American figure skater Ilia Malinin, widely hailed as the 'Quad God', carries a significant five-point advantage into the men's free skate at the Milan Cortina Olympics, positioning him as the clear frontrunner for the gold medal. The 21-year-old sensation leads over Japan's Yuma Kagiyama and France's Adam Siao Him Fa following a dominant short program performance, setting the stage for a potentially historic victory on Friday night.
Unbeaten Streak and Record-Breaking Performances
Malinin's lead is not just substantial; it is backed by an impressive unbeaten streak spanning over two years, encompassing 14 consecutive victories in full competitions. This remarkable run includes triumphs at the past four U.S. championships, the last two world titles, and numerous world records. Notably, he holds the best-ever score for a free skate, a staggering 238.24 points, which secured him a 30-point victory at the Grand Prix Final in December.
Kagiyama, the last skater to defeat Malinin, finished second in that event, while Siao Him Fa placed fifth. Despite his commanding position, Malinin remains grounded, emphasizing the challenge of performing under pressure. "Being the favorite is one thing," he stated after his short program, "but actually getting it done and doing it under pressure and having the skate of your life to earn that medal is another thing. I don't want to get too ahead of myself and say that it's guaranteed that I'm getting that gold medal. Because, of course, I still have to put in the work."
Advantages in the Free Skate Format
The longer format of the free skate, which features seven jumping passes compared to three in the short program, further amplifies Malinin's edge. He has scheduled a record-tying seven quadruple jumps in his routine, whereas Kagiyama and Siao Him Fa each have only four planned. This technical superiority could make his lead insurmountable, as highlighted by Scott Hamilton, the 1984 Olympic champion.
Hamilton drew a sports analogy to illustrate the gap: "Say it's football. You win by seven points, that's a touchdown; that's good. If you win by 10 points, that's a two-possession victory. You kind of dominated, right? He is winning competitions by 50 points or more. That's like, seven touchdowns."
Anticipation for the Quad Axel
Beyond the gold medal race, a key point of intrigue is whether Malinin will attempt and land the first quad axel in Olympic history. As the only skater ever to successfully execute this jump in competition, he faces the unique challenge of its forward-facing start, which adds an extra half revolution compared to other jumps. Malinin expressed cautious optimism, saying, "I’m hoping that I’ll feel good enough to do it. But of course I always prioritize health and safety. So I really want to put myself in the right mindset where I’ll feel really confident to go into it."
Malinin already boasts a gold medal from the team event, where he helped the United States defend their title by outperforming Japanese star Shun Sato in the free skate, despite an initial setback against Kagiyama in the short program. Reflecting on his Olympic debut, Malinin admitted to early nerves but has since regained his trademark fearlessness. "Now I feel like I've taken over that fight that I had in the team event," he explained, "so now I can really just focus solely on that free program, and let everything happen naturally."
As the world watches, Malinin's combination of skill, confidence, and a substantial lead makes him the athlete to beat in what promises to be a thrilling conclusion to the men's figure skating competition at the Milan Cortina Olympics.
