Malinin takes sixth Grand Prix gold in Halifax

Malinin opened his dynamic short program with an outstanding quad flip and triple Axel. He followed up with a quad Lutz-triple toe and earned a level for two spins and his footwork in his routine to “Running” by NF. The 2024 World Champion scored 106.22, just under a point from his personal best at Lombardia Trophy earlier this season. It was also an improvement from Skate America last week, but he lost a level on his change camel spin which was a level three.

When asked how he was able to remain so calm, the 19-year-old said it was probably due last week as it was the first “big” competition.

“So maybe that brought a little more pressure on me, but all I can say is this today, it was a lot easier when I stepped on the ice,” said Malinin. “I felt a lot more under my feet and I was really able to control everything in that program. So, I was more aware of myself.”

“Last week was really hard for me to skate, and I was feeling a lot more nervous than usual, and it was a really interesting fight, so to say,” he continued. “But this week, I came out with a whole different mindset. To try to just get through everything and try to minimize any mistakes which I did. So overall, really, I was able to be really relaxed on the ice, and I’m really proud of what I did.”

Malinin improved his free skate from last week, taking first place with 195.60 points. His routine to “I’m Not a Vampire” by Falling in Reverse featured three quads: flip, Lutz and quad toe, but the flip was landed on the quarter. He also two-footed and stepped out of a triple loop but was rewarded with a level four for all spins and footwork. The two-time national champion placed first overall with 301.82 points.

“It was very tough doing these two back-to-back Grand Prix,” admitted the 2024 Skate America champion. “Overall, I am pretty satisfied with my performance and how I was able to manage this today. You know, I’m a little bit bummed out with the loop, because I took the few days after Skate America to really make sure that this wouldn’t happen. But it is what it is. I just had to push it aside and continue the rest of the program.”

“The skater explained that he was a bit tired due to the new setup.

“Last year, I had the footwork in between the two sections for the jumping passes,” he explained. “This year, it’s more like an all-in-one continuous move. So, I think it’ll give me some time to adjust this.”

“I’m always challenging myself as my main competitor is just me,” he continued, regarding fighting from start to finish. “And of course, my goal was to go for the loop here as well. I have a little more time for the Final to really make sure I can do it under pressure, or when I’m doing the run through, so that it becomes pretty easy to do. Now, I’ll be able to take the feedback that I’ve got for myself from both the Grand Prixes and really just find spots in the program that I have to work on a little bit before the Final, stamina wise and kind of mentally. Of course, then I want to add a few more jumps or the technical elements in the free, so that’s also something.”