Ilia Malinin defended his world figure skating title with a dominant performance at Boston’s TD Garden, solidifying his position as the best figure skater on the planet. The 20-year-old American cruised to victory, capping off his campaign with a stunning free skate that earned a standing ovation from the packed arena.
Malinin showcased his impressive skills, landing six quadruple jumps to music by Falling In Reverse, and finished with a season-leading 318.56 points, more than 31 points ahead of Mikhail Shaidorov in second place. Despite narrowly missing out on a planned seventh quadruple jump, Malinin expressed his gratitude for the home crowd’s support and acknowledged the opportunity to improve in future seasons.
The American skater’s performance was almost flawless, featuring a quad-axel – a move he is the only person to have landed in competition – and a breathtaking one-footed backflip. His dominant display has boosted his chances of winning the gold medal at next year’s Winter Olympics, which now appears even more likely.
Malinin’s victory marks a successful world championships for the US, with Alysa Liu becoming the first American woman to win figure skating world title in 19 years, and Madison Chock and Evan Bates defending their ice dance title. This record-breaking week saw the US secure three out of four disciplines at the world championships for the first time.
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/03/30/sport/ilia-malinin-world-figure-skating-title-spt-intl/index.html