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US teen Malinin lands quad axel to win at Skate America / Photo: Yuichi YAMAZAKI - AFP/File
US teen Malinin lands quad axel to win at Skate America
Ilia Malinin of the United States landed only the second quadruple axel ever performed in competition to become Skate America's youngest-ever men's champion on Saturday.
The 17-year-old reigning men's world junior champion pulled off the four-and-one-half revolution leap -- the most difficult quad jump -- in the free skate at last month's US International Classic at Lake Placid, New York.
That was the first time a clean and fully rotated version of the quad axel had been completed in an international event.
Malinin, who was fourth after the short programme, opened his free skate performance with the quad axel Saturday at Norwood, Massachusetts, and landed four other quad jumps in taking the free skate with 194.29 points.
That enabled Malinin to win the overall title with 280.37 points to 273.19 for teen runner-up Kao Miura of Japan with South Korean Cha Jun-hwan third on 264.05.
Americans Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier, the reigning world champions, won the Skate America pairs title with 201.39 points after capturing Saturday's free skate.
Reigning world champion Kaori Sakamoto of Japan led after the women's short programme with 71.72 points to 71.30 for American Isabeau Levito.
American ice dancers Evan Bates and Madison Chock led after the rhythm dance with 82.63 points over compatriots Kaitlin Hawayek and Jean-Luc Baker on 79.12.
(L.Kaufmann--BBZ)
