American Malinin redefines limits ahead of 2026 Olympics

MANCHESTER, England, Jan ‌8 : American Ilia Malinin is barely 21, but he has redefined the boundaries of men's figure skating, and when he steps onto the ice at the Milano Cortina Olympics, he will not be measuring himself against the field - because he is in a class of his own. 

Malinin's competition is internal, a relentless pursuit of what is possible rather than what has already been done.

Malinin is the first skater to land seven quadruple jumps in a single program and the first to execute the difficult quad Axel in competition - a feat once considered virtually impossible. 

The Virginia native won the recent Grand Prix Final by nearly 30 points - think of the clear daylight between Usain Bolt at his best and the rest of the ‌field. Malinin admitted it can be "tricky" to find ways to push himself.

"I really love to give myself a ‌challenge, that battle between myself when I go to competitions instead of really focusing on my competitors," Malinin told reporters on a recent video call. "(That way) it is easier to find ways to progress more and really push yourself to different heights, different limits."

Johnny Weir, a commentator and former skater, recently said on Instagram that compared to other skaters who are rigid or precise, Malinin "skates so naturally, like he was literally grown out of the ice, like a flower petal flowing downstream." 

Malinin also has unofficial elements in his programmes, his signature "Raspberry Twist" and a back-flip - both added largely for spectacle, since neither are assigned points values as technical elements.

"It's a special ‍person who can break the mold of figure skating and really become a legend," Weir told the Washingtonian. "Not just because they win but because they change the