Figure skating - 'Old guard' out to keep young guns at bay in Helsinki

FILE PHOTO: Figure Skating - ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final 2016/2017 - Men Short Program - Marseille, France - 08/12/16 - Yuzuru Hanyu of Japan competes. REUTERS/Jean-Paul Pelissier/File Photo

LONDON (Reuters) - Javier Fernandez, Yuzuru Hanyu and Patrick Chan have won the last six men's titles at the figure skating world championships but the 'old guard' will be under pressure in Helsinki to quell the growing threat posed by a gang of high-flying upstarts.

In the final global meet before next February's Winter Olympics in South Korea's Pyeongchang, the trio will be eager to show that they are still capable of pulling off more soaring quadruple jumps than their younger rivals.