Milan Confidential: The Quad God, The Artist, and the Backflip That Changed Everything
It’s not just about the medals anymore. Between Ilia Malinin’s defying of physics and Yuma Kagiyama’s desperate defence of artistry, the soul of figure skating is being renegotiated right here in Italy. I’m rink-side, and the tension is heavy enough to crack the ice.
I’m writing this from the media zone at the Milano Ice Skating Arena, and let me tell you, the coffee here is strong, but the gossip is stronger. If you weren’t in the arena for Tuesday’s Short Program, you missed more than just a competition; you missed a hostile takeover of the sport’s history books.
We are currently in the eye of the storm. The Men’s Free Skate is tomorrow (Friday the 13th, fittingly), and the paddock is buzzing. Why? Because Ilia Malinin, the American "Quad God", isn’t just winning; he’s dismantling the old world order jump by jump. And he’s doing it with a move that was illegal for fifty years.
⚡ The Essentials
- The Standings: After the Short Program (Feb 10), Ilia Malinin leads the pack. Japan’s Yuma Kagiyama sits in second after a costly stumble on his Axel, but the gap is close enough to keep the drama alive.
- The Weapon: Malinin is the only skater attempting the Quad Axel here. But the real headline? He’s planning a backflip in the Free Skate—a move legalised only last season.
- The Stakes: It’s a clash of philosophies. Malinin’s "Air Force" athletics vs. Kagiyama’s traditional "pure skating". The result tomorrow defines the sport for the next decade.
The Vibe in the Mix Zone
You have to understand the atmosphere here. When Malinin steps on the ice, the judges sit up straighter. I spoke to a French technical specialist off the record this morning, and he looked exhausted. "It’s not skating anymore," he whispered, gesturing vaguely at the practice rink where Malinin was casually throwing quads like he was skipping rope. "It’s acrobatics on ice. But what can we do? He lands them."
That’s the crux of it. Malinin isn't just winning on points; he’s winning the psychological war. His performance in the Team Event on Sunday—where he secured Gold for the USA—included a backflip that nearly blew the roof off the arena. It was cheeky, it was arrogant, and it was absolutely magnificent.
"You think of legends in other sports—Simone Biles, Michael Jordan. Ilia is that for us. Every time he skates, it’s like watching the moon landing."
— Johnny Weir (overheard near the commentary booth)
The Resistance: Yuma Kagiyama
But don't write off the Japanese contingent yet. Yuma Kagiyama is the resistance. If Malinin is the blockbuster action movie, Kagiyama is the arthouse cinema masterpiece. In the Team Event Short Program, Kagiyama actually beat Malinin (108.67 to 98.00) by skating cleanly while Malinin faltered. That’s the Insider secret: Malinin is beatable if he crashes. But he has to crash hard.
Watching Kagiyama practice today was almost a spiritual experience. The silence when he skates is different—it’s respectful. He knows he can’t match the American jump-for-jump (nobody can). His only path to Gold tomorrow is perfection. He needs Malinin to make mistakes, and he needs the judges to decide that quality still matters more than quantity.
👀 Why was the backflip banned for so long?
It’s a tale of rebellion. In 1976, American Terry Kubicka landed a backflip, and the ISU immediately banned it as "too dangerous" (and honestly, too circus-like for their taste). It remained the "forbidden fruit" until Surya Bonaly famously did it on one foot in 1998, knowing she’d be disqualified, just to prove a point.
Fast forward to 2024: The ISU finally cracked, removing the ban to attract a younger audience (TikTok generation, anyone?). Now, it’s a "choreographic element". No points, but massive vibes.
Tomorrow’s Showdown
So, what are we looking at for Friday? Malinin is scheduled to skate last. The rumour in the corridors is that he’s adding another quad to his layout, just because he can. It feels less like a competition and more like a coronation.
But this is the Olympics. The ice is slippery (literally and metaphorically). If Malinin gets too cocky with that backflip or misses the Quad Axel, Kagiyama is right there, sharpening his blades, ready to prove that figure skating is still an art form, not just a physics experiment. Grab your popcorn, mates. This is going to be wild.
