U.S. figure skater Ilia Malinin, a 21-year-old from Virginia, made history with a remarkable performance on Sunday night at the Winter Olympics. During his gold medal-winning free skate, Malinin executed a backflip called “the Bonaly flip,” named after French skater Surya Bonaly, who first performed it at the 1998 Nagano Games when the move was prohibited. Malinin became the first figure skater to legally perform the backflip at the Olympics, even though it did not contribute to his technical score.
Malinin is renowned for successfully landing the quadruple axel, one of the most challenging jumps in figure skating, during a competition in 2022 when he was just 17 years old. The quadruple axel is unique as it involves a forward takeoff and requires four and a half rotations in the air. His proficiency in landing quad jumps has earned him the nickname “Quad God,” which he proudly displays on his social media profiles.
According to sports writer Pj Kwong, Malinin’s success in quad jumps stems from his natural jumping ability and the inspiration he draws from past jumpers who paved the way for such feats. Canadian figure skating legend Kurt Browning, the first skater to land a ratified quad jump in competition in 1988, considers the axel jump as the “king of jumps” due to its forward takeoff, which adds complexity to the landing.
Browning explained that most figure skating jumps are executed with a backward landing due to the difficulty of landing forward, especially with the toe pick on the front of the skate. However, Malinin’s mastery of the forward takeoff sets him apart, allowing him to achieve the necessary rotations in the air. Browning praised Malinin’s exceptional spring in his takeoff and mental strength, which contribute to his ability to perform the quad axel.
Malinin’s exceptional talent may be attributed to his upbringing, as both of his parents and coaches, Tatiana Malinina and Roman Skorniakov, are former Olympic skaters from Uzbekistan. Despite his extraordinary achievements, Malinin emphasized the human aspect of skating in an interview, expressing his desire for people to relate to him as a skater who defies physical limits but remains grounded in his humanity.