If you’ve been watching the Winter Olympics, you already know the “Quad God.” And yes — the star soaring over the ice is one of ours.
Why it matters: Ilia Malinin goes for individual gold Friday in the men’s free skate, airing at 1pm ET.
Driving the news: The 21-year-old Fairfax native is poised to prove he’s not just the best figure skater of his generation — he’s the best of all.
- Here at home, hundreds are expected at a sold-out watch party at SkateQuest, the Reston rink where Malinin has trained since he was 5.
- More watch parties are planned at George Mason University, where he’s a sophomore.
The intrigue: Malinin’s parents, both former Olympians, coach at SkateQuest. Since their son became the breakout star of these Games, enrollment at the rink has jumped 300% compared to a year ago, per WBJ.
- Of the new registrants, about 30% are first-timers — and SkateQuest says it’s seeing a surge of boys signing up who say they want to skate like Malinin.
What they’re saying: “I think that’s indicative of his notoriety,” co-owner Nate Smith told WBJ, noting the rink’s marketing hasn’t changed much in its 33 years.
Catch up quick: Malinin is the first skater in history to land a quadruple axel — a mind-bending 4½-rotation jump long considered the sport’s holy grail.
- That was in 2022. He hasn’t stopped burning up the ice. Earlier this week, he landed a backflip in the short program (no points, all vibes). Even tennis champion Novak Djokovic was spotted losing his mind in the stands.
- The flip helped power the U.S. men’s team to gold.
- It also helped Malinin build a 5-point lead over Japan’s Yuma Kagiyama — a canyon in elite figure skating.
Between the lines: Figure skating is a sport of razor-thin margins and rattled nerves.
- Even so, Slate’s skating analyst throws down: “I can confidently tell you that he will be the men’s figure skating champion of the Milan Cortina Olympics.”
Also worth watching: Maxim Naumov, the 24-year-old Boston skater delivering some of the most emotional performances of the Games.
- Naumov dedicated his program to his parents — skating coaches who died in last year’s D.C. plane crash, which killed 67 people, many from the skating community.
- Like Malinin, he’s inspiring a new wave of male skaters — especially at his Boston club, which lost six members in the crash.
What Malinin’s saying: “I’m so proud of him — the strength and the bravery,” Malinin said about Naumov this week. The two have skated together since childhood. “He’s always a fighter.”…