← Back to Stories

Ilia Malinin’s redemption at the 2024 World Figure Skating Championships after Olympic collapse

Just now2 articles from 1 source

Consensus Summary

Ilia Malinin secured his third consecutive world figure skating championship at Prague’s O2 Arena, rebounding from a devastating Olympic collapse in Milan just a month prior. After leading by over nine points in the short program with a personal-best 111.29, Malinin delivered a flawless free skate with five quadruple jumps, including a quad toe-triple toe combination and a backflip, finishing with 218.11 and a total of 329.40 points. His composure and crowd support contrasted sharply with his Olympic free skate, where pressure-induced errors cost him gold. Yumi Kagiyama and Shun Sato finished second and third, while Adam Siao Him Fa and Aleksandr Selevko also stood out. Malinin’s redemption arc marked him as the first man since Nathan Chen to win three straight world titles, underscoring his dominance despite the emotional toll of his Olympic setback. Both articles highlight his mental resilience and technical brilliance, though specifics like exact jump details and music choices vary slightly.

✓ Verified by 2+ sources

Key details reported by multiple sources:

  • Ilia Malinin won his third straight world figure skating championship on Saturday at Prague’s O2 Arena
  • Malinin scored a personal-best 111.29 in the short program, leading by over nine points after Thursday’s session
  • In the free skate, Malinin scored 218.11 to finish with a total of 329.40 points, winning comfortably ahead of Yumi Kagiyama (306.67) and Shun Sato (288.54)
  • Malinin landed five quadruple jumps in his free program, including a quad toe-triple toe combination and a backflip
  • A month prior, Malinin fell twice in his Olympic free skate in Milan, dropping from first to eighth place
  • Mikhail Shaidorov skipped the 2024 World Championships
  • Ilia Malinin is known as the 'Quad God' for his quadruple jump arsenal
  • Malinin’s short program included a quad flip and a quad lutz-triple toe combination
  • Malinin’s free skate score of 218.11 was nearly 23 points ahead of the next best score (Kagiyama’s 206.67)

Points of Difference

Details reported by only one source:

ARTICLE 1
  • Malinin’s free skate score was described as 'commanding' and 'as much about composure as content'
  • Malinin said, 'I definitely felt very pushed and loved from the crowd,' emphasizing crowd support throughout his program
  • Malinin mentioned, 'My expectation was to leave the long program in one piece and I definitely think that happened'
  • Kagiyama surpassed his personal-best free skate score with a selection from Puccini’s Turandot
  • Sato’s program featured Stravinsky’s Firebird, and Gogolev placed fourth with 281.04 points
  • Malinin stated, 'It was really challenging and really hard... But with you guys I was able to make it through' to the crowd
  • Malinin became the first man to win three straight world titles since Nathan Chen (2018, 2019, 2021)
  • Malinin admitted after the Olympics, 'The pressure had consumed him, replaying mistakes 24/7'
  • Malinin’s Olympic collapse was described as 'one of the biggest upsets in figure skating history'
  • Andrew Torgashev and Jacob Sanchez placed 10th and 12th, respectively
ARTICLE 2
  • Malinin’s new haircut was noted as a visual change from his Olympic appearance
  • Malinin performed a triple axel instead of his trademark quad axel in the short program
  • French skater Adam Siao Him Fa landed a perfect quad toe loop in combination with a triple toe loop plus a quad salchow for 101.85 points
  • Aleksandr Selevko of Estonia scored a personal best 96.49 in the short program
  • Malinin’s five-point lead over Kagiyama and Siao Him Fa after the short program was described as insurmountable
  • Malinin said after the Olympics, 'The nerves just went, so overwhelming... So many negative thoughts that flooded into there'
  • Malinin was heavily favored to win individual gold with an 'unrivaled program' before the Olympics

Contradictions

Conflicting information between sources:

  • Article 1 states Malinin’s free skate score was 218.11, while Article 2 does not mention this specific score
  • Article 1 describes Malinin’s free skate as 'packed with difficulty, landing five quadruple jumps,' but Article 2 does not detail the exact jumps landed in the free skate
  • Article 1 mentions Malinin’s free skate music was not specified, while Article 2 does not mention music at all
  • Article 1 states Malinin’s total score was 329.40, but Article 2 does not provide this total score
  • Article 1 lists Malinin’s short program score as 111.29, while Article 2 does not specify this exact score

Source Articles

GUARDIAN

Ilia Malinin completes redemption arc with third straight world figure skating championship

US star wins third straight world title after Olympic shock Japanese rivals Kagiyama and Sato round out podium Ilia Malinin claimed a third straight world figure skating championship on Saturday after...

GUARDIAN

The Quad God reborn: Ilia Malinin leads world championships after Olympic shock

American on course for victory after short program 21-year-old had disastrous sake at Winter Olympics Ilia Malinin bounced back from his disappointment at this year’s Winter Olympics by leading after ...