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Figure Skating-Malinin opens season in style with Skate America title
Ilia Malinin won Skate America for the fourth time, opening his season with a victory that paired his trademark technical difficulty with a more expressive performance. The three-time world champion’s choreographic spin, inspired by his mother, delighted the crowd as he began building towards the season ahead.
Malinin scored 284.31, finishing 9.58 points ahead of Italy’s Daniel Grassl, who rose from fourth after the short programme to take second with the event’s strongest free skate. Israel’s Tamir Kuperman placed third with 248.55 in his senior Grand Prix debut. Malinin skipped his signature quadruple Axel, landed several other difficult jumps and performed his trademark backflip; he next competes at the NHK Trophy in two weeks.
In short
- Malinin won his fourth Skate America title with 284.31 points.
- Grassl finished second after delivering the event’s strongest free skate.
- Malinin’s next event is the NHK Trophy in Japan.
Explained simply
Skate America is an annual figure skating event in the International Skating Union’s Grand Prix series, where skaters compete in a short programme and a longer free skate. Scores from both are combined, with points awarded for jumps, spins, footwork and performance.
Ilia Malinin is an American skater and three-time world champion, known for attempting difficult jumps, including the quadruple Axel. Italy’s Daniel Grassl and Israel’s Tamir Kuperman are among the international competitors on the men’s circuit.
The Grand Prix series gives skaters a chance to compete internationally during the season and build towards later events, including the Grand Prix Final. Results can also offer a measure of form as athletes prepare for major championships.
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