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Ilia Malinin of the United States currently sits in the gold-medal position after the men’s figure skating short program qualification round on Tuesday.
The 21-year-old from Vienna, Virginia, known as the “Quad God,” scored 108.16 in the short program, skating to Dies Irae from the video game The Lost Crown, executing a quadruple flip, quadruple lutz and a backflip.
Japan’s Yuma Kagiyama, the silver medallist from Beijing 2022, is currently second in the short program, scoring 103.07.
France’s Adam Siao Him Fa set a personal best score of 102.55 points to put him into third place heading into the final free programs on Friday.
Two-time world champion Ilia Malinin scored 108.16 points and leads by more than 5 points, heading into the Olympic men’s free program on Friday.
This is Malinin’s first Olympic Games – already winning gold in the team event on Sunday at the Milano Skating Arena.
Malinin told CBC Sport’s Devin Heroux he got “too excited” going into his short program for the team event, which he said “bit me in the back.” Kagiyama outscored Malinin in the team event short program.
“I was like, wow, this is such an atmosphere … such an environment,” Malinin said.
“I honestly took a different approach this time, wanted to just be little more relaxed, really, just trust everything that I went through and [it] really worked out on the end.”
Malinin earned his moniker because of his signature quadruple jumps on the ice. Last year he became the first – and so far the only – skater to successfully perform a quadruple axel in competition, and do seven quads in one program.
Skaters are only allowed two quads out of four jumps in the short program. Malinin’s free program includes five quads and a backflip, which he already performed in the team event finals on Sunday.
With the United States and Japan tied at 59 points apiece heading into the final program of the Olympic team figure skating event, American Ilia Malinin edged out Japan’s Shun Sato to claim the gold medal.
Malinin also holds the world record for the highest score achieved in free program, which he achieved in December at the International Skating Union Grand Prix Finals, where he scored 238.24 points to win the event.
Malinin is coached by his parents, Tatyana Malinina and Roman Skornyakov, who are both former Olympic figure skaters for Uzbekistan.
Bank robbers, Minions and tearful tributes
Malinin’s teammate, Maxim Naumov, scored a season’s best of 85.65 in the short program where he skated to Nocturne No. 20 by Frederic Chopin, placing 14th and advancing to the final.
Skating in his first Olympic Games, the 24-year-old held a photo of his parents while awaiting his score, telling reporters he wanted them in the kiss and cry zone to “experience the moment” with him.
Naumov’s parents were Olympic pairs figure skaters who died in the plane that crashed into a helicopter above Washington, D.C., about a year ago.
“I was three years old in that photo,” Naumov told Heroux.
“That’s why it’s so important for me because I don’t want to forget any of those moments, and I want to see the smile in both my parents and see it in their eyes and my own and how we were together as a family and keeping that message in my heart.”
Also competing in his first Olympic individual event, Canada’s Stephen Gogolev scored 87.41 in his short program, performing a bank robber themed medley of songs by Royal Crown Revue, Zip Gun Bop, Mugzy’s Move, Hey Pachucho!
After winning his first Canadian national title last month, the 21-year-old from Toronto set personal best scores in both his short and free program during the team event where Canada placed fifth.
Gogolev had a small mishap as his laces came out of tights, making his coaches and fans nervous.
“I was just hoping I wouldn’t catch it with the other foot,” Gogolev told CBC Sports.
“Towards the end, once I got to the last bit I knew I was fine.”
Toronto’s Stephen Gogolev scored 87.41 points in the Olympic men’s short program to finish in tenth place, and qualify for Friday’s free program.
Gogolev told CBC Sports that he’s right where he wants to be mentally.
“I’ve been the most confident going into this competition, so I’m really happy I was able to preform this way especially after competing two days ago,” Gogolev said.
Gogolev is currently ranked 10th going into the free programs on Friday.
After having made headlines earlier this month for the controversy around his music, crowd favourite Tomas Guarino Sabate from Spain performed a short program to a medley of songs, including The Minions, from the Despicable Me soundtrack.
WATCH | Gaurino Sabate’s Minion short program:
Dressed in a Minion inspired costume, Guarino Sabate performed the fun and energetic routine to cheers and clapping, despite falling on his first jump.
Guarino Sabate resolved his copyright dispute with Universal Studios on Feb. 6, giving him permission to use the music in Milano-Cortina.
The Spanish skater scored 69.80 to finish 25th in the short programs, just missing out on qualifying in the top 24 for the free program finals.
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