What is a quad axel? What to know about Ilia Malinin's signature move Jon Hoefling, USA TODAYFebruary 10, 2026 at 6:04 AM 0 All eyes are on American Ilia Malinin as men's figure skating gets underway at the 2026 Olympics. The 21yearold firsttime Olympian is already making waves for groundbreaking achievements in figure skating. Most notably, Malinin is the only skater in history to achieve a quadruple axel in competition. That feat, earning him the nickname "Quad God," is a fraction of everything Malinin has accomplished.
- - What is a quad axel? What to know about Ilia Malinin's signature move
Jon Hoefling, USA TODAYFebruary 10, 2026 at 6:04 AM
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All eyes are on American Ilia Malinin as men's figure skating gets underway at the 2026 Olympics. The 21-year-old first-time Olympian is already making waves for groundbreaking achievements in figure skating.
Most notably, Malinin is the only skater in history to achieve a quadruple axel in competition. That feat, earning him the nickname "Quad God," is a fraction of everything Malinin has accomplished.
Given the Olympics offer the largest stage for professional figure skating, there's no doubt that Malinin will showcase this move when he takes to the ice for the free skate on February 13. There's even a chance he'll display his quad axel during the short program today.
What is a quad axel though? How will casual fans understand the greatness they'll have the opportunity to witness?
Here's a full explanation of Malinin's iconic move, and what makes it so difficult.
Ilia Malinin of the United States of America performs in the men's free skate during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Milano Ice Skating Arena.What is an axel?
An axel is the most difficult jump in figure skating. It has the highest point value of any of the six figure skating jumps. It is the only jump where the skater launches forward and lands backwards. Thus, the jump requires an extra half turn that other jumps do not.
A quadruple axel is the pinnacle of the jump, requiring four-and-a-half rotations in order to complete. It's so difficult, in fact, that it was once considered impossible to perform.
On Ice Perspective shared a slow-motion video of Ilia Malinin's quadruple Axel at the 2022 Skate America, his 2nd ever 4A in competition. pic.twitter.com/2nEj8Ue64u
— Ilia Malinin Daily (@TheIliaSociety) February 4, 2026
💥 In 2022, Ilia Malinin made history as the first skater to land a quad Axel in competition. Legendary.#FigureSkating https://t.co/rm3OEtDDbf pic.twitter.com/1RZMQcSlDl
— ISU Figure Skating (@ISU_Figure) June 5, 2025
When did Malinin first complete the trick?
Malinin made history with the first-ever quad axel in competition during the U.S. International Figure Skating Classic in Lake Placid on September 14, 2022.
The highest score Malinin has ever received for the jump netted him over 15 points (12.5 base value plus grade of execution). For comparison, the base value of a triple axel is eight point.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Explaining Ilian Malinin's quad axel; what makes it special?
Source: "AOL Sports"
Source: Sports
Published: February 10, 2026 at 01:27PM on Source: MANUEL MAG
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