U.S. Men 2025-26 Discussion - Quad God and the Mere Mortals

[kwanfan1818]

The post-Olympics media/interview/appearance requests will likely make it difficult to keep up with a regular training schedule. That’s another reason skaters have skipped Worlds.

 

[Barbara Manatee]

I know it's Olympic year but why the heck would Ilia not do Worlds? I can't believe anyone would suggest that. He is far from finished with his career and the only skaters that typically skip Worlds in an Olympic year are the ones fully retiring.

Try and appreciate how truly brutal an Olympic year is on the mind and body, especially when everyone expects you to win. Ilia is already committed to SOI, and yes, he'll have a million other demands on his time and attention. He'll need to rest and recover especially because he's planning to continue another quad. Besides, if he is Olympic champion, another world medal would be more than a little anticlimactic.

 

[Capt. DeSoto]

The post-Olympics media/interview/appearance requests will likely make it difficult to keep up with a regular training schedule. That’s another reason skaters have skipped Worlds.

Perhaps the ISU should take the hint and push Worlds back a few weeks in Olympic years.

 

[skatingguy]

Perhaps the ISU should take the hint and push Worlds back a few weeks in Olympic years.

That starts to get completed because it pushes into the show schedule in April. I think most competitive skaters would be happy to be finished at the end of March than have an extra couple weeks to continue training.

 

[Kiki5375]

Ilia cut arts on ice to only one show. Kevin Aymoz is goint to replace him on the other shows. And he keeps on saying he will "go ham" after Olympics when asked about the quints. There is only Worlds after Olympics. I doubt he will premier a quint in a showskate with dark light and smaler ice and I doubt he can hold it back until next season. I am positive he will show up in Prague

 

[YukiNieve]

Although it was a little while ago, Ilia said he will do Worlds.

Here is a nice article from Sports Illustrated featuring Ilia:

Ilia Malinin, Team USA’s Quad God, Is Redefining the Limits of Figure Skating

A two-time world champion who has gone undefeated for two-plus years, the history-making 21-year-old is paving his way towards Olympic gold.

www.si.com

Just about everyone has shot a basketball or kicked a soccer ball or hit a baseball, so we understand how much better the pros are. But how many of the people who tune into NBC every four years for figure skating can explain the difference between a Lutz and a loop, let alone execute either one? A backflip, though: “I’m sure they understand [it],” Malinin says. “But to do it on the ice, in skates, at the end of a program, after four minutes, when you’re so tired, exhausted—that’s something that they can relate to.”

“[With] that many quads, it’s hard to deliver the kind of program that looks like art,” says Malinin’s choreographer, Shae-Lynn Bourne. “The energy it takes to do those jumps is very different than someone, let’s say, that’s [doing] one quad and the rest are triples. You can really explore and push the [artistic] score, because you have the energy, but he’s really pushing himself to have both.”

Bourne can’t count the number of times she has arrived at the rink to find Malinin waiting for her, skates laced, beaming, ready to go.

“Even things that look life-threatening to me, that I wouldn’t even attempt, he’ll do,” says Bourne. “There’s no limit, really, with him.”

“When we’re making the program, it’s a blast, because we are enjoying it, and without the kind of monitoring of, Oh, it’s the Olympics,” says Bourne. “Will we impress this judge? No, we throw that away. Are we enjoying this? Is this what you want to say? Keeping it about what it should be about: his journey. It’s not anyone else’s.”

And in the end, she thinks that’s the secret to Malinin’s ability to manage the pressure.

 

[YukiNieve]

Vincent Zhou is helping young skaters participating in the 2026 National Development Camp.

Brad Vigorito Skating on Instagram: "Day 1 Honored to be part of the 2026 National Development Camp with US Figure Skating’s inaugural Accelerated Mentoring Program. What an incredible opportunity to learn, grow, and continue developing as a coach.

204 likes, 6 comments - bv_skating on January 12, 2026: "Day 1 Honored to be part of the 2026 National Development Camp with US Figure Skating’s inaugural Accelerated Mentoring Program. What an incredible opportunity to learn, grow, and continue developing as a coach. @usfigureskating...

www.instagram.com

 

[Sylvia]

Ilia cut arts on ice to only one show. Kevin Aymoz is goint to replace him on the other shows.

Do you have a source link for this? Art on Ice's website & Instagram account don't yet show this news. Malinin originally was scheduled to do Art on Ice's 5 Zurich shows, Feb. 26-March 1 (Aymoz was originally scheduled for the Fribourg & Davos shows only): https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/th...er-shows-tours-in-europe.113424/#post-6853375

Just checked Ilia's official website and Art on Ice in Zurich is not listed at this time (nor is Worlds): https://iliamalininqg.com/schedule/

 

[Sylvia]

Vincent Zhou is helping young skaters participating in the 2026 National Development Camp.

