Latest news with #Quadg0d
Yahoo
30-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Ilia Malinin won a second straight world title, but he wanted more
BOSTON — Ilia Malinin won a second straight world title Saturday night, this one by a larger margin than the first. But, despite his utter dominance of men's singles skating, Malinin felt upset that he had left something undone. That's why he whacked the ice in frustration after finishing a free skate that left him happy because it brought another gold medal but disappointed because he fell short of his goal. This season, Malinin wanted to further enhance his reputation as the Quadg0d by doing an unprecedented free skate in which all seven jumping passes began with a successful quad, and they were to include all six different types of the jump. The skating gods apparently still think that is hubris. He now has tried it unsuccessfully three times. 'It's a pretty decent challenge that I've given myself,' he said. FIGURE SKATING WORLDS: Results Malinin managed to land six quads, but two of them were a quarter turn short of a full rotation, and he doubled the seventh. He did cleanly land the quad loop, a jump on which he fell hard at the U.S. Championships. But that's the conundrum Malinin has created for himself at age 20 with his otherworldly jumping ability. Anything less than the unbelievable in every performance can make it seem humdrum to a skating world aware of what he has already done – and it leaves him annoyed. 'I really want to nail this down, and I think I'll spend this offseason trying to master it, because I think it is my perfect layout for the Olympics,' he said. 'I really want it to be something I'm able to complete effortlessly and efficiently.' Before another sellout crowd at TD Garden, Malinin's triumph finished a week in which Team USA made history by winning three gold medals at worlds for the first time. Alysa Liu and ice dancers Madison Chock and Evan Bates got the others. 'I'm very happy to be one of the three,' Malinin said. The most electric free skate performance Saturday night came from another 20-year-old, Mikhail Shaidorov of Kazakhstan, who made some jump history while finishing second to Malinin by 31.09 points. And Shaidorov also upped his ante to do it. Earlier in the season, Shaidorov became the first person to land a combination that began with a triple and ended with a quad. This time, he did it with a more difficult quad (salchow instead of toe loop), preceded by a triple Axel and half loop. It's the Malinin effect. 'Ilia is really motivating me,' Shaidorov said, through a translator. 'I want to be competitive.' When Malinin took the ice as last of the 24 skaters, he had a huge margin for error because Japan's Yuma Kagiyama, just three points back after the short program, had a badly flawed free skate and barely hung onto third. Shaidorov had been 16 points behind after the short. Malinin resisted any thoughts of doing an easier program. 'Until I land them all, I wouldn't want to cut back,' Malinin said. He totaled 318.56 points, well under his 333.76 at the 2024 worlds, when Malinin landed an unprecedented six clean quads and had a world record free skate score. Teammate Jason Brown, in his seventh worlds, rallied from his worst placement ever after a worlds short program, 12th, moving up to eighth with a classic Brown performance in the free skate. Brown had the effortless flow needed to interpret the intimations of infinity in the Arvo Part composition, 'Spiegel im Spiegel.' Skating at a single tempo, much like the music, Brown's execution was as clean and clear as the music. As has been the case before, Brown's performance was critical in helping the U.S. men have a chance at three men's entries in the Olympic field. Teammate Andrew Torgashev, eighth after the short, staggered through his free skate and wound up 22nd. For a shot at the third entry, which has to be earned at a qualifying event next fall, the top two U.S. finishes had to add up to 13 or less. Malinin now will go to next year's Winter Olympics as a heavy favorite. 'I'll just go back to the drawing board,' Malinin said. He will find seven quads on it.
