Ilia Malinin, the reigning World Champion, has begun his season strongly with a victory at the Lombardia Trophy, achieving high scores and featuring a backflip in his free program for the first time. He held a press conference and met with journalists before Skate America.
When asked about keeping the backflip in his program, Ilia confirmed, "I'm definitely planning to keep it." He explained that his decision to add it came from a personal desire to learn it for shows, coinciding with the ISU’s decision to legalize the move. He shared that the element brings an extra level of excitement to the program, adding that it almost gives the same energy as a quad jump, with the crowd reacting wildly to it. He also mentioned, "I'm thinking of ways to really level it up as well in the future, like adding a twist or some crazy other combination."
Talking about how he acquired the skill, Ilia mentioned that his gymnastics background helped speed up the learning process. "I've been doing it off ice for four or five years now. I was doing gymnastics and it started to become muscle memory." However, he admitted that the mental challenge of executing the move on ice was significant. He recounted using support ropes to overcome the fear barrier and successfully landed it in Sun Valley, where Nathan Chen had also landed his first backflip.
When discussing his short program, Ilia clarified that it was always the plan for it to be his short program, despite initially performing it at exhibitions to get used to skating in front of an audience. He said that performing it at shows helped him build confidence ahead of competitions.
Ilia described the process of selecting the music for his free program as challenging. He shared that his family stumbled upon an unusual piece of music ("I'm Not a Vampire") that they jokingly suggested, but it eventually grew on them. After sending it to his choreographer Shae-Lynn Bourne, who initially had reservations, they worked together to create a piece that Ilia now enjoys performing.
Ilia expressed surprise at beating Yuma Kagiyama in program components at Lombardia Trophy and praised the significant improvement in his components. He is looking forward to competing against Yuma and Adam later in the season : "I've heard that Adam’s programs are really cool and I'm really looking forward to seeing them."
Regarding the pressure of being a World Champion, Ilia acknowledged the shift in expectations, saying "I feel a different type of pressure because now everyone’s watching me." Yet, he also feels more confident in his skating and performing under pressure, aiming to "attack everything 100% and try not to be shy on the ice."
Ilia didn’t seem too concerned about the back-to-back Skate America and Skate Canada events, stating that he will "just take one event at a time."
Finally, when asked about Shoma Uno’s retirement, Ilia expressed sadness, calling Shoma an inspiration and admiring his artistry, noting, "He's kind of an icon to me."
To close, Ilia announced the launching of his first clothing line at Skate America.
Solène Mathieu - Skate Info Glace
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