Ilia Malinin created one of the most electrifying moments of the 2026 Winter Olympics by landing a move that had been prohibited in competition for nearly 50 years — the backflip.
Competing in the team free skate in Milan, the 21-year-old American stepped onto the ice with Team USA locked in a fierce battle against Japan. Known as the “Quad God” for his unmatched technical firepower, Malinin delivered a program packed with soaring quadruple jumps. But it was a single, daring element that transformed an already brilliant routine into a historic one.
Midway through his performance, Malinin launched into a perfectly executed backflip — a move long banned by the International Skating Union (ISU) over safety concerns. He landed cleanly, sending the crowd inside the Milano Ice Skating Arena into a frenzy. When his score of 200.03 appeared, it confirmed the impact: the United States had secured the team gold medal.
The backflip carries a controversial legacy. It first appeared at the 1976 Winter Games, performed by American skater Terry Kubicka. Soon after, the ISU outlawed the move, citing safety risks. French skater Surya Bonaly famously defied the ban at the 1998 Nagano Olympics, etching her name into skating folklore. In 2024, the ISU officially lifted the prohibition in an effort to modernize the sport and increase its entertainment value — paving the way for Malinin’s Olympic gamble.
The magnitude of the moment extended beyond the rink. Tennis legend Novak Djokovic, seated in the stands alongside his wife Jelena, watched in disbelief. Cameras captured Djokovic clutching his head as replays of the backflip flashed across arena screens — a reaction that quickly spread across social media and international headlines.
Afterward, Malinin admitted he had noticed Djokovic in the audience. “I couldn’t believe Djokovic was watching,” he said. “Knowing he reacted like that after the backflip makes it even more special. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime feeling.”
Born in 2004, Malinin has rapidly become the dominant force in men’s figure skating. A two-time world champion (2024, 2025), three-time Grand Prix Final winner, and four-time U.S. national champion from 2023 to 2026, he is also the only skater to have successfully landed a quadruple Axel in international competition — a feat that cemented his “Quad God” nickname, particularly among fans in Japan.
At Milan 2026, Malinin did more than win a gold medal. By resurrecting a once-forbidden move on the Olympic stage, he delivered a performance that blended history, risk, and brilliance — a moment so astonishing that even one of the greatest athletes of all time could only watch in awe.
