(Mitchell Richtmyre / Fourth Estate)

Students and staff watch Malinin’s performance at the JC

BY ISABELLA PEARLSTEIN, STAFF WRITER AND LOUIS VOLKER, COPY EDITOR

Mason students packed the Johnson Center Friday as they eagerly awaited fellow Patriot Ilia Malinin’s gold medal-worthy performance. Several falls and failed jumps later, the packed student center fell quiet as Malinin would finish a shocking eighth place.

Malinin, a resident of Vienna, Virginia, and a student at George Mason, held a five-point lead after the short program of the men’s singles competition. Though he had not attempted the move, many viewers anticipated the 21-year-old to perform a quad axle, a move that is widely seen as the hardest in figure skating.

Considered impossible decades ago, a quad axle jump consists of a forward-facing jump, 4 ½ mid-air rotations and a backward-facing landing. Malinin is the only skater to have ever successfully executed the jump, dubbing him the nickname: Ilia “Quad God” Malinin. 

The 21-year old had not performed it during his time at the Olympics before his men’s free skate performance.

“I’ve been watching his season… He’s the best in the world,” said Shikar Chaturvedi, a senior Government and International Politics major. “So I’m excited to see an official quad axle from him.”

As Malinin took to the ice, the JC erupted in cheers, and students and staff waved their pom poms. An eager hush fell over the crowd as Malinin’s performance began.

The excitement was palpable. To many, it was not a matter of if, but by how many points Malinin would win his Olympic medal. 

“What will be the score? How many of his quads will land?” said freshman Caitlin Schuetz. Students and staff erupted after Malinin landed the first jump of the program, a quad flip. With the first jump out of the way, the young phenom seemed on his way towards the gold medal.

Next came the daunting quad axle. Malinin had teased the audience in previous programs by including the jump, but had yet to show it off. 

Another jump, a quad lutz, and more cheers and applause erupted from students and staff.

Malinin geared up for another jump, a quad loop, only landing a double. After another jump attempt, a quad lutz, students and staff gasped as Malinin fell to the ice.

The eager hush of potential gold turned to one of shock and disbelief.

As Malinin’s skate came to an end, he pulled off his signature back flip and dizzying spin.

Moments later, the crowd stared in silence as Malinin put his face in his hands. Malinin finished in eighth place, falling twice during his routine and failing to execute any of his record-breaking stunts.

Malinin had been projected to win gold weeks before the Milano Cortina Olympics even began. The New York Times had described this year’s Olympic Games as the “Ilia Malinin show.” Instead, Kazakhstan’s Mikhail Shaidorov finished first, winning his country its second-ever gold medal. 

George Mason also anticipated the win, hanging banners and announcing an official watch party in the middle of the Johnson Center for the big event. The university advertised the event, in honor of the “Quad God,” and supplied onlookers with free food and drinks. 

Students filed out quickly after the loss, leaving the space nearly empty as Malinin gave his post-competition interview. 

Helen Vanhove, a senior English major with figure skating experience, said, “I just think he wasn’t there mentally. I know that [you] can feel good going into it and [when] he attempted the first axle it mentally broke him.”

Several students offered words of encouragement and support for Malinin after his performance.

“I thought everything he’s done — the rest of the Olympics, in the teams event, in his short program — he did amazing, and [this] program doesn’t take away from everything else he’s done,” Vanhove said.

“It’s shocking and sad,” said Schuetz. “I understand it’s probably a lot of pressure [from] everybody. I think [everybody] was counting their chickens before they hatched.” 

“I hope he knows that we are all behind and support him, win, lose or whatever,” said Maddie Davis, a University Life staff member.

Senior Computer Science major Isaac Thompson said, “I’m hoping that he doesn’t lose confidence in his career, that he continues to push himself and go for gold, of course, like, if he wants to. [I hope he] does what he wants in life, obviously.”

EDITOR’S NOTE: Accompanying video was shot by Adam Roth.