U.S. figure skater Ilia Malinin, a 21-year-old from Virginia, made history at the Winter Olympics by successfully executing a backflip known as “the Bonaly flip” during his gold medal-clinching free skate. This move, performed on a single blade, was originally banned but has now been legalized, although it does not earn technical points.
Before this feat, Malinin gained recognition for being the first skater to land a quadruple axel jump in competition at the age of 17 in 2022. The quadruple axel is a challenging jump involving four and a half rotations with a forward takeoff. Due to his proficiency in landing quad jumps, Malinin has earned the nickname “Quad God” and proudly incorporates it into his social media presence.
Sports writer Pj Kwong attributes Malinin’s success to his natural jumping ability and the inspiration he draws from past jumpers who paved the way for him. Canadian figure skating legend Kurt Browning, the first skater to land a ratified quad jump in competition in 1988, acknowledged the difficulty of the axel jump, emphasizing its unique forward takeoff.
Browning explained that most figure skating jumps are landed on the back of the skate, making the forward landing of the axel particularly challenging. Malinin’s exceptional takeoff technique, combined with mental strength, allows him to achieve the necessary rotations for the quad axel.
Malinin comes from a family of Olympians, as both of his parents, Tatiana Malinina and Roman Skorniakov, are former Olympic skaters from Uzbekistan. Despite his remarkable achievements, Malinin remains grounded, emphasizing that skaters are human beings too and expressing his desire for relatability with his audience.