Ilia Malinin opened his season in style on Saturday, November 14, 2026, winning the Skate America title for a fourth time at the Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett, Washington, with a total of 284.31 points. The 21-year-old American, a three-time world champion known as the "Quad God", led after Friday's short program and held off Italy's Daniel Grassl by 9.58 points to claim the first Grand Prix title of the new season.

Key Points

• Ilia Malinin won his fourth Skate America title on Saturday, November 14, 2026, at the Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett, Washington, finishing with 284.31 points.
• Malinin topped Friday's short program with 96.74 points and placed second in the free skate with 187.57, winning by 9.58 points over Italy's Daniel Grassl.
• Grassl produced the strongest free skate of the event with 188.25 points, climbing from fourth after the short program to second overall on 274.73.
• Israel's Tamir Kuperman completed the podium with 248.55 points in his senior Grand Prix debut.
• Malinin's "Blue Eye Samurai" free skate featured four quadruple jumps and his trademark backflip, but he did not attempt his signature quadruple Axel.

What Happened

Malinin went into Saturday's free skate with a lead after winning Friday's short program with 96.74 points, and he protected it with a performance that mixed risk, recovery and showmanship. Skating to "Blue Eye Samurai", he survived an awkward landing on his opening quad flip, then settled in with a triple Axel and a quad toe loop.

The hardest passage came midway through, when he landed a quad Lutz-triple Axel-double Axel combination, then a triple Lutz-double toe loop and a quad Salchow. He closed with his trademark backflip and a choreo spin inspired by his mother. His free skate score of 187.57 was second only to Grassl's 188.25, but his short-program cushion held, and he finished on 284.31, 9.58 clear of Grassl on 274.73, with Kuperman third on 248.55.

Background and Context

Skate America is the traditional opening event of the Grand Prix season, and Malinin has made it his own. Saturday's win was his fourth title at the event, at the start of a campaign in which he is trying to balance the technical difficulty he is known for with greater artistic expression.

Malinin arrives at the new season as a three-time world champion with something to prove. His 2025-26 season was a roller-coaster: a 14-event winning streak ended at the Winter Olympics, where he finished eighth, before he rebounded weeks later to capture a third consecutive world title. His mother, Tatiana Malinina, the 1999 Grand Prix Final champion, remains a central influence, and the closing choreo spin was inspired by her.

Ilia Malinin Skate America Win: Four Quads, a Backflip and a Tribute to His Mother

The numbers tell only part of the story. Malinin's free skate contained four quadruple jumps, and he chose to leave out the one jump most associated with his name, the quadruple Axel, which no other skater has landed in competition. With the season only just beginning, he opted for a program he could skate cleanly and build on.

What he kept in was plenty. The opening quad flip was landed awkwardly, but Malinin steadied himself and the rest of the program flowed, from the triple Axel and quad toe loop to the quad Lutz combination and the quad Salchow. The backflip that closed the jumping passages is not scored, but it is the moment the crowd waits for, and the choreo spin that followed was the program's most personal touch.

Reactions

Malinin was honest about how hard the program was to skate. "It was definitely the most fun I've ever had, but skating that program, man, I'm tired," he told NBC. "My legs, at the end of the program, just nearly gave up on me, but I'm glad I was able to stay on my feet most of the time, and I'm just looking forward to how the program progresses in the future."

He also spoke about his mother. "She's been there for me ever since I was born, and I always appreciate everything she does for me," he said. Grassl can take encouragement from his weekend too: his free skate was the best of the event. Kuperman's third place, in his senior Grand Prix debut, marked him out as a skater to watch.

Why It Matters

The win matters because it sets the tone for Malinin's season. After the disappointment of eighth place at the Winter Olympics, when his long winning streak ended on the biggest stage, he needed a strong start to the new season. He got one, winning on home ice with a program that is still developing. Related coverage: Alyssa Naeher Retires After 16-Year Career, Two World Cups and Olympic Gold.

It also matters for the Grand Prix race. A win at Skate America puts Malinin in a strong position to reach December's Grand Prix Final, an event he has won in each of the last three seasons. His rivals know beating him will take something special, and Grassl's free skate showed the gap is not unbridgeable.

What Happens Next

Malinin will return to action at the NHK Trophy in Japan in two weeks, where a podium finish is expected to secure his place at December's Grand Prix Final. That event has been his in recent years, with three straight wins, and qualifying again would keep his season on the path he and his team have mapped out. Also read: Norris Wins Wet Sao Paulo Grand Prix as Mercedes Clinch Ninth Constructors' Title.

The bigger question is how the "Blue Eye Samurai" program develops, and whether the quadruple Axel returns to it. Malinin chose not to attempt the jump in Everett, and there was no sign of regret in his comments. As the season builds towards the Grand Prix Final, the program is expected to get harder, not easier.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who won Skate America 2026?
Ilia Malinin of the United States won the Skate America title on Saturday, November 14, 2026, in Everett, Washington. It was his fourth Skate America title.

What was Ilia Malinin's score at Skate America?
Malinin finished with 284.31 points, after scoring 96.74 in Friday's short program and 187.57 in Saturday's free skate. He won by 9.58 points over Italy's Daniel Grassl.

Who finished second and third at Skate America?
Italy's Daniel Grassl finished second on 274.73, after the strongest free skate of the event with 188.25. Israel's Tamir Kuperman was third on 248.55 in his senior Grand Prix debut.

Did Malinin attempt the quadruple Axel?
No. Malinin chose not to attempt his signature quadruple Axel in Everett. His free skate still contained four quadruple jumps, along with his trademark backflip.

What is next for Ilia Malinin?
Malinin returns at the NHK Trophy in Japan in two weeks, where a podium finish is expected to secure his place at December's Grand Prix Final, an event he has won in each of the last three seasons.