NBC Sports
30-03-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Ilia Malinin won a second straight world title, but he wanted more
Ilia Malinin totaled 318.56 points between his short program and free skate, in which he landed a record-tying six quadruple jumps, to repeat as the figure skating world champion and cap an undefeated season. BOSTON — Ilia Malinin won a second straight world title Saturday night, this one by a larger margin than the first. But, despite his utter dominance of men's singles skating, Malinin felt upset that he had left something undone. That's why he whacked the ice in frustration after finishing a free skate that left him happy because it brought another gold medal but disappointed because he fell short of his goal. This season, Malinin wanted to further enhance his reputation as the Quadg0d by doing an unprecedented free skate in which all seven jumping passes began with a successful quad, and they were to include all six different types of the jump. The skating gods apparently still think that is hubris. He now has tried it unsuccessfully three times. 'It's a pretty decent challenge that I've given myself,' he said. FIGURE SKATING WORLDS: Results Malinin managed to land six quads, but two of them were a quarter turn short of a full rotation, and he doubled the seventh. He did cleanly land the quad loop, a jump on which he fell hard at the U.S. Championships. But that's the conundrum Malinin has created for himself at age 20 with his otherworldly jumping ability. Anything less than the unbelievable in every performance can make it seem humdrum to a skating world aware of what he has already done – and it leaves him annoyed. 'I really want to nail this down, and I think I'll spend this offseason trying to master it, because I think it is my perfect layout for the Olympics,' he said. 'I really want it to be something I'm able to complete effortlessly and efficiently.' Before another sellout crowd at TD Garden, Malinin's triumph finished a week in which Team USA made history by winning three gold medals at worlds for the first time. Alysa Liu and ice dancers Madison Chock and Evan Bates got the others. 'I'm very happy to be one of the three,' Malinin said. The most electric free skate performance Saturday night came from another 20-year-old, Mikhail Shaidorov of Kazakhstan, who made some jump history while finishing second to Malinin by 31.09 points. And Shaidorov also upped his ante to do it. Earlier in the season, Shaidorov became the first person to land a combination that began with a triple and ended with a quad. This time, he did it with a more difficult quad (salchow instead of toe loop), preceded by a triple Axel and half loop. It's the Malinin effect. 'Ilia is really motivating me,' Shaidorov said, through a translator. 'I want to be competitive.' When Malinin took the ice as last of the 24 skaters, he had a huge margin for error because Japan's Yuma Kagiyama, just three points back after the short program, had a badly flawed free skate and barely hung onto third. Shaidorov had been 16 points behind after the short. Malinin resisted any thoughts of doing an easier program. 'Until I land them all, I wouldn't want to cut back,' Malinin said. He totaled 318.56 points, well under his 333.76 at the 2024 worlds, when Malinin landed an unprecedented six clean quads and had a world record free skate score. Teammate Jason Brown, in his seventh worlds, rallied from his worst placement ever after a worlds short program, 12th, moving up to eighth with a classic Brown performance in the free skate. Brown had the effortless flow needed to interpret the intimations of infinity in the Arvo Part composition, 'Spiegel im Spiegel.' Skating at a single tempo, much like the music, Brown's execution was as clean and clear as the music. As has been the case before, Brown's performance was critical in helping the U.S. men have a chance at three men's entries in the Olympic field. Teammate Andrew Torgashev, eighth after the short, staggered through his free skate and wound up 22nd. For a shot at the third entry, which has to be earned at a qualifying event next fall, the top two U.S. finishes had to add up to 13 or less. Malinin now will go to next year's Winter Olympics as a heavy favorite. 'I'll just go back to the drawing board,' Malinin said. He will find seven quads on it.
