EVERETT, Washington, November 15, 2026 — Ilia Malinin captured his fourth Skate America title on Saturday night, November 14, winning the men’s competition at Angel of the Winds Arena with 284.31 points despite Italy’s Daniel Grassl posting the highest score in the free skate.
The three-time world champion delivered four quadruple jumps and his signature backflip in a demanding performance set to “Blue Eye Samurai,” earning 187.57 points in the free skate. Grassl scored 188.25 to win the segment but finished second overall with 274.73, while Israel’s Tamir Kuperman claimed bronze with 248.55.
American Jason Brown finished fourth on his return to competition, Mexico’s Donovan Carrillo secured fifth place, and Japan’s Sota Yamamoto dropped from second after the short program to seventh overall.
Saturday’s competition also saw Japan’s Ami Nakai take the lead in the women’s short program, while American ice dancers Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik topped the rhythm dance standings.
Skate America 2026 Men’s Final Results
Malinin entered Saturday’s free skate leading the competition with 96.74 points from Friday’s short program. Grassl began the evening in fourth place before producing the strongest free-skating score of the night.
| Rank | Skater | Country | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ilia Malinin | USA | 284.31 |
| 2 | Daniel Grassl | Italy | 274.73 |
| 3 | Tamir Kuperman | Israel | 248.55 |
| 4 | Jason Brown | USA | 245.73 |
| 5 | Donovan Carrillo | Mexico | 240.38 |
| 6 | Lukas Britschgi | Switzerland | 231.59 |
| 7 | Sota Yamamoto | Japan | 231.34 |
| 8 | Aleksandr Selevko | Estonia | 230.68 |
| 9 | Daniel Martynov | USA | 220.96 |
| 10 | Aleksa Rakic | Canada | 207.14 |
| 11 | Georgii Reshtenko | Czechia | 206.26 |
| 12 | Nikolaj Memola | Italy | 205.40 |
Source: International Skating Union official men’s standings.
Malinin’s decisive performance combined a quadruple flip, quadruple toe loop, quadruple Lutz and quadruple Salchow with a triple Axel and other combinations. His quad Lutz-triple Axel-double Axel sequence was among the technical highlights of the program.
Judges awarded Malinin 99.89 points for technical elements and 87.68 for program components. Grassl earned 104.53 technical points and 83.72 component points, underlining how closely the two skaters competed despite Malinin’s overall victory.
Speaking to NBC after his performance, Malinin described feeling more comfortable and connected to the music and audience than in previous competitions.
“I feel a lot more powerful skating this program, and I feel a lot more connected to the music as well as the audience while I’m in the program.”
The American also admitted the routine had pushed him physically, saying his legs nearly gave way toward the end. He described the skate as one of his most enjoyable performances and said he was looking forward to developing the program further.
His victory followed the debut of two new competitive programs for the season, including a short program set to “Cantata Memoria: For the Children.” Ahead of the event, Malinin had explained that adjustments to figure skating’s technical requirements were giving him more opportunities to focus on choreography, transitions and presentation.
Swikblog previously examined those changes and his preparation for the competition in Ilia Malinin Returns at Skate America 2026 With Two New Programs.
Grassl’s silver medal came after one of Saturday’s strongest recoveries. Starting fourth, the Italian overtook several rivals with his 188.25-point free skate, finishing 9.58 points behind Malinin overall.
Kuperman produced another major improvement, rising from seventh to third with 165.42 points in the free skate. His bronze medal marked a successful senior Grand Prix debut.
Brown also impressed the judges on the artistic side, recording 89.08 program-component points in the free skate, the highest such score of the men’s competition. His overall score of 245.73 left him just 2.82 points behind Kuperman.
Yamamoto, meanwhile, struggled to maintain his position after entering the final segment in second place. His 140.05-point free skate sent him down five places in the final standings.
Women’s and Ice Dance Results, Sunday Schedule
The women’s competition began Saturday with Japan’s Ami Nakai establishing a substantial advantage in the short program. Nakai scored 82.20 points, placing her 7.96 ahead of Alexandra Ignatova, who earned 74.24. South Korea’s Yujae Kim followed in third with 73.92.
Adeliia Petrosian took fourth with 71.47, Japan’s Rino Matsuike finished fifth on 70.30, and Canada’s Sara-Maude Dupuis placed sixth with 68.95.
Nakai’s performance included 48.25 technical-element points, the highest technical score of the women’s short program. The result puts the Japanese skater in a strong position heading into Sunday’s medal-deciding free skate.
In ice dance, American duo Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik led the rhythm dance on 82.52 points. France’s Evgeniia Lopareva and Geoffrey Brissaud followed with 79.94, while Czech siblings Katerina Mrazkova and Daniel Mrazek stood third with 76.32.
Australia’s Holly Harris and Jason Chan occupied fourth place with 71.20, leaving the podium contest open ahead of the free dance.
The pairs competition also featured world champions Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin of Germany. They entered Saturday’s free