Ilia Malinin wins third world figure skating title after Olympic heartbreak
American figure skater Ilia Malinin has captured his third consecutive world championship title, completing a remarkable redemption story just six weeks after a disappointing showing at the Winter Olympics.
The highly rated athlete, widely known as the ‘quad god’, delivered a spectacular free skate routine to secure the gold medal.
He successfully landed five high-scoring quadruple jumps, along with a backflip, to finish with a commanding total score of 329.40.
“It was really challenging, really hard but with you guys I was able to make it through,” the gold medallist told the crowd.
The reigning champion admitted his primary objective had simply been to complete the routine in one piece following days of mental torment over his uncharacteristic Olympic errors.
Kagiyama takes silver as Shaidorov rests
Japan’s Yuma Kagiyama achieved a personal-best free skate score but ultimately had to settle for a distant second place with 306.67 points.
The result represents a fourth career world championship silver medal for Kagiyama, adding to an extensive collection that also features four Olympic silvers.
Shun Sato ensured a double podium finish for Japan by taking the bronze medal with a score of 288.54.
Meanwhile, newly crowned Olympic champion Mikhail Shaidorov opted to skip the event following his recent triumph in Milan.
Withdrawing is a common decision for recent gold medallists who face intense media and commercial commitments following a gruelling four-year Olympic cycle.
Matching Chen’s historic achievement
This phenomenal victory means the American prodigy is the first male skater to claim three consecutive world titles since compatriot Nathan Chen.
Chen previously achieved the impressive milestone with competition victories in 2018, 2019, and 2021.
Elsewhere on the ice, there was heartbreak for France’s Adam Siao Him Fa, who dropped from second to fifth overall after suffering a costly fall during his routine.
Aleksandr Selevko of Estonia experienced a similar fate, tumbling out of the medal positions to finish sixth after a difficult free skate.
