Ilia Malinin walked onto the ice for his free skate at the World Championships with the confidence of a champion—and he delivered. The 20-year-old from Fairfax, Virginia, showcased an electrifying program that earned him a standing ovation at TD Garden, securing his second consecutive gold medal and helping the United States claim three golds across the four figure skating disciplines.
Malinin’s ambitious goal of landing seven quadruple jumps in a single program fell short as he settled for six after a missed quad lutz. However, his performance still impressed, as he earned a season-best 318.56 points with his routine set to “I’m Not a Vampire” by Falling In Reverse, finishing over 31 points ahead of his closest competitor.
“I’m so glad I was able to work hard all season to reach this moment,” Malinin said.
Kazakhstan’s Mikhail Shaidorov secured the silver medal with a strong free skate, totaling 287.47 points, while Japan’s Yuma Kagiyama, the reigning Olympic silver medalist, took bronze with 278.19 points. Shaidorov expressed surprise at his podium finish, reflecting on a season that was both challenging and a breakthrough.
Earlier, Madison Chock and Evan Bates made history by becoming the first ice dancers to win three consecutive world championships in nearly 30 years. Their dynamic free skate held off Canadian rivals Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier, adding another gold to the U.S. medal haul following Alysa Liu’s victory in the women’s event.
Malinin, who had a narrow lead after the short program, exuded confidence as he took the ice. His routine was a display of precision and athleticism, landing his first four quads—including the unique axel that only he has landed in competition. The only hiccup came with a doubled lutz, but his strong finish left the crowd roaring in approval.
Malinin is now considered the frontrunner for gold at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina.
“He’s clearly at the top of the field right now,” said Nathan Chen, the 2022 Olympic champion, noting Malinin’s dominance in the sport.
Chock and Bates also solidified their place in figure skating history with their win, scoring 222.06 points. Gilles and Poirier earned silver for the second consecutive year with 216.54 points, while Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson claimed bronze, giving Britain its first world medal since the era of Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean.
Chock and Bates, who were part of the U.S. team that won gold at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, are now focused on their Olympic dreams, aiming to finally stand on the podium in ice dance.
“Going into this, we weren’t thinking about a three-peat,” Bates said. “We just focused on skating our best.”
For Malinin, the Olympics are now the main goal. After being left off the 2022 Olympic team despite a strong finish at nationals, he’s determined to lead the U.S. figure skating team into the next Games.
“My focus on the Olympics will start at the beginning of next season,” Malinin said. “That’s when I’ll start planning strategies, refining my programs, and making sure everything feels right before the big event.”
