Winter Olympics: How can Ilia Malinin do the quad axel? - ESPN

DURING THE 2022 Olympic Games, Ilia Malinin watched in amazement as Yuzuru Hanyu attempted a quadruple axel during his free skate.

Hanyu, then the two-time reigning gold medalist, under-rotated the jump and fell on the ice. But the moment, and the sheer audacity to attempt the most difficult jump ever tried, awakened something in Malinin.

«I was just so excited, honestly,» Malinin told ESPN last month. «I was like, 'Yeah, this looks really possible. I think that I can get this done.'»

Malinin had already given himself the nickname and social media handle, «The Quad God.» He knew that not only could he do it, but he could also be the first to land it in competition. The idea of achieving figure skating immortality thrilled him.

«I like to live life by this idea of proving the impossible is possible,» he added.

He was 17 at the time, and he confidently told his team soon after what he wanted to do. No one was surprised. No one tried to talk him out of it. Instead, they developed a plan and figured out exactly what he needed to do.

By May of that year, U.S. Figure Skating posted a video of Malinin landing a clean quad axel at a jumping camp. He landed it in competition in September.

It took the teenager just seven months to bring his vision to reality and to make something many thought impossible look effortless. Now, four years after being inspired by Hanyu's fearless display, it's Malinin's turn. Since the last Games, Malinin has emerged as the sport's most dominant superstar with two world titles to his name and an undefeated streak dating back to 2023.

NEW RECORD. SAME STANDARD.