World Champion Ilia Malinin Starts Season Strong, Wins Grand Prix de France by 40 Points

Ilia Malinin © Instagram / isufigureskating

World champion extends winning streak to 11 consecutive titles

Ilia Malinin once again reminded the skating world why he’s known as “the Quad God,” delivering a commanding performance to win the Grand Prix de France in Angers on Sunday. The reigning two-time World Champion took gold by a staggering 40-point margin, marking his 11th consecutive individual victory across international and national competitions.

A Masterclass in Power and Precision

Skating to “The Ball” by Asaf Avidan, “The Smell of the Sea” by Alan Mayer, and “Code Duello” by Power-Haus and Sergiu-Dan Muresan, Malinin landed five quadruple jumps, including three in combination — a technical feat few in the sport have ever matched. His free skate score of 215.78 and total of 321.00 points set an early-season benchmark for the rest of the ISU Grand Prix field.

Malinin’s performance was nearly flawless from start to finish. His final element, a quad Salchow–triple Axel sequence, earned a massive 20.99 points, the highest-scoring element of the event. Six of his twelve elements received over 10 points each, a testament to both his technical mastery and program composition.

This victory continues a streak that began after his silver medal at the same event in 2023 — since then, Malinin has swept every major competition, including two Grand Prix Finals, two World Championships, and two U.S. national titles.

Other American Highlights

Fellow American Andrew Torgashev, last year’s Grand Prix de France bronze medalist, showed strong recovery after a challenging short program. His free skate featured a clean opening quad toe loop and two Level 4 spins, earning 161.84 points, just shy of his international best. He finished sixth overall with 233.36 points.

Maxim Naumov continued to build momentum, achieving a new international personal best of 151.47 points in the free skate. His second-half triple Lutz–triple toe loop earned 12.37 points, the highest of his program. He placed ninth overall with 226.74 points.

In ice dance, the U.S. teams of Eva Pate and Logan Bye and Emily Bratti and Ian Somerville finished seventh and eighth overall, respectively. Both teams delivered expressive programs, with Bratti and Somerville earning praise for their emotional interpretation of “Nureyev” from The White Crow.

Looking Ahead

Malinin will return to the ice in two weeks at Skate Canada International, his second and final Grand Prix assignment before the series heads toward the Final. The 21-year-old American has made clear that he’s not only aiming for another title — he’s building momentum toward the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympic Games.

Source: article by usfigureskatingfanzone.com, published October 10th, 2025.

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By Vitalina Andrushchenko, Staff Writer