Brad Vigorito Skating on Instagram: "Day 1 Honored to be part of the 2026 National Development Camp with US Figure Skating’s inaugural Accelerated Mentoring Program. What an incredible opportunity to learn, grow, and continue developing as a coach.

204 likes, 6 comments - bv_skating on January 12, 2026: "Day 1 Honored to be part of the 2026 National Development Camp with US Figure Skating’s inaugural Accelerated Mentoring Program. What an incredible opportunity to learn, grow, and continue developing as a coach. @usfigureskating...

www.instagram.com

Brad Vigorito's 4th photo (https://www.instagram.com/p/DTbkdNtjBwB/?img_index=4) shows a smiling Grant Hochstein who accompanied 2 young skaters to the 2026 National High Performance Development Camp:

The Hochstein Family on Instagram: "Congratulations @jialihobby (Lizbeth Tu) and @slatersk8r (Slater Blenkle) on qualifying for the 2026 US National High Performance Development Camp! So proud of all your hard work to get here! Shine bright, little s

59 likes, 2 comments - grantoline on January 12, 2026: "Congratulations @jialihobby (Lizbeth Tu) and @slatersk8r (Slater Blenkle) on qualifying for the 2026 US National High Performance Development Camp! So proud of all your hard work to get here! Shine bright, little stars! #usfigureskating...

www.instagram.com

Grant helped coach and/or choreographed for Sherry Zhang (8th), Anabel Wallace (17th in her national senior debut) and juniors Annika Chao (silver), Hannah Kim (bronze), and Cleo Park (11th) at Nationals.

ETA another photo of Vincent at the Camp, posing with an Intermediate level pair team: https://www.instagram.com/p/DTeP8qtjnU-/?img_index=3

 

[skatfan]

Perhaps the ISU should take the hint and push Worlds back a few weeks in Olympic years.

Or not have one at all as many other sports currently do. Given we have Europeans and 4CCs now, there's not a huge reason t have one.

 

[YukiNieve]

Daisuke Murakami, a former Japanese male skater and has been working at the GPI, Xtweeted on Saturday (Jan 10):

Before the US Nationals, I had the opportunity to observe Ilia and Andrew's practice. The sheer volume and intensity of their training leading up to this competition was truly unbelievable. Working alongside Rafael, it was an absolute honor to witness these two athletes striving for this event on the same ice.

https://x.com/DaisukeMurakami/status/2010213730454528174

 

[Sylvia]

I'm very behind in sharing my memorable photos & clips from Nationals - here's my second X post in this thread:

https://twitter.com/x/status/2011333727662850509

 

[Theatregirl1122]

Or not have one at all as many other sports currently do. Given we have Europeans and 4CCs now, there's not a huge reason t have one.

I love post Olympic Games olds. I think it’s a great chance for skaters to break out. I think it’s just fine that it’s not the same as worlds the other three years.

 

[ice coverage]

Maxim Naumov honored in floor speech in U.S. House of Representatives.
Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur is from Ohio.

Video: Congresswoman Kaptur Floor Speech Honoring Maxim Naumov Making The US Olympic Figure Skating Team​

​

Despite enduring unspeakable loss, Maxim Naumov stepped onto the ice with courage, composure, and grace under pressure. He delivered a powerful short program at the US Figure Skating Championships, and secured a spot on the US Olympic team. You make America proud. Onward, Maxim and Onward, America!​

​

https://youtu.be/lj8zxmUSmRM (1:03, posted Jan 13)​

Text of Rep. Kaptur's remarks on Jan 12, from the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

UPLIFTING SPIRIT OF OLYMPIC SKATER MAXIM NAUMOV​

​

(Ms. KAPTUR asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)​

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to uplift the inspiring and persevering spirit of our Nation's people, embodied in an extraordinary young American, U.S. Olympic figure skater Maxim Naumov.​

Despite having endured unspeakable loss, the tragic American Airlines crash over Arlington, Virginia, in January of last year that claimed the lives of both his parents, Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova, Maxim stepped onto the ice this past weekend with courage, composure, and grace under pressure.​

At the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, he delivered a powerful short program for 85.72 points, fourth place, and a spot on the U.S. Olympic team. He then spoke with humility and love, paying tribute to his beloved parents who shaped his life.​

President John F. Kennedy defined true grit as courage, grace under pressure, perseverance in the face of adversity. Maxim personifies that ideal. He teaches us that determination can rise even from the deepest loss and that discipline and artistry can become a language of hope.​

