Ilia Malinin Aims for Olympic Gold in Men's Free Skate

The Quad God leads the competition heading into the final event.

Published on Feb. 13, 2026

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Ilia Malinin, the American figure skater known as the "Quad God," enters the men's free skate at the 2026 Winter Olympics with a five-point lead over Japan's Yuma Kagayama. Malinin impressed in the short program, performing two quad jumps, and could potentially attempt the elusive quad axel in the free skate. If Malinin maintains his lead, he would become the third American man to win Olympic gold in figure skating this century.

Why it matters

Malinin's performance could make history, as he is one of the few skaters capable of landing the extremely difficult quad axel jump. His dominance in the short program has set him up for a chance at Olympic gold, which would be a significant achievement for the young American skater.

The details

Malinin ended the short program in first place with a score of 108.16, five points ahead of Kagayama. In his short program, Malinin performed a quad lutz and a quad flip, as well as a backflip. The quad axel, which Malinin has landed in competition, remains a possibility for his free skate routine. All three American men's singles skaters - Malinin, Maxim Naumov, and Andrew Torgashev - qualified for the free skate.

  • The men's free skate event is scheduled for February 13 at 1 p.m. ET.
  • Malinin will be the last skater to perform in the free skate.

The players

Ilia Malinin

A 17-year-old American figure skater known for his ability to land difficult quad jumps, including the quad axel, which he has successfully performed in competition.

Yuma Kagayama

A Japanese figure skater who is currently in second place after the short program, trailing Malinin by five points.

Maxim Naumov

One of the three American men's singles figure skaters who qualified for the free skate event.

Andrew Torgashev

One of the three American men's singles figure skaters who qualified for the free skate event.

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What they’re saying

“I'm hoping that I'll feel good enough to do it that day. But of course I always want to prioritize health and safety. So I really want to put myself in the right mindset where I'll feel really confident to go into it and not have that as something that I'm gonna risk.”

— Ilia Malinin (New York Post)

What’s next

If Malinin maintains his lead, he will become the third American man to win Olympic gold in figure skating this century, joining Evan Lysacek (2010) and Nathan Chen (2022).

The takeaway

Ilia Malinin's performance in the men's free skate could make history, as the young American skater has the potential to become the first to land the elusive quad axel jump on Olympic ice. His dominance in the short program has set him up for a chance at Olympic gold, which would be a significant achievement for the United States in the sport of figure skating.