The 2026 Winter Olympics appear to be a spot on stage for Ilia Malinin. Just days after a surprisingly shaky skate in the Team Event, where Japan’s Yuma Kagiyama stunned the reigning “Quad God”, the 21-year-old from Vienna, Virginia, turned the tables by capturing the short program lead in the men’s singles competition.

However, it seems like one of his strongest weapons isn’t going to pay him off. He is due for one or maybe two backflips, but the scoring system is designed in a way to refrain from giving him any points for the feat. Here’s why.

Who is Ilia Malinin?

Ilia Malinin is a top American figure skater from Vienna, Virginia, near Washington, D.C. He was born on December 2, 2004, and grew up in a family of skaters. Both his parents were Olympic competitors. He began skating when he was very young and trained seriously as he got older.

Malinin focused fully on his skating career while rising through junior and senior levels of international competition. He became a two-time world champion in 2024 and 2025 and is known for landing the quadruple Axel, a historic jump no other skater has done in competition. The 2026 Winter Olympics added more to his glorious career. He made his Olympic debut as one of the favorites by helping the U.S. win gold in the team figure skating event and is also leading the field in the men’s singles event, including topping the short program.

Why Is Ilia Malinin Considered the King of Quad Jumps?

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Ilia Malinin is known as the “Quad God” because of his unprecedented mastery of quadruple jumps, the most difficult technical elements in figure skating. He is the only skater ever to land a quadruple Axel in competition, a jump with 4½ rotations that many experts thought impossible before he first completed it in 2022.

Malinin doesn’t just land one type of quad but can execute all six types of quadruple jumps (toe loop, Salchow, loop, flip, Lutz, and Axel). A perfect example of this was demonstrated at the 2024 World Championships, where he landed six quads in his free skate, including the quad Axel, to set a world record free skate score of 227.79 points.

He pushed the boundaries even further at the 2025 Grand Prix Final by landing seven quadruple jumps in one program. This broke his own scoring records and redefined what is technically possible in the sport.

Why Isn’t Ilia Malinin’s Backflip Worth Any Points?

Figure skating has a fixed scoring system. Judges award points for a specific list of approved jumps, spins, and step sequences. Every move has a base value. Skaters build their programs around those listed elements because that is what earns points. However, unfortunately for Malinin, a backflip is not on that list.

For many years, backflips were actually illegal in figure skating. If a skater performed one, they received a deduction. The move was considered dangerous because the skater takes off and lands backward without seeing the ice. The rules, as of now, have changed. A backflip is allowed, but it still has no base value. That means judges give it zero points. It does not add to the technical score, even if the crowd cheers loudly.

Malinin performs the move for excitement, not for scoring. It shows his athletic ability and confidence, but it does not help his total score. His backflip is a standing back tuck done on the ice, where he jumps straight up, rotates backward in the air, and lands cleanly on one blade.

What Happened With Ilia Malinin’s Backflip During the Competition?

Ilia Malinin’s performance at the Winter Olympics marked a surprising moment. During the team event short program at the Winter Olympics in Milan, Malinin delivered a clean backflip that instantly brought the crowd to its feet. It was the first time the move had been performed at the Games in decades, and the cheers inside the Milano Ice Skating Arena were as loud as the music playing overhead.

However, Malinin was clearly exhausted by the time he finished his routine. The 21-year-old bent over, caught his breath, and even stuck out his tongue. But he also understood the impact of what he had done.

“It was fun,” Malinin told reporters. “I mean, come on, the audience just roared and they were just out of control. Really that just helped me feel the gratitude of the Olympic stage.”

He scored 98.00 points and placed second behind Japan’s Yuma Kagiyama, who earned 108.67. Despite finishing second, Team USA stayed in first place overall, with Japan close behind and Italy in third. While it is clear that he won’t get any points for the backflip, he still has enough technical skills to maintain the top position.