New York Times
28-03-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Nervous? Ilia Malinin didn't show it once he got into ‘that flow state'
BOSTON — 'Nervous.' That was one of the first words to roll off the lips of Ilia Malinin late Thursday afternoon, this after the Quadg0d submitted a scrapbook-worthy short program at the World Figure Skating Championships at TD Garden. Nervous? Malinin is the defending world champion. He has won eight straight competitions, including the U.S. Figure Skating Championships two months ago in Wichita, Kan. And as you've probably heard, he's the only skater to competitively land a fully rotated quadruple axel, which is not to be confused with the fully armed and operational battle station from 'Return of the Jedi.' Advertisement How could this 20-year-old dynamo be … nervous? He doesn't have a clue. 'Stepping on the ice, I felt more nervous than usual,' Malinin said after nailing every one of his elements en route to posting a score of 110.41. 'And I didn't understand why, and I was like, OK, interesting. But once the music started playing and I got into a starting position, I almost fell into that flow state and it really just took me from there.' What's also interesting — fascinating, really — is how Malinin was able to correlate this unexplained nervousness with his performance. 'I guess it had to happen to have a skate like that,' is how he put it. That's some deep psychological stuff, this idea that one needs to be that nervous to be that good. But in Malinin's world, it's working in these worlds. For added drama, it didn't hurt that Yuma Kagiyama of Japan, the last skater to do his short program, followed Malinin and submitted a score of 107.09, landing him in second place, some 3 points behind Malinin. The three leaders — Malinin, Kagiyama and Mikhail Shaidorov of Kazakhstan (third place, 94.77) — were gathered together for some Q&A after the short program, with Kagiyama saying of Malinin, 'It's not just his jumps. I feel like his skating, artistry and expression are getting better year by year. I'm starting to think he's invincible.' (Malinin, who got a kick out of that, said the two are good friends and enjoy 'a friendly rivalry.') For anyone hoping Malinin would deliver his world-renowned quad axel Thursday afternoon, that will be on the docket during the Saturday night free skate. But he provided enough skating razzmatazz during the matinee to have the TD Garden masses roaring their approval before Malinin had even completed his short program. Quadruple flip? Check. Triple axel? Check. Quad lutz/triple toe loop? Check. 'I think it's definitely one of the best (short programs) that I've done so far,' Malinin said. 'Going back home after nationals, I really took a different approach to training. I think that really affected how I went out on the ice.' We'll be watching Ilia Malinin's short program on repeat all night long. ⭐️ #WorldFigure — NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) March 27, 2025 The different approach? 'Just being a lot more picky with all the small, minor adjustments I have to make, or working on the things that are not as powerful for me,' Malinin said. Whatever it was, and is, figure skating fans are taking notice. Malinin was cheered before, during and after his performance. That's a rarity at TD Garden these days, given the manner in which the hometown Boston Bruins (seven straight losses) are playing out the NHL string. Advertisement 'I was not expecting them to be cheering me halfway through my step sequence,' Malinin said, 'but it was definitely an uplifting experience and it felt really good. 'And when the whole audience was going crazy at the end, I remember that,' he said. 'My mind is either thinking of something or thinking of nothing.' GO DEEPER Alysa Liu left figure skating at 16. Now she's back and in position for a major win Whether he's thinking about it or not, Malinin is owning figure skating these days. And he knows it. And likes it. 'I'm really happy for that and for the sport in general,' he said. 'I really want for the sport to be one of the bigger sports again.'
New York Times
28-03-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Quadg0d was here: The Ilia Malinin experience hits a new stage at figure skating worlds
BOSTON — He whisked by before his presence could be registered. Passing through the dark halls behind the scenes of TD Garden. Quickly enough to only see the bottom of his gold-and-black Jordan 1s, the black strap of the Louis Vuitton crossbody bag, his bouncing blonde hair. But the little girls knew. The eyes of the junior figure skaters, decorated with pastel shadow, widened instantly. Their jaws dropped. Their preadolescent awe removed all doubt about who left the trail of aura behind his 5-foot-9 frame. Advertisement It was him. Ilia Malinin is him. 'I was not expecting them to cheer me on halfway through my step sequence,' he said, flashing a humble smirk. 