Bravo, Maxim.​

Maxim's dedication as a genuine athletic ice artist inspires every young American to a higher purpose. May he stay the course. He makes America proud for his generation.​

Onward, Maxim. Onward, America.​

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to include in the Record the article titled: "Maxim Naumov Credits His Parents, Who Died in DC Plane Crash, For making U.S. Olympic Team: `We Did It Together.''​

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentlewoman from Ohio?​

There was no objection.​

​

https://www.congress.gov/index.php/congressional-record/volume-172/issue-8/house-section/article/H649-3

 

[Sylvia]

"How it started" (2020 Junior Worlds - Max 5th, Andrew 8th, Ilia 16th) & "How it's going" (2026 Olympic team dinner red carpet this past Sunday) - 2 photos by USFS:

U.S. Figure Skating on Instagram: "This aged well 😍 #WinterOlympics"

25K likes, 135 comments - usfigureskating on January 11, 2026: "This aged well 😍 #WinterOlympics".

www.instagram.com

 

[Sylvia]

Jason posted on Instagram yesterday - link and supportive comments from the skating community are in his fan thread: https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/th...roll-uber-thread-2.98882/page-38#post-6870607

ETA to embed his X post (same message):

https://twitter.com/x/status/2011602805946270102

 

[Sylvia]

These 2 Ilia feature articles were posted in his fan thread:

Vanity Fair by Aidan McLaughlin (VF's Washington correspondent; fashion photos taken on November 14, 2025): https://www.vanityfair.com/style/story/ilia-malinin-figure-skating-olympics

Excerpts:

In person, he downplays his accomplishments with an easy charm—an endearing attribute for a man so young and so decorated. He’s still in college, taking classes online at George Mason University when he’s not training for the Olympics. At home he enjoys simple pleasures: gaming, sleeping, and time with his two cats, Mysti and Miu Miu. “Off the ice he is demure and shy and very humble, but he has an inner confidence that makes him magnetic,” says Weir. “He’s like everyone’s cool little brother. On the ice, he is a force.” But when asked during his VF photo shoot what music he prefers, he’s bashful. “You won’t like it,” he tells the room. “It’s a lot.” His protests are overcome, and we spend the next 30 minutes listening to Japanese kawaii metal band Babymetal. Unexpected music choices loom large in Malinin’s work. His programs, set to scores from hit shows like Euphoria and Succession, have gone viral. He hasn’t seen Succession but fell in love with Nicholas Britell’s celebrated theme when it was pitched by his choreographer. Skating to that song, he says, helped launch him to fame on social media.

Malinin’s parents, Tatiana Malinina and Roman Skorniakov, both gifted skaters who competed in the Olympics for Uzbekistan, discouraged him from toddling onto the ice as a boy. “I was always at the rink anyway. They had no other place to bring me.” By the age of six, he was demanding to get out on the ice. By 11, he had won his first national juvenile championship.
Perhaps due to his tender age and the steep incline of his ascent, Malinin says he only recently realized that figure skating would be his life’s work. “I didn’t expect that I would be really at the top until a few years ago,” he says. It may have been in 2022, in the run-up to the Olympics, when he put up a masterful performance and finished second at the US Figure Skating Championships. In a twist of fate he still regrets, he wasn’t selected for Team USA to compete in Beijing.
He sees a silver lining now: “If it wasn’t for that decision, I don’t think I would achieve or reach where I am right now. I think I would be closer to being done with skating, honestly. But I feel like now it’s just the beginning.”

With the Olympics rapidly approaching, Malinin is wary of making promises. Does he want to land a quintuple, the next frontier in his own figure skating space race, with a staggering five rotations? He’s landed a few in practice but demurs when asked if he wants to bring the unthinkable leap into competition. “Maybe,” he says. “Most likely. But as we’re in the middle of the season, that’s not really on my mind right now.”

“I would say my biggest competitor is myself,” Malinin says, flashing some rare immodesty he’ll quickly try to rein in. “That’s always the thing that I’ve always stuck with no matter what level I was at. I always did not worry about everyone else and how they skated. Of course, it was part of it. Will I have enough to beat them? How well do I need to skate to beat them?”
I ask if the expectations placed upon him now, this boyish 21-year-old expected to win gold at the Olympics while on leave from college, freak him out.
He shrugs. “Not necessarily. I’m already in my zone.”

Sports Illustrated article by Stephanie Apstein (Jan. 13, 2026): https://www.si.com/olympics/ilia-malinin-quad-god-redefining-limits-figure-skating-digital-cover:

Excerpts (different from @YukiNieve's in post #696 above):

As he tinkers with his free skate, there is one element Malinin always includes: a backflip. (The move was previously banned and only became legal in 2024.) He grew up preferring soccer to figure skating, even though his parents, Tatiana Malinina and Roman Skorniakov, both competed in the sport at the Olympic level for Uzbekistan. (Malinina and Skorniakov gave their son the masculine version of his mother’s surname because they feared his father’s was too difficult for Americans to pronounce; as it turns out, they struggle with MAL-uh-nin, too.) Just wait until he learns a triple jump, Malinina’s father, Russian figure skating coach Valery Malinin, told them. Then you won’t be able to tear him away. As expected, the boy found his way into the family business. But since he follows the rest of the sports world, he understands that one obstacle to his breakthrough among casual fans is that they have never tried to do what he does.

... But in fairness, even most other Olympic figure skaters cannot really relate to the level of difficulty Malinin embraces as a matter of course. Despite his bloodline, the 5' 9" Malinin doesn’t look as if he were built in a lab to excel at figure skating. His long limbs help him achieve incredible height on jumps, but that also means he has more mass to pull in and control to achieve a tight rotation. Indeed, Hanyu, who came closest to the quad Axel before Malinin pulled it off, had at 5' 8" almost the opposite physique: long torso, short legs. But Malinin combines power and stamina in a way no one else in the sport can reach. Each quad jump is impressive on its own—especially the Axel, whose forward takeoff means it really amounts to four and a half revolutions in less than a second—but what really astonishes the people around him is Malinin’s ability to stack them.

For as intense as his programs are, Malinin remains loose. While other skaters lock in at events, pretending other skaters do not exist, refusing casual conversation, he makes small talk and cheers for his opponents. [...]
“When we’re making the program, it’s a blast, because we are enjoying it, and without the kind of monitoring of, Oh, it’s the Olympics,” says Bourne. “Will we impress this judge? No, we throw that away. Are we enjoying this? Is this what you want to say? Keeping it about what it should be about: his journey. It’s not anyone else’s.”
And in the end, she thinks that’s the secret to Malinin’s ability to manage the pressure. It’s not just about his technical ability or his artistic work or even his unshakable confidence. It’s both more and less complicated than that. The downside of being so far ahead of your opponents is that you’re not really competing with anyone else. The upside is that you’re only competing with yourself.

 

[Prancer]

Seeing a report that Jason has withdrawn from 4CC; Liam Kapeikis is the sub.

 

[Sylvia]

Yes, USFS' International Assignments page was updated 2 days ago with the 4CC men's change:
Brown (withdrawn 1/13)
Kapeikis (added 1/13) - will be his 2nd 4CC after debuting in 2023

Posted in this thread on Sunday, Jan. 11:

Worlds: Jason, Ilia, Andrew. Ordered alternates: Maxim, Tomoki, Jacob
4CC: Jason, Tomoki, Jacob. Ordered alternates: Liam, Jimmy, Daniel
WJC: Jacob, Lucius. Ordered alternates: Patrick, Caleb, Lorenzo

 

[YukiNieve]

Nathan will be a Yahoo Sports correspondent (together with Julia Mancuso and Apolo Ohno) for Milan-Cortina Olympic Games. He will deliver expert analysis and behind-the-scenes features that help fans understand the competition’s biggest storylines and provide:

• Recaps and analysis of the figure skating (Chen), alpine skiing (Mancuso), and speed skating (Ohno) competitions.
• Features that bring fans behind the scenes in Italy, helping them connect to the culture around the Games.
• Insights that help fans better understand everything from how event scoring works to what goes through athletes’ minds before they compete.

The coverage will be available across multiple Yahoo Sports platforms and channels, including yahoosports.tv, YouTube, and social media. He will also contribute to the newly-launched Yahoo Sports Network free streaming TV channel, highlighted by remote appearances on the Yahoo Sports Daily live morning show.

Yahoo Sports Adds Trio of Gold Medalists to Cover Milan-Cortina Olympic Games | Yahoo Inc.

Nathan Chen, Julia Mancuso, and Apolo Ohno join Yahoo Sports as multi-platform video correspondents for the upcoming Olympic Winter Games.

www.yahooinc.com

 

[Sylvia]

Maxim Naumov's post just now: https://www.instagram.com/p/DTj8nOtDr7T/

View this content on Instagram

View this content on Instagram

"Mom and Dad, we did it together"

 

[Kiki5375]

Do you have a source link for this? Art on Ice's website & Instagram account don't yet show this news. Malinin originally was scheduled to do Art on Ice's 5 Zurich shows, Feb. 26-March 1 (Aymoz was originally scheduled for the Fribourg & Davos shows only): https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/th...er-shows-tours-in-europe.113424/#post-6853375

Just checked Ilia's official website and Art on Ice in Zurich is not listed at this time (nor is Worlds): https://iliamalininqg.com/schedule/

Oh sorry I ment one city not one show. It was on Art on Ice insta somewhere they promoted Zürich as the only event to see Ilia

 

[Kiki5375]

Maxim Naumov's post just now: https://www.instagram.com/p/DTj8nOtDr7T/

View this content on Instagram

View this content on Instagram

"Mom and Dad, we did it together"

His rope jumping skills are INSANE

 

[Sasha'sSpins]

Do you have a source link for this? Art on Ice's website & Instagram account don't yet show this news. Malinin originally was scheduled to do Art on Ice's 5 Zurich shows, Feb. 26-March 1 (Aymoz was originally scheduled for the Fribourg & Davos shows only): https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/th...er-shows-tours-in-europe.113424/#post-6853375

Just checked Ilia's official website and Art on Ice in Zurich is not listed at this time (nor is Worlds): https://iliamalininqg.com/schedule/

I like this line from the George Mason University article linked from Ilia's website:
https://www.gmu.edu/news/2024-04/mason-student-ilia-malinin-worlds-most-dominant-figure-skater
Last semester, he took a class in Mason’s School of Dance within the College of Visual and Performing Arts

I love that Ilia took the initiative to take dance classes outside of his skating regimen. Surely it must have been a nice change of pace and could only imo help to enhance his artistic expression and movement within the sport!

 

[Sylvia]

NBC Sports' 9-minute video showing clips of Andrew, Maxim & Ilia from the "Making The Team" show on Sunday, Jan. 11 (introductions by Vincent Zhou, Scott Hamilton & Brian Boitano, respectively, plus their interviews with Andrea Joyce): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIBkO3nfRPQ

Andrew posted last night: https://www.instagram.com/p/DTmNzV0kT8x/

View this content on Instagram

View this content on Instagram

 

[Sasha'sSpins]

His rope jumping skills are INSANE

I looked all over Max's Insta trying to see those mad jump rope skills but couldn't find a vid!

 

[Sylvia]

I looked all over Max's Insta trying to see those mad jump rope skills but couldn't find a vid!

Clip is #13 in his post.

ETA that I've updated the Cheer threads for both Naumov & Torgashev.

 

[Sasha'sSpins]

Clip is #13 in his post.

ETA that I've updated the Cheer threads for both Naumov & Torgashev.

Thank you!

 

[Sylvia]

Sept. 28 (after Caleb "surprisingly" won the bronze in his JGP debut in Baku):

I've never seen Caleb Farrington skate before- I just watched his short program and he has just gorgeous lines and positions coupled with good flow. If he can get a 3a and a couple quads solid <snip to avoid jinxing him >

Congratulations to the 2026 U.S. Junior Men's medalists! GOLD Patrick Blackwell, SILVER Caleb Farrington, BRONZE Louis Mallane and PEWTER Nicholas Brooks.
In the FS on Monday night, Patrick landed 4T, 4S (his 1st attempt in competition, IIRC), 3A+3Aq, 2T+1Eu+3S, 3Lz+3T, 3F & 3Lo and the audience gave him a standing O afterwards.
Caleb fell on his 3A (1st attempt in competition, IIRC) and [edited to correct] a 4Tq attempt in his FS, respectively, but I was excited to see him successfully landing 4T & 3A in practices.

Belatedly, here's my clip of Caleb landing 3A+3T in his 1/4/26 Nationals practice: https://x.com/SylviaUnseen/status/2013703708488483150

ETA - and a 4T+3T clip from the same practice: https://x.com/SylviaUnseen/status/2013715443811340514

Caleb was one of the 2026 Mabel Fairbanks Skatingly Yours award recipients in St. Louis - link to photos (including of a young Caleb with Tai Babilonia in 2021) here: https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/th...ilblazer-mabel-fairbanks.107370/#post-6875402

 

[Sylvia]

What catchy name would YOU give to the USA men's figure skating trio?

Team USA on Instagram: "The 2020 Reunion Tour, The Talon Trio or The Troublemakers. 🤔 What should the U.S. Olympic Men’s Figure Skating Team be called? #WinterOlympics"

1,720 likes, 21 comments - teamusa on January 22, 2026: "The 2020 Reunion Tour, The Talon Trio or The Troublemakers. 🤔 What should the U.S. Olympic Men’s Figure Skating Team be called? #WinterOlympics".

www.instagram.com

BTW, I'd like to start a new fan/cheer thread for Jacob - any creative or witty thread title ideas?