Stuffed dragons fall after Ilia Malinin's short program at U.S. Figure Skating Championships

Ilia Malinin scored 115.10 points in the short program at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, and fans placed dozens of Toothless stuffed toys on the ice after his performance.

Ilia Malinin delivered a near‑flawless short program Thursday night at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in St. Louis. The 21‑year‑old two‑time reigning world champion earned 115.10 points for a routine set to music from the game Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown. After his program, fans placed dozens of Toothless stuffed toys onto the ice. The performance came as Malinin prepares for the Milan Cortina Olympics and as a final tune‑up before nationals conclude. Key details: - Ilia Malinin scored 115.10 points in the short program and was described in coverage as delivering a brilliant skate. - His program included a quad flip, a triple axel, a quad lutz‑triple toe loop, a backflip and his signature "raspberry twist." - The score surpassed the season best of 108.87 set at the Lombardia Trophy and was nearly five points higher than his winning short program at last year’s nationals. - Fans placed dozens of Toothless stuffed toys on the ice; Malinin appears in an advertising spot tied to a DreamWorks live‑action remake that is also being used in NBC’s Winter Games promotion. - Tomoki Hiwatashi was second after the short with 89.26 and Jason Brown third with 88.49; Maxim Naumov was fourth with 85.72 and Andrew Torgashev fifth with 84.99. - In ice dance, Madison Chock and Evan Bates scored 91.70 for the rhythm dance, with Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik second at 85.98 and Christina Carreira and Anthony Ponomarenko third at 83.29. Summary: Malinin’s short program set him on course for a fourth straight national title and served as a high point in the lead‑up to the Milan Cortina Olympics. The men’s free skate is scheduled for Saturday night, and the U.S. Olympic team selection is to be announced Sunday.