How Ilya Malinin revolutionized snowboarding with his quadruple Axel

It was Ilya Malinin Born to ski. The son of two Olympic figure skaters – Tatiana Malinina and Roman Skornyakov, who competed for Uzbekistan – he first hit the ice when he was six years old. In the years that followed, he rose to fame in the skating world, dubbing himself the “Quad God” for his ability to perform multiple quad jumps with ease in a single program.

Malinin this week led the U.S. Figure Skating Team to a gold medal in the team event at the 2026 Winter Olympics. During that competition, his performance was notable for two reasons. First, he finished his short program with a stunning backflip. Second, he didn’t even have to pull his signature Quadruple Axel to get a tidy score of 108.16.

The backflip wasn’t just notable because it looked cool as hell on the ice. It was notable because he was the first figure skater to land a legal landing at the Olympics. The International Ski Federation banned the backflip in the late 1970s, describing it as too dangerous. The ban wasn’t lifted until 2024, and shortly afterwards Malinin made one in the competition.

But he wasn’t the first. Terry Kubica’s backflip at the 1976 Olympics inspired the ban. French skater Surya Bonali had one in 1998 at the Nagano Games. She knew the move would cost her points, but Bonally did it anyway. As Root said in 2014, “she wanted to leave a mark.”

After Malinen’s performance on Sunday, many observers pointed out that he was being praised for something Bonally, a Black woman, was punished for 28 years ago. In a sport that traditionally lacks diversity, it seemed like a slight. When contacted by The Associated Press after Malinin’s performance, Bonali said she was happy to see the move in an Olympic competition.

“I broke the ice for other skaters,” Bonally said. “Now everything is different. People welcome anyone as long as they are good and that is the essence of life.”

As for the Quad God’s signature move, the fact that he did not perform a quad Axel in the team event has left many wondering whether he will save it for Friday’s men’s free skating competition, which will be his final performance of the Games.

It seems very likely. Malinin remains the only skater to have made a particularly difficult jump in competition. Moreover, he is a showman. It would be fitting for him to perform his best trick during his final turn on the ice. The move, which requires the skater to initiate the jump while moving forward, involves four and a half turns in the air. The incredible height and quick turns needed to complete the quadruple axel impress both audiences and judges. Saving this move for the big finale is just a good strategy.

And maybe Malinin will throw a few backflips too.