Malinin Dominant in Victory at Grand Prix de France
Sun, 10/19/2025 – 08:48
In an electrifying start to the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Series, Ilia Malinin showcased his unmatched skill, clinching victory at the Grand Prix de France in Angers, France, with an astounding lead of more than 40 points over his competitors. This victory isn’t just a jump in scores; it solidifies Malinin’s status as one of the premier figure skaters of our time.
Executing a stunning routine, the two-time and reigning World champion completed five quad jumps, three of which were in combination, to the music of “The Ball” by Asaf Avidan, “The Smell of the Sea” by Alan Mayer, and “Code Duello” by Power-Haus and Sergiu-Dan Muresan. His free skate earned a segment score of 215.78, leading to an impressive overall total of 321.00.
Achieving an incredible 11 consecutive individual victories, Malinin’s last slip from gold was a silver placement at the Grand Prix de France. His win streak boasts not just Grand Prix wins but also two titles in both the World championships and U.S. nationals.
Capping off his performance at Angers IceParc, Malinin delivered a flawless final jump: a quad Salchow-triple Axel sequence that reaped 20.99 points, underscoring his unparalleled artistry and athleticism. Six of the 12 elements in his program garnered scores surpassing 10.40 points.
Malinin will gear up for his next challenge in just two weeks at Skate Canada International, aiming for another stellar performance.
Andrew Torgashev, the 2024 Grand Prix de France bronze medalist, rebounded from an underwhelming short program to impressively land a quad toe loop, which helped him secure a free skate score of 161.84, taking sixth overall with a total score of 233.36.
Meanwhile, Maxim Naumov notched a new international personal-best score of 151.47 in the free skate, finishing ninth overall with 226.74 points, showcasing his competitive edge and improvement.
The ice dance couples of Eva Pate and Logan Bye placed seventh and Emily Bratti and Ian Somerville eighth respectively, highlighting the depth of talent in the field.
As figure skating fans eagerly await the next installment of the Grand Prix, each performance further emphasizes the art and athleticism of this captivating sport.
