PRAGUE — Ilia Malinin has returned to the uppermost position on the victory stand.
Just six weeks after a calamitous routine caused the Olympic gold-medal hopeful to miss the awards platform, the “Quad God” executed a succession of spectacular jumps, culminating in a backflip for an extra flourish, thereby securing his world championship title for the third successive year.
Malinin roared and vigorously punched the atmosphere with evident relief upon completing a routine that signified he had realized his wish to ‘advance’ beyond the Olympics, following days spent agonizing over his missteps.
He lauded the spectators’ encouragement, remarking: “It was exceptionally demanding, truly arduous, yet with your presence, I managed to prevail.” His goal, he further stated, was merely to complete the free skate “unscathed.”
Performing last, having topped the short program, precisely as he had in Milan, Malinin successfully executed five highly-rated quadruple leaps; however, he omitted his groundbreaking quad axel, a maneuver he refrained from attempting at the Olympics.
Malinin amassed 218.11 points in his free skate, yielding a grand total of 329.40, a score significantly surpassing that of the runner-up, Yuma Kagiyama of Japan, who achieved 306.67. Shun Sato, another Japanese competitor, secured the third position with 288.54.
Kagiyama surpassed his individual best free skate score yet had to settle for a fourth silver medal at the world championships in a professional path encompassing four Olympic silvers and five global championship accolades in total, though no top prize from either competition. Nonetheless, he warmly embraced Malinin following his performance, and they leapt in unison in celebration.
Amidst a vibrant exhibition of elite ice performance, France’s Adam Siao Him Fa failed to secure a medal position; despite holding second place after the short program, he fell, consequently slipping to fifth place overall. Likewise, Estonia’s Aleksandr Selevko also suffered a tumble, declining from third to sixth.
Malinin did not face a repeat contest against Mikhail Shaidorov, the Kazakhstani athlete who claimed the Olympic gold medal, as Shaidorov opted against competing again this season.
Such a decision is fairly typical in figure skating for champions who encounter an influx of media attention and lucrative endorsements subsequent to an arduous four-year Olympic preparation.
Malinin is now the first competitor to claim three successive men’s global championships since his compatriot, Nathan Chen, accomplished this feat in 2018, 2019, and 2021, given that the 2020 competition was annulled due to the COVID-19 global health crisis.
The concluding event of these championships is the free dance segment of the ice dance competition, scheduled for later on Saturday. Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron of France currently hold the top spot following Friday’s rhythm dance.