Ilia Malinin wins first world figure skating title with historic six quadruple jumps
Ilia Malinin won his first world figure skating title in emphatic fashion — becoming the second skater to land six quadruple jumps in one program and the first to do it with a quad Axel.
The American landed a quad Axel, quad Lutz, quad loop, quad Salchow, another quad Lutz (in combination with a triple flip), a quad toe loop (in combo with a triple toe), plus tacked on a triple Lutz-triple Axel combo to end his unprecedented four-minute free skate.
He totaled 333.76 points, distancing Olympic silver medalist Yuma Kagiyama of Japan by 24.11 points.
Malinin capped a rapid rise to the top of the sport, from ninth in his senior worlds debut in 2022 to third last year and now gold.
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Kagiyama had a near-flawless free skate with three quads, but he fell after landing a huge triple Axel.
France's Adam Siao Him Fa leaped from 19th after Thursday's short program to win bronze.
Siao Him Fa, who entered the event ranked third in the world this season by best total score, landed four quads in his free skate, plus an illegal back flip that cost him a two-point deduction (but didn't affect his final standing).
Two-time defending champion Shoma Uno of Japan dropped from first after the short program to fourth overall.
In the free skate, he fell on his opening quad loop and put a hand on the ice to save two other jump landings. Uno matched his lowest finish in his last nine Olympic or world championship appearances.
He was followed by two-time U.S. Olympian Jason Brown, who was once again the top man without a quad jump.
The 29-year-old elder statesman put up his trademark high artistic scores and had one total jump error between two programs — a popped Axel late in his free skate.
The next figure skating season is expected to begin in earnest with the start of the Grand Prix Series in October.
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