Ilia Malinin secured his fourth Skate America title on Saturday in Everett, Washington, edging out Italian Daniel Grassl and Israel’s Tamir Kuperman to take gold at the opening Grand Prix event of the 2026-27 season. The 21-year-old American finished with a total score of 284.31, nearly ten points ahead of Grassl, who took silver, while Kuperman claimed bronze.
Malinin entered the Men’s Free Skate on November 14 with a five-point lead after Friday’s Short Program. Grassl responded with a strong Free Skate score of 188.25, setting a high bar for Malinin, who needed 178 points or more to clinch the title. Skating to a new program set to a Blue Eye Samurai medley, Malinin delivered a performance that included some downgraded jumps and moments of shakiness but ultimately earned a Free Skate score just 0.68 points shy of Grassl’s.
Despite the challenges, Malinin’s total score was enough to secure the win comfortably. After the event, he told NBC it felt “completely different” skating for himself. He recalled smiling at his father and coach from the ice and said, “Definitely the most fun I’ve ever had.”
This victory comes months after a turbulent 2026 for Malinin. Earlier this year, he won his third World title at the World Championships in Prague and helped Team USA capture gold at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. However, he fell to eighth place in the Olympic men’s singles competition, a surprising result for the skater nicknamed the “Quad God” for his technical prowess.
Saturday’s Skate America win sets Malinin up to attempt a fourth consecutive Grand Prix Final victory. He becomes the second winningest male skater in Skate America history with this latest triumph. His next competition will be the NHK Trophy later this month, the second Grand Prix event on his path to qualifying for the Final, scheduled for December 10-13 in Chongqing, China.
Malinin’s season-opening victory signals the start of a new chapter as he aims to maintain his dominance on the international circuit while building toward the 2030 Olympics.
According to Yahoo Sports.
