In the world of figure skating, no performer right now has more spotlight than the United States of America’s Alysa Liu.
The double gold medalist became the face of the Winter Olympic Games with her unique look, charming personality, and fun performances that not only won over diehard fans but also brought in millions of new figure skating viewers.
Before the Olympics, fellow American and close friend of Liu, Ilia Malinin, said he wanted to be the face of skating and bring in new fans through his physics-defying maneuvers on the ice.
Although Malinin won gold in the team event alongside Liu in Milan, those hopes faded following a disastrous men’s individual competition where he looked more pained on the ice than enjoying himself.
Well, a week after the Olympics closed, Malinin might have picked up something from his friend in preparation for the World Championships at the end of March in Prague, Czechia.
At an exhibition event in Switzerland, the “Quad God” did what he does best: throwing a ludicrous amount of quadruple jumps into his routines, including the fabled quad axel.
But that wasn’t all Malinin was doing. Following two dramatic, serious routines in Milan in his short program and free skate, the 21-year-old was having fun on the ice in Switzerland.
In his last performance of the multi-day event, Malinin went viral on social media not only for his outrageous quads but also for loosening up by combining his untouchable physical ability with contagious whimsy.
The “Quad God” made fans’ minds bend by throwing out his iconic butterfly twist maneuver before channeling breakdancing, spinning on his backside on the ice to the delight of the crowd.
While some Malinin fans were worried that their back-to-back world champion would refrain from competing in Prague or put too much pressure on himself for redemption, it seems like he’s done the complete opposite.
If Malinin can find more freedom in his skating and go down the path that Liu has set with her Olympic Games victory, it could be an evolution of the world’s best male figure skater. And for his opponents in Prague, that might be the scariest thing imaginable.