Ilia Malinin, known as the “Quad God,” once again showcased his incredible talent by winning his second consecutive World Figure Skating Championship title. The 20-year-old figure skater, originally from Fairfax, Virginia, delivered an outstanding performance, landing six quadruple jumps, including an impressive quadruple Axel. His total score of 318.56 points put him well ahead of silver medalist Mikhail Shaidorov from Kazakhstan, with a difference of over 31 points. Japanese skater Yuma Kagiyama managed to hold onto the bronze despite some struggles during his free skate routine.
After his remarkable win, Malinin expressed his determination, stating, “I was just really trained. I just wanted to give it my all and really fight for every element. I really feel like I did that here.”
Malinin’s teammate Jason Brown finished in eighth place, which means that Team USA has secured three spots for the upcoming Olympics in Milano Cortina, Italy.
The skater’s performance featured a horror-themed program set to “I’m Not a Vampire,” concluding with a back flip, a new element allowed by the International Skating Union this season. Although he did have a minor mistake with a doubled Lutz jump, his technical prowess was enough to ensure his victory.
As the two-time and current world champion, Malinin is considered a strong contender heading into next year’s Olympics.
In previous competitions, he finished second to Nathan Chen at the 2022 U.S. Figure Skating Championships. However, he was not selected for the Olympic team that year, which was disappointing for him, as Chen went on to win gold at the Beijing Olympics.
With this latest victory in Boston, Malinin has joined the ranks of other celebrated American figure skaters, including legends like Scott Hamilton, Brian Boitano, and Nathan Chen.
In addition, American duo Madison Chock and Evan Bates captured the ice dancing title for the third time in a row. Alysa Liu had earlier won the women’s title, making it an impressive showing for Team USA, which claimed victories in three out of four events. The last time the U.S. held gold medals in both the men’s and women’s events was in 1996, when Todd Eldredge and Michelle Kwan both triumphed.
