Team USA Olympian Ilia Malinin has issued a statement after performing an ‘illegal’ move that was banned over 50 years ago.Last week, the 21-year-old pulled off a backflip and somehow managed to land on one leg.The move had been off-limits in figure skating for almost half a century, after American skater Terry Kubicka became the first to land one at the 1976 Winter Olympics.More than two decades later, French skater Surya Bonaly brought it back at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, rotating into a one-blade landing.While the crowd loved it, it’s clear the judges did not given that points were deducted because the move was still illegal at the time.

Such a stance changed in 2024 when the International Skating Union legalised the backflip, clearing the way for it to appear at the 2026 Winter Olympics.With the rule reversed, Malinin, a double reigning world champion, became the first skater since 1998 to land a backflip at the Games.While Malinin, who is nicknamed the ‘Quad God’, did not receive a medal in the men’s individual event after finishing eighth overall, he did win gold along with Team USA in the team competition.The 21-year-old, who took the top spot after the impressive short program, unfortunately fell twice during his free skate and was unable to execute his famed quadruple axel, along with other elements, giving him a score of 156.33 in the free skate and 264.49 overall.Malinin has since shared a short video on Instagram where he directly addressed the ‘vile online hatred attacks’ he’s been a victim of.