Ilia Malinin creates figure skating history with first ever quad Axel, says 'it felt really good'
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Updated 15/09/2022 at 09:13 GMT
Teenager Ilia Malinin has made history by landing the first clean, fully rotated quadruple Axel in figure skating during a competition. The United States skater had previously landed the elusive jump in practice and started his free skate routine with a quad Axel in the far corner of the ice. The crowd roared loudly when he landed, realising what he had done as he went on to win the event.
Ilia Malinin of the United States reacts in the Junior Men's Free Skating during day 3 of the ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships at Tondiraba Ice Hall on April 16, 2022 in Tallinn, Estonia.
Image credit: Getty Images
Ilia Malinin has created figure skating history by landing the first ever quadruple axel in competition at the US International Figure Skating Classic in Lake Placid.
Skaters have done the iconic move in training, but 17-year-old Malinin is the first athlete to complete a fully rotated quad axel in history during his free skate to 'Euphoria' by Labrinth.
Since 1978, the technique has been frozen at a triple, which is a rotation of 1,260 degrees.
Two-time Olympic champion Yuzuru Hanyu attempted it at the Winter Olympics in Beijing earlier this year, but stumbled after not properly rotating the jump.
“It felt really good,” said Malinin after his routine. “When I’m practicing it, it’s pretty easy for me to figure out how to get the right timing and everything to have it be a good attempt.
“To do it in competition is a different story because you have nerves and pressure that can get in the way of that. So I have to treat it like I’m at home, and it feels pretty good.
“I had an idea for trying it for a little while now. March or April was when I really started to work on the technique and try to improve it. [Yuzuru] definitely inspired me to try it here.”
The jump has a base value of 12.50 points, the most awarded for any of the six quad jumps, plus an execution grade of 1.00.
Malinin finished sixth in the short program, but his history-making performance on Wednesday saw him win the season-opening event.
What is a quad axel?
For the uninitiated, it's a four-and-a-half rotation jump – i.e. a 1,620 degree spin through the air – and the most difficult move of them all.
It's the only one that begins with the skater facing forwards so it's easy to spot. Entry on the outside edge of the skate, also landing on the outside edge. Simple...
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