"USA figure skater Ilia Malinin-the "Quad God" and second man named Ilia I've become obsessed with in two months-has already delivered two awe-inspiring performances this Olympic Games, helping secure Team USA's first figure skating gold on Sunday. While he's yet to attempt his quadruple axel (he's the only figure skater in the world who's ever landed one in competition), he's already performed two backflips. It's impressive! It looks cool! But it barely earns him any points-and he's allowed to perform one."
"For the real history-making moment, we have to travel back to the 1998 Nagano Olympics, where French figure skating trailblazer Surya Bonaly performed a backflip, landing on one foot, knowing full well the move was banned and she'd be deducted points. Going into her free skate program, she was in sixth place, and after falling on a triple salchow, knew she wasn't going to medal."
Ilia Malinin, nicknamed the Quad God, delivered two awe-inspiring performances at the Olympic Games and helped secure Team USA's first figure skating gold. He has not attempted a quadruple axel in competition, though he is the only skater to have landed one, and he executed two backflips during the Games. Backflips earn almost no points under current scoring and competitors are permitted one backflip. The backflip is technically history-making at these Olympics because it is the first Games since 1976 without a ban. Surya Bonaly famously performed a one-foot backflip at Nagano 1998 despite deductions, finishing tenth and retiring soon after.
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