SAN JOSE, Calif.—As the cameras flashed in front of the medal-winners in U.S. men’s figure skating, one photographer had a request: “Ilia, for one, look happy.”
At that, Ilia Malinin chuckled and obliged with a grin, then quickly returned to the close-lipped smile he’d been wearing since he was crowned a national champion on the final day of the U.S. Figure Skating Championships.
Though his free skate was not without flaws, Malinin landed three quadruple jumps Sunday for a 177.38, a total score of 287.74 and his first U.S. men’s title. Malinin retained his 10-point lead over second-place finisher Jason Brown, while Andrew Torgashev topped a strong weekend with a bronze medal and recorded the highest segment score of the event with 177.78….