American figure skating star Ilia Malinin claimed gold at Saturday’s ISU Figure Skating Grand Prix event in Everett, Washington, winning the “2026 Skate America title”, according to Yahoo Sports.
Malinin edged out Italian Olympic team bronze medalist Daniel Grassl in second place and Tamir Kuperman of Israel in third place to secure his fourth Skate American Grand Prix victory, as “reported by Forbes”.
The competition marked the 21-year-old skater’s first international appearance since he won gold at the 2026 World Championships in Prague, which was his third World title overall.
Malinin entered Saturday’s Men’s Free Skate with a five-point lead following Friday’s Short Program, but he ultimately took the ice after a formidable challenge from Grassl.
Grassl posted a strong score of 188.25 in the Free Skate, requiring a score of 178 or higher from Malinin to clinch the championship.
Skating to a new program to a Blue Eye Samurai medley, the athlete known as the Quad God showcased a downgraded slate of jumps to eclipse Grassl.
Although the judges awarded Malinin a Free Skate score just 0.68 short of the Italian skater’s mark, it remained enough for the American competitor to secure the top spot.
Malinin posted a total combined score of 284.31, winning the event comfortably by nearly ten points.
Reflecting on the unique atmosphere of the weekend, Malinin shared his perspective in an interview with NBC after the competition concluded.
Describing the experience of skating purely for himself, he told NBC that it was a “completely different feeling” and that he took a moment to smile at his father and coach from the ice.
He added that the competition was “definitely the most fun I’ve ever had”.
With his fourth Skate America victory, Malinin officially became the second winningest male skater in the history of the event.
Next up, Malinin is slated to compete in the NHK Trophy event later this month as the second of two required Grand Prix events.
From the NHK Trophy, Malinin plans to qualify for the Grand Prix Final scheduled for December 10-13 in Chongqing, China.