BOSTON – American figure skating prodigy Ilia Malinin couldn’t help but smile after hearing what seems to be on everyone’s lips these days: “He’s almost untouchable,” remarked his closest challenger, Japan’s Yuma Kagiyama. At the world championships on Thursday night, the 20-year-old Malinin seemed to live up to that reputation.
Performing with precision and flair, Malinin delivered a stellar short program that featured two quadruple jumps and an impressive triple axel, earning 110.41 points. This score was just shy of Nathan Chen’s world record, set during the 2022 Winter Olympics, placing Malinin three points ahead of Kagiyama. The competition is now shaping up as a head-to-head race for this year’s title.
“I felt really confident on the ice today,” Malinin said. “The music took me where I needed to be, and I’m really proud of my performance. It was a wonderful experience.”
Later, in pairs competition, Japan’s Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara reclaimed the top spot after falling short last year. Their standout free skate, performed to “Adios” by Benjamin Clementine, yielded 219.79 points, narrowly surpassing Germany’s Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin by 71-hundredths of a point.
“I’m so happy and deeply grateful,” an exhilarated Kihara exclaimed to the cheering crowd. Hase and Volodin’s remarkable free skate elevated them to second place, ahead of Italy’s Sara Conti and Niccolo Macii. U.S. skaters Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov achieved their personal best, landing in sixth place. Their compatriots, Ellie Kam and Danny O’Shea, finished seventh, which provisionally secures three spots for the Winter Olympics.
“Words can’t describe how I feel,” said an elated Efimova.
Since 2023, Malinin has remained undefeated, and despite the pressure, he exudes a confidence that is impressive for his age. As he finished his program to “Running” by NF, he received a standing ovation at TD Garden.
“He makes everything look so easy,” noted U.S. teammate Jason Brown. “It’s amazing how effortlessly he competes. It’s like the sky’s the limit for him.”
Three-time world silver medalist Kagiyama nearly broke his own record with 107.09 points, while Kazakhstan’s Mikhail Shaidorov sits in a distant third with 94.77 points as they head into Saturday night’s free skate finale.
The pressing question remains whether Malinin can break the record for the free skate by landing seven quadruple jumps. He has previously achieved six in a single program this season.
“That’s the target I set for myself, to complete them all,” Malinin admitted.
This year’s world championships also determine the number of Olympic spots each nation secures in various disciplines. The U.S., which has two or three competitors in the championship, needs to achieve a combined top-two finish of 13 points or less to gain the maximum slots at the Winter Games.
With Malinin poised to deliver a solid score, attention turns to the performances of Andrew Torgashev and Brown, the seasoned, two-time Olympian. Torgashev impressed with a short program that netted 87.27 points, placing him eighth, while Brown scored 84.72 points, finishing 12th after some minor mistakes.
Despite a challenging season marked by equipment issues, Brown remained upbeat. His tenacity and support from his coaches and family kept him motivated.
“I’m proud of my resilience this season,” he expressed. “Each setback was met with encouragement to keep pushing forward, and to be here now is truly special.”