a seasons best of 187.48 points at the Grand Prix Final. Asada took silver at the ISU Four Continents Championships in February and is keen on returning to the podium after missing it last year (seasons best 188.62 points). Ashley Wagner (USA) has established herself as a new top contender since winning the Four Continents Championships with a seasons best score of 192.41 points. Akiko Suzuki (JPN), Alissa Czsiny (USA), Alena Leonova (RUS) are also aiming at the podium.

Three-time and reigning World Pairs Champions Aliona Savchenko & Robin Szolkowy (GER) have to expect a stiff challenge from 2011 World silver medallists Tatiana Volosozhar & Maxim Trankov (RUS). The Germans won the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final with a seasons best of 212.26 points, beating the Russians narrowly by 0.18 points. The Russians struck gold at the 2012 European Championships whereas Savchenko & Szolkowy withdrew due to injury.

Entering the mix this year are two-time World Champions Qing Pang & Jian Tong (CHN) who are competing in their first international event this season. Two-time World bronze medallists Yuko Kavaguti & Alexander Smirnov (RUS), European silver medallists Vera Bazarova & Yuri Larionov (RUS) and 2012 Four Continents Champions Wenjing Sui/Cong Han (CHN) are challenging for a medal as well. The event also features Meagan Duhamel/Eric Radford (CAN), Caydee Denney & John Coughlin (USA), Narumi Takahashi/Mervin Tran (JPN) and Stefania Berton & Ondrej Hotarek (ITA).

In the Ice Dance event, the duel between Olympic Champions Tessa Virtue & Scott Moir and reigning World Champions Meryl Davis & Charlie White (USA) continues. Virtue & Moir won the Four Continents Championships (seasons best 183.34) besting the Americans, but at the ISU Grand Prix Final Davis & White (seasons best 188.55 points) took the gold. Two-time European Champions Nathalie Pechalat & Fabian Bourzat (FRA) are aiming at their first Worlds medal in front of their home crowd although Pechalat broke her nose in a practice accident last week (seasons best 169.69 points). 2012 World bronze medallists Maia Shibutani & Alex Shibutani (USA), 2012 Four Continents bronze medallists Kaitlyn Weaver & Andrew Poje (CAN) and European silver medallists Ekaterina Bobrova & Dmitri Soloviev (RUS) are in medal contention as well. Other couples to watch are 2012 European bronze medallists Elena Ilinykh & Nikita Katsalapov (RUS) and Anna Cappellini & Luca Lanotte (ITA).

A total of US$ 710,000 in prize money is up for grabs at Worlds this year, awarded to singles skaters and couples placed from 1st to 12th. The prize money is awarded as follows: