name me a non-figure skating fan who knows what an axel is

And once again we return to the 4A. He already received an award for it last year.
I can understand why ISU and Ari Zakarian are betting on him. Ilia is young and hungry for victories. There is a huge chance that he will remain in the sport after the Olympic Games in Italy. I think the Fa was given an award for this reason too. The ISU needs stars with long careers.
But this is all about marketing, and not about the true meaning of awards.