Teen 'Quad God' Malinin Leads at 2026 Olympics

After a shaky start at his first Olympics, American figure skating sensation Ilia Malinin turned the ice into his personal stage with a performance that reminded the world why they call him the "Quad God."

The 19-year-old landed two massive quadruple jumps, a jaw-dropping backflip, and his signature "raspberry twist" on Tuesday night in Milan, scoring 108.16 points and taking a five-point lead heading into Friday's decisive free skate. He playfully threw jabs at a TV camera as he left the ice, the pressure of his Olympic debut seemingly melted away.

Just days earlier, Malinin had admitted to feeling overwhelmed by "Olympic excitement" during the team competition, where Japan's Yuma Kagiyama actually beat him in the short program. That loss raised questions about whether the overwhelming favorite could handle the pressure of the Games.

But Malinin found his footing when it mattered most. He helped Team USA win gold in the team event, then came back Tuesday with what he called an "auto-pilot" approach that let him actually enjoy performing.

"I wanted to take things a little more slowly, a little more calm," Malinin explained after his performance at the Milano Ice Skating Arena. His quad lutz-triple toe loop combination alone earned more than 22 points, showcasing the technical advantage that makes him figure skating's surest bet.

Kagiyama sits in second place with 103.07 points after a beautiful program of his own, though a small mistake on his final triple axel cost him precious points. Adam Siao Him Fa of France rounds out the top three with 102.55 points.

Why This Inspires

The night delivered more than athletic excellence. American skater Maxim Naumov fulfilled a dream shared with his parents, who died in a plane crash just over a year ago, by performing on Olympic ice for the first time.

When his program ended, Naumov stayed on his knees at center ice, looking skyward and saying, "Look at what we've done." He carried a picture of his parents to the kiss-and-cry area, his score of 85.65 easily advancing him to the free skate.

"Whatever life throws at you, if you can be resilient and push a little bit more than you think, you can do so much more," Naumov said. His performance reminded millions watching that the Olympics represent something deeper than medals.

Now Malinin has two days to prepare for the free skate, where he plans to give himself a "mental reset" before attempting jumps no other skater in history has landed in competition. The two-time world champion knows being the favorite means nothing without delivering under pressure, but Tuesday night proved he's ready to earn the title he's worked his whole life to achieve.