Ilia Malinin Wins 4th Straight US Figure Skating Title

Ilia Malinin brought a St. Louis crowd to its feet Saturday night, capturing his fourth straight U.S. figure skating championship and cementing his status as the sport's most electrifying performer heading into the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics.

The 19-year-old phenomenon earned a total score of 324.88, crushing the competition by more than 57 points. Even while "playing it safe" with just three quad jumps in his free skate, Malinin looked untouchable.

"I was a little unsure what I was gonna do, so I decided not to go for any risks," Malinin explained after his performance. He's breaking in new skates and saving his full arsenal for the Olympic stage in just a few weeks.

The teen didn't earn his "Quad God" nickname by accident. He became the first skater in history to land a quadruple Axel and has performed seven quad jumps in a single program. What started as a playful Instagram username became a self-fulfilling prophecy as he mastered the sport's most difficult jumps one by one.

Andrew Torgashev delivered the night's other standout performance, earning a season-best 182.63 and securing second place with 267.62 total points. His exceptional skate included two quad toeloops and earned him both a standing ovation and a celebratory box of pizza.

Earlier in the day, Madison Chock and Evan Bates wrote their own piece of history. The ice dance duo captured their seventh national title, breaking the all-time record, and their fifth consecutive championship. The victory propels them to their fourth Olympic Games together.

"The feeling that we got from the audience today was unlike anything I've ever felt before," Chock said through tears of joy. "It felt so special, I felt so much love and joy and I'm so grateful for this moment."

Why This Inspires

These aren't just athletic achievements. They're stories of athletes at different career stages all finding their moment to shine. Malinin represents the fearless future of figure skating, pushing boundaries that seemed impossible just years ago. Chock and Bates show that longevity and partnership can create magic that transcends any single performance.

Their combined success reminds us that excellence comes in many forms. Sometimes it's the young phenom rewriting the record books with gravity-defying jumps. Sometimes it's the veteran champions perfecting their craft over decades of partnership.

U.S. Figure Skating will announce the full 2026 Olympic team Sunday, but these champions have already secured their spots and inspired a new generation of skaters reaching for the impossible.