Figure skating 2024 and beyond.

[AB in DC]

https://defector.com/quad-god-strikes-gold

Our family friend Ilia Malinin just demolished the world record for men's figure skating at ISU World's with six perfect quads. He's the first and only skater to land a quad axel in competition.

Only the second American man in fifteen years to take home gold at World's.

https://www.nbcsports.com/olympics/news/ilia-malinin-figure-skating-world-championships-2024

 

[AB in DC]

And a day earlier, a 40-year-old won a figure skating gold at Worlds for the first time, ever.
https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/23/sport/figure-skating-championships-deanna-stellato-dudek/index.html

This is going to be an interesting few years in the figure skating world.

 

[AB in DC]

[nm, thanks mod]

 

[Fratboy]

If you don't believe me, watch this. https://defector.com/quad-god-strikes-gold

Our family friend Ilia Malinin just demolished the world record for men's figure skating at ISU World's with six perfect quads. He's the first and only skater to land a quad axel in competition.

Only the second American man in fifteen years to take home gold at World's.

https://www.nbcsports.com/olympics/news/ilia-malinin-figure-skating-world-championships-2024

His free skate was spectacular. But what's most impressive is he saved all three combos for the second half to maximize the point value, but also made his last element event MORE difficult. 4 lutz - 1 euler - 3 Axel? Are you kidding me? And yes, presentation is his weak spot, but he's 19 and got plenty of time to put that together. His short programs tend to be uptempo and adventurous, and the free skates slower in tempo, but more ponderous and heavier. And you've got to feel for Yuma Kagiyama, being a year older than Ilia and silver for the 3rd year in a row. Adam Siao Him Fa impressed the hell out of me too. That free skate blew me away, and had he skated more cleanly in the short, he could have won the silver.

Also of note is that the ladies regained their third spot, thanks to Isabeau Levito's silver medal and Amber Glenn's 9th place finish. Isabeau is almost like 1996 Michelle Kwan right now: old school, yet fresh. She can land the jumps, and has a full technical arsenal, and uses strictly classical pieces; she's quite balletic, gentle, and graceful. With Alysa Liu coming out of her retirement, the 2026 Olympic cycle is going to be very, very interesting, with gold medal possibilities in 3 of the 4 disciplines, and they could get gold in the team event too.

Also, worlds is in Boston in 2025! I attended much of it in 2016 in Boston, and it was a blast.

 

[AB in DC]

Yeah, wife and I are hoping to go next year. Maybe the kid too if it's over spring break. We should connect.

 

[AB in DC]

Also, worlds is in Boston in 2025! I attended much of it in 2016 in Boston, and it was a blast.

Could not make it this time, sadly. I hope you're able to enjoy.

 

[Fratboy]

Could not make it this time, sadly. I hope you're able to enjoy.

I'm streaming on Peacock, and I'm pumped to see Alysa Liu's free skate. Everybody is at the top of their game across all disciplines, and the US might send a full 12 entries to the 2026 Olympics for the first time in their history, I believe.

And you need to see Ilia's short. Yuma Kagiyama is the only one who can even come close to what he does.

There is an asterisk with respect to the success American and Japanese skaters have done over the last several years, but it's great to see them in the spotlight. The Boston crowd is warm, knowledgeable, and enthusiastic. There's a reason we have the opportunity to see these events up close on a regular basis, and I feel very fortunate to have gone to nationals and worlds at least once in my life.

 

[StupendousMan]

There is an asterisk with respect to the success American and Japanese skaters have done over the last several years,

Lack of Russian skaters?

 

[Fratboy]

Lack of Russian skaters?

Yup.

 

[SoxJox]

@AB in DC Edit: Just went back through the thread and saw your earlier post on Ilia. What a friend to have. Magnificant.

I used to love watching Olympic and World Championship skating in the past, but fell off of it for the past 10 years or so.

But then I caught wind of Ilia Malinin, the 20-yo American and reigning World Champion X2 (2024 and 2025).

Somehow, he was left off the US Olympic Team despite, in the final qualifying event, placing higher than the skater who was instead selected Jason Brown).

Also per Wiki: "At the 2023–24 Grand Prix Final in Beijing, Malinin successfully performed a quadruple Axel during his short program; this was the first time that any skater had performed this jump during that segment. During the free skate, Malinin successfully performed a quadruple loop, thus becoming the first skater to ever perform all six jumps as quadruples in competition. He won the event by a 17.30-point margin over reigning World champion Shoma Uno.

With his free skate program in the Grand Prix Final in December 2024, became the first figure skater to land all six types of quadruple jumps in one program."

Such feats have led to his self-proclamation of being the "quad god".

This performance - with 6 quads (he had planned 7) and a backflip is beyond breathtaking.

View: https://youtu.be/w9netjhk_aM?si=ktwzdjKQyk3bZfqC

 

[Fred not Lynn]

Lack of Russian skaters?

Considering that Russian athletes and Soviet ones before that have their own perpetual asterisks, I just think of it more like double negative.