Ilia Malinin posts leading short program at US nationals with quad elements

Ilia Malinin scored 115.10 after a short program that included a quad flip, a quad Lutz–triple toe and a back flip, leaving him well ahead of Tomoki Hiwatashi (89.26) and Jason Brown (88.49) ahead of Saturday’s free skate.

Ilia Malinin led the men's short program at the US Figure Skating Championships in St Louis after a performance that featured a quad flip, a quad Lutz–triple toe loop and a back flip. He posted 115.10 points and will skate the free program on Saturday. Tomoki Hiwatashi and Jason Brown were second and third after the short. The event is part of the selection process ahead of next month's Winter Olympics and the Milano Cortina Games. Key points: - Malinin, 21, landed a quad flip, a quad Lutz–triple toe loop and a back flip and recorded 115.10 in the short program. - Tomoki Hiwatashi was second with 89.26 and Jason Brown third with 88.49 going into the free skate on Saturday. - Malinin said he briefly considered a more conservative plan but chose to execute his original program and that he impressed himself with the result. - Malinin was not selected for the US team four years ago and said that experience helped motivate his progress. - Maxim Naumov held up and kissed a photo of himself as a child with his parents, who died nearly a year ago in a mid-air collision between an American Airlines flight and an army helicopter; the jet was carrying 28 US figure skating athletes, coaches and family members returning from a development camp. - Madison Chock and Evan Bates scored 91.70 in the rhythm dance and led the ice dance field ahead of Emilea Zingas/Vadym Kolesnik (85.98) and Christina Carreira/Anthony Ponomarenko (83.29), with the free dance scheduled for Saturday; the top three finishers will earn spots on the US team for the Milano Cortina Games. Summary: Malinin's short program put him well clear of the field as the free skate approaches on Saturday, and Chock and Bates moved into position to lead ice dance after the rhythm dance. Final placements from the free programs will determine the U.S. team for the upcoming international events.