Ilia Malinin roars to ISU Grand Prix Skate America gold with stunning quadruple Axel

BySportsbeat

Updated 23/10/2022 at 15:50 GMT

"I was very happy with how I landed it. I just have to keep that same confidence with every competition I do." Ilia Malinin made history at Skate America, hitting a spectacular quadruple Axel on his way to a stunning gold. The 17-year-old took the gold in Norwood, Massachusetts, ahead of Kao Miura of Japan, and and Korea's Cha Jun-hwan, who took bronze.

‘Just amazing’ – Malinin lands first quadruple Axel at an ISU Grand Prix

Ilia Malinin made history at Skate America, hitting a spectacular quadruple Axel on his way to a stunning gold.

Malinin, 17, became the first person to land the quadruple Axel in competitive figure skating history last month and repeated the feat again in Norwood on Saturday night.

The American was a popular winner on home soil, taking the crown ahead of Kao Miura of Japan, who led the men's event after the opening short programme on Friday evening, and Korea's Cha Jun-hwan, who claimed bronze.

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The 2022 ISU World Junior Champion posted a personal best of 194.29 points skating to 'Euphoria' by Labrinth for an overall score of 280.37 to top the rostrum in his first ISU Grand Prix event since the Covid-19 pandemic.

"I felt great, it was a really good skate. I'm still in shock," Malinin said.

"I just know that I trusted my practice and it worked well. It was very important to forget what I did yesterday (in the Short Program) and just focus on the long.

"I was really well prepared going into the long. That gave me the confidence to try the quad Axel and I was able to pull it off. I was very happy with how I landed it. I just have to keep that same confidence with every competition I do."

Elsewhere, victory in the pairs for reigning world champions Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier made it an American double.

They pipped the Canadian duos of Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps and Kelly Ann Laurin Loucas Ethier to top spot, performing to 'Sign of the Times' by Harry Styles.

"It was our first competition of the season," Frazier said.

"Tonight was a fight, [we showed] a lot of grit out there. I'm very proud of Alexa and I trusting each other to get through that programme.

"It's a starting base for us and I can see this programme growing throughout the season. I'm excited to get home and back to work.

"We lost a lot of points out there, so we are disappointed about that."

Figure Skating