Ilia Malinin, the 'Quad God,' delivered a clutch performance with five quadruple jumps in his free skate, securing the U.S. figure skating team's second consecutive Olympic gold medal by a single point over Japan at the Milan Cortina Games.
The U.S. figure skating team successfully defended its Olympic team title at the Milan Cortina Games, narrowly defeating Japan by one point in a thrilling three-day competition. The victory came down to 21-year-old Ilia Malinin, dubbed the 'Quad God,' who performed last for the Americans. With the teams tied after seven of eight performances, Malinin landed five quadruple jumps in his free skate, scoring 200.03 points and overcoming a mediocre short program from the previous night. His stellar performance edged out Japan's Shun Sato, who scored 194.86 points with three quads. The U.S. finished with 69 points to Japan's 68, earning Japan its second consecutive silver medal. Italy secured the bronze with 60 points. Earlier in the competition, the U.S. had a five-point lead that was eroded when Japan's Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara won the pairs free skate, and Kaori Sakamoto won the women's free skate, bringing the teams to a tie. Crucial points were also earned by Ellie Kam and Danny O'Shea in pairs, who delivered a career-best free skate. Despite some errors from Amber Glenn in the women's free skate, Malinin's decisive final skate ensured the U.S. claimed the gold, finally receiving a medal ceremony after the two-year delay from the Beijing Games due to doping issues.
