Malinin back to his best as third world skating title beckons
Two-time defending champion Ilia Malinin of the United States performs during the men's short programme at the world figure skating championships in Prague (Michal Cizek) Ilia Malinin pulled off a stunning short programme on Thursday, a month after his Winter Olympics collapse, to boost his hopes of a third consecutive world figure skating title. The 21-year-old American slumped to an eighth-place finish at the Milan-Cortina Winter Games, having led after the short programme in Italy. But in his first competition since, Malinin hit a quadruple flip, triple Axel and quad Lutz-triple toe loop combination to score a personal best 111.
29 points for his skate to a medley from "The Lost Crown" video game. Malinin, who finished his routine with a beaming smile on his face, takes a 9. 44-point lead over France's Adam Siao Him Fa into Saturday's free skate.
Estonia's Aleksandr Selevko is in third place. Japan's Yuma Kagiyama, the silver medallist at the last two Olympics, is sitting sixth after falling on the takeoff of a planned triple Axel. The world championships in Prague are taking place just a month after the Olympics where Malinin had been the overwhelming favourite.
The undefeated star of skating for over two years had been leading after the short programme before crumbling under the pressure in the free skate. "A lot of the times, I'll try to find anything positive in whatever outcome or whatever situation happens," said Malinin. "So, also realising that it's done.
"There's nothing I could have done to change it. I don't have a time machine to go back. "Maybe in a few years we'll have one, who knows.