Ilia Malinin stole the show at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships. He laid on the ice, soaking in the applause while others stood in admiration.
The reigning world champion put on an incredible performance, landing six out of seven planned quad jumps, including the elusive quad axel that only he has accomplished in competition. Malinin scored a remarkable 333.31 points, securing his third national title at the INTRUST Bank Arena in Wichita, Kansas.
In second place was Andrew Torgashev, who executed two quad jumps and earned 286.49 points. Camden Pulkinen took home the bronze with 252.92 points, benefiting from a less-than-perfect free skate by Jimmy Ma.
Malinin aimed to be the first skater to land seven clean quads in a performance. He started strong with a quad flip, nailed his quad axel, and executed a quad lutz, the second-hardest quad jump. Unfortunately, he fell on his quad loop, showing his frustration with a mid-routine fist pump. Despite this, he landed three more quads and ended his routine with an exciting backflip.
“It wasn’t the perfect program I wanted, but I think it was a solid start,” Malinin said. He viewed this championship as practice for the upcoming world championships in Boston.
If this had been an international competition, Malinin’s score would have almost matched Nathan Chen’s record of 335.30 points.
“I still have a lot of potential to reach,” Malinin remarked.
Coming into the free skate, Malinin had a comfortable 19.14-point lead after an impressive short program. He skillfully included a quad flip and a quad lutz-triple toe combination but opted for a triple axel instead of his quad axel. Malinin explained, “There’s pressure to perform the quad axel at every event, but consistency is more important to me.”
The 20-year-old from Fairfax, Virginia, has been on a winning streak, claiming victory in eight consecutive competitions since a second-place finish at the Grand Prix de France last year. This impressive run includes his previous national title, two wins at the Grand Prix Final, and a world championship he plans to defend in March.
Jimmy Ma acknowledged Malinin’s rising status in the sport. “I don’t even think of Ilia as competition anymore. It’s just an honor to compete alongside him and others who are considered greats,” Ma said.
Torgashev, who finished third at the Grand Prix de France, was thrilled with his strong performance to “Scheherazade,” saying afterward, “I … crushed it.” Meanwhile, Pulkinen celebrated his second straight bronze at nationals.
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Ilia Malinin,consecutive national championship,Nathan Chen