'But it was definitely an uplifting experience, and it felt really good.' Thursday on the home ice of the Boston Bruins, under the banners of the Celtics, a new star introduced himself to a new audience in his home nation. Quadg0d was here. On his biggest stage in the States — the 2025 world championships. The pressure of his iconic trajectory on his back. The weight of a thirsty sport on his shoulders. The eyes of a nation forever intrigued by phenoms aimed at his thighs. The 20-year-old from Virginia, son of immigrants from Uzbekistan, is the face of figure skating and the biggest American men's product in the sport since Brian Boitano. In the era of social media, he has the potential to transcend the sport into pop culture relevance. The crowd on hand Thursday felt the potential and responded to it with anticipation. His score of 110.41 vaulted him into first place easily after the men's short program. Japan's Yuma Kagiyama, the closest person to a rival, was the only other skater to top triple digits (107.09). And he was spectacular, going bar-for-bar with Malinin's energy, ambition and execution. But he couldn't match the Quadg0d, as Malinin goes by on Instagram, who just exists higher and faster. When Malinin finished his short program, it took eight youth skaters to scoop up the $18 Squishmallow plushies thrown onto the ice as appreciation. And the eight had to make multiple trips as their little arms could carry only so many plushies — which will be donated to local children's charities. It's hard to decipher if Malinin is a figure skater becoming a superstar, or a superstar who happens to don blades and sequin shirts. It's as if he were crafted in a focus group for growing the sport. It's a boon for figure skating, the larger his stature grows in the States. Advertisement 'I'm definitely getting more comfortable,' he said of his burgeoning fame. 'Still very unexpected. I thought that I'd have less of a following. But I feel like it's slowly starting to build up, and I'm happy for that and the sport in general.' He performed to 'Running' by Christian rapper NF, adding some hip-hop flair to the festivities. His message to the crowd before his short program: 'Let's Get This Party Started.' Wait. The Quadg0d parties? 'I haven't really been to many parties,' he said. 'Maybe if I actually go to one, I might be nervous.' He turned up on the ice, however. The audience ate from his palms, which were covered by the extra long sleeves of his blue shirt with asymmetrical slashes of black sheer fabric. Because Quadg0d is a vibe. And Thursday, by his own admission, was the best performance of his career. The product of meticulous training and focus on the little elements and not leaning exclusively on his power. He rocked out to the music, throwing himself around the ice as he acted out the internal war of hope and rebellion in the lyrics. His skating is visceral, a captivating balance of suave and violent athleticism, of contagious fun and technical brilliance. He's not called the Quadg0d because of his thigh muscles. But because no one is better at pulling off figure skating's hardest jump, a quartet of revolutions. In Saturday's free skate, which is nearly two minutes longer than the short program, Malinin could get up to seven quads. Thursday, his first came 34 seconds into his routine by way of a quadruple flip. The crowd gasped as he leapt and spun. Like a peacock suddenly flashed its feathers. And when he landed without a hitch, the audience, flashing grins and waving U.S. Flags, interrupted the next portion of his routine with its inability to abstain from glee. Advertisement 'I heard the cheering, but I didn't take enough time to see how people were reacting to me,' Malinin said. 'I was so excited. I didn't even finish skating yet, and they were already standing and cheering me so loud.' He gracefully, emphatically, yanked himself around the rink some more to the thumping bass and strumming strings of 'Running.' Then, with the pace of a Sunday stroll, he went into, and nailed, a triple Axel. He added a quad Lutz later in the routine. What's special about Malinin is his explosiveness. He boasts the build of a Division-II slot receiver. But in figure skating, he's got prototype size. The elevation he gets on his jumps, and the torque it takes to rotate so quickly, underscore how much of an athletic specimen he is. An Italian coach, briskly on the move in Gucci shoes, was impeded and asked what makes Malinin so special. His answer was best reflected in the eye roll that preceded his reply. 'Talent,' he said after taking a second to find an all-encapsulating word. The follow-up: But what's his special talent? 'Everything. Mental. Physical. He's got everything.' The coach smiled as he walked off. Nothing more to be said. The American crowd now has a better understanding of what the sport already understands. Malinin is a generational talent. But it's not just his jumps, however magnetic. It's also the swag. In a sport reputed for its flamboyance, Malinin speaks the non-verbal language of charisma. Or, rizz, as his generation would call it. 'But I feel like his skating and his artistry, his expression, is getting better year by year,' Kagiyama said through a translator at Thursday's press conference, while sitting a few feet from Malinin. 'So I'm starting to think he's invincible.' America loves a phenom. Novelty is harder to come by in a sports world saturated with greatness and highlights of greatness. Malinin is a unique experience, a taste his sport declares is worth acquiring. Advertisement 'People might expect a lot from me,' Malinin said, 'and they expect me to come and win every single competition, to be really confident. I think that sometimes I am still human. There are off days.' Maybe. But on this day, Quadg0d was here. (Top photo of Ilia Malinin during Thursday's short program: Geoff Robins / AFP via Getty Images)
