NAGOYA, Japan, Dec 6 (Reuters) – Double world champion Ilia Malinin shattered his own world record for the men’s singles free programme to win gold at the Grand Prix Final on Saturday, setting the bar sky high ahead of the Milano Cortina Olympics.
The 21-year-old American landed a jaw-dropping seven quadruple jumps, including a quadruple Axel – a jump only he has landed in competition – to score 238.24 points, crushing the previous world-best 228.97 points he recorded at Skate Canada International earlier in the season.
Reigning world champion Alysa Liu of the U.S. won the women’s singles title after Mone Chiba of Japan, the leader after Friday’s short programme, fell twice in an error-filled free skate.
Americans Madison Chock and Evan Bates triumphed in their first on-ice meeting with newly-formed French duo Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron to win the ice dance.
Malinin, known as the “Quad God”, had started the day in an unfamiliar position in third after Friday’s short programme after a risky quad Axel-triple toe loop combination backfired.
But the huge score from his free programme, entitled “The Voice” and featuring his own voiceover, saw him climb to gold with 332.29, just shy of American Nathan Chen’s world record of 335.30.
Yuma Kagiyama of Japan took the silver with 302.41 points while Japanese compatriot Shun Sato was third with 292.08.
Italy’s Daniel Grassl, who finished fourth, summed up everyone’s feelings when he comically bowed down before Malinin, who will now head to Milano Cortina as the huge favourite in his Olympic debut.
Liu added another chapter to her remarkable comeback after stepping away from competition for two seasons. She landed seven triple jumps in a virtually flawless programme to Donna Summer’s disco classic “MacArthur Park”, for a winning overall score of 222.49.
“I’m not going to lie, I feel a little sweaty, a little bit hot, but feeling pretty good overall,” the charming 20-year-old said.
“There’s something else I want to do right now,” she added, before picking up two drumsticks and banging on the rink-side giant Japanese Taiko drum.
Japan’s Ami Nakai and Kaori Sakamoto rounded out the podium, with the 17-year-old Nakai scoring 220.89 for silver and Sakamoto winning bronze (218.80).
Married couple Chock and Bates held a narrow lead over Fournier Beaudry and Cizeron after the rhythm dance, but Fournier Beaudry fell seconds before the end of Saturday’s free programme when she caught her toe pick in her dress.
The Americans scored 131.68 for their free dance for a total of 220.42 points, while the French finished with 214.25 for silver.
“It feels like a sprint to get to the Grand Prix Final and then all of a sudden you have a month or two before we’ll meet again in Milan,” Bates said.
“It really is the first half of the season and then there’s a lot of progress that can be made in the next few months, which is something that we’re looking forward to.”
Fournier Beaudry and Cizeron will challenge the Americans for Olympic gold despite only teaming up in March. Cizeron is the reigning Olympic champion with his previous partner Gabriella Papadakis, but they retired as a team after the Beijing Games.
Fournier Beaudry said there was “no explanation” for the mishap with her dress.
“It’s something that happened on the moment. It’s something that never happens in practice,” Fournier Beaudry said.
Britain’s Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson scored 208.81 for third, edging Canadians Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier (208.75).
Japan’s Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara won the pairs title on Friday.
(Reporting by Lori Ewing; editing by Clare Fallon)
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