2023 US Figure Skating Championships results

San Jose, California – Ilya Malinin Characters People thought he was just another guy a year ago when he debuted at the US Championships with two great performances to finish second.

“I felt that no one knew me except after my compatriots,” Malinin said. “It was like this random guy showed up and took everyone by surprise.”

That long unknown was over when Malinin took to the ice on Friday for his short program at the 2023 Nationals. By then, everyone in the skateboarding world was fixated on the 18-year-old who uses “quadg0d” as his disarming social media handler, the youngster who made skateboarding history earlier this season by becoming the first Whoever landed a quad axel, a jump he plans to attempt again in the free skate on Sunday,

“It’s a big jump from last year,” Malinin said. “There was a big light on me. Everyone had expectations of me.”

And he passed them by, leaving the son of two Uzbek Olympic figure skaters to grapple with the question, “Has the age of Ilya Malinin now arrived?”

“I think she is here, and she will be here for a long time,” said Malinin.

Snowboarding Nationals: Complete scores | broadcast schedule

In winning the short program with a score of 110.36 points, Malinin found himself in the same rarefied statistical atmosphere as the 2022 Olympic champion. Nathan Chenwho has dominated U.S. figure skating since claiming his first of six consecutive national titles in 2017.

Malinin’s score was the sixth highest in Nationals history (since the 6.0 scoring system was replaced in 2006), the first four points by Chen (topping out with 115.39) and the other by Vincent ChuNone of them are competing this season.

“Now that I’m a big name out there, I hope I can carry on like this,” Malinin said.

Her gravity-defying quadruple jumps, one quadruple lutz with a triple-toe loop and the other a quadruple-toe loop, were thrown quickly, as was Axel’s triple. Then settled in the program to Jarrow“I put a spell on you,” he skates with a commitment to perform well above his strong performances in the past.

Two of the nine judges went so far as to give Malinin a maximum score of 10.0 for the presentation, in recognition of the work he did with the choreographer. She Lynn Born (who also worked with Chen).

Malinin pulled it all together to skate flawlessly after having struggled greatly in the short program in all four of his previous competitions this season, each riddled with errors.

“We took each individual and thought about what we needed to work on and improve,” he said. “I’m amazed I was able to make it happen.”

Jason Brown 28, The Bridge between the reigns of Chen and Malinin, suitably impressed when he finished second with an emotionally powerful and brilliantly executed short program. Brown, without quads, got 100.26 points, 10.11 ahead of Malinin.

“What he does is unbelievable,” Brown said of Malinin. “I had a really great opportunity to travel with him in the summer and do shows with him, and it was great to see him train, to see him work.

“The way he effortlessly does those quadruple jumps… looks more effortless than I feel like a triple. It was great to watch. Technically, he’s brilliance. It’s such an honor to watch him skate, and I can’t wait to see where he takes him.” This sport and I watch him shine.”

Brown has found it nearly impossible to compete for world medals without a quad, but remains forever relevant with both the simple beauty and the intricacy of his moves. This short program was a perfect example.

Tune to a piano piece called “Melancholy” Alexey Kosenkohe and Rohen Ward He designed it in 2020, but Brown had never used it in a live competition until Friday.

“It’s kind of about new beginnings,” Brown said.

Brown’s 12th appearance in the senior ranks was also his first competition in a season in which he charted a new direction for his career after finishing sixth in his second Olympics this past February.

In an era when relentless training was impossible both physically and mentally, Brown spent most of his time traveling to perform as he did with his coaching staff headed by Tracy Wilson within Toronto. He was in Japan in early January, playing six shows in three days.

He said, “I don’t in any way view shows as a break or a time to think, ‘Oh, I’m going to do these watered down shows. ‘” “I really pushed myself with Tracy and Rohene, especially for making these high level programs so challenging (technically speaking).

“I was really lucky to have the opportunity to do so many shows. It just kept me going and keeping fit.”

With a big lead in Sunday’s free skating over the third-place skater, Tomoki Hiwatashi (85.43), Brown put himself in a strong position to earn one of the top three spots for the American men at the March World Championships in Japan and win his seventh medal at the national level, which he won in 2015.

Even he’s not sure how that will affect his plans after this season. It can be difficult to keep a balance between offers and contests.

“At this point, in what you call the age of Ilya Malinin. I just can’t keep up (with jumping),” Brown said.

“But I can continue to push the sport artistically,” he continued. “I am here to continue to make a splash, to still make an impact, but I have to do it my own way.”

Philip Hirsch, who has covered snowboarding for the last 12 Winter Olympics, is a special contributor to NBCSports.com.

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