Ilia Malinin Shines in Olympic Debut, Secures Second Place
Ilia Malinin’s Olympic journey is underway at the Milan Cortina Olympics, where he made an impressive debut in the figure skating competition. Competing in the team event’s short program, the 21-year-old American secured second place with a score of 98.00.
Team Event Highlights
Malinin’s performance was overshadowed only by Yuma Kagiyama from Japan, who clinched first place with a score of 108.67. Stephen Gogolev from Canada followed in third, earning a score of 92.99.
- Ilia Malinin (USA): 98.00 – Second Place
- Yuma Kagiyama (Japan): 108.67 – First Place
- Stephen Gogolev (Canada): 92.99 – Third Place
Making History in Figure Skating
This marks Malinin’s first Olympic appearance after narrowly missing the team in the 2022 Olympics. He is considered a strong contender for gold in the individual event, having triumphed at the World Championships in both 2024 and 2025.
Following his routine, which featured a backflip—a maneuver banned for nearly five decades and recently legalized—Malinin expressed his excitement. “Once I did that backflip, everyone was screaming for joy,” he shared, highlighting its potential to attract new fans to the sport.
A Technical Marvel
Known as the “Quad God,” Malinin has made headlines for executing the quadruple axel, an extremely difficult jump that remains unparalleled in competitive figure skating. His technical prowess was evident during the 2025 Grand Prix Final, where he successfully landed seven quad jumps in a single event.
Brian Boitano, a figure skating legend and Olympic gold medalist, praised Malinin’s skills, stating, “He has set the technical bar higher than anyone ever in our sport.” Boitano noted Malinin’s ability to blend technical and artistic excellence, saying he is not just focusing on athleticism but also on improving his artistic scores.
Looking Ahead
Despite the pressure of being a gold-medal favorite, Malinin remains focused. “I just need to pace myself correctly and enter the right mindset,” he stated, emphasizing the importance of handling expectations as he continues his Olympic journey. The U.S. team currently leads the event by one point over Japan as they anticipate the upcoming free dance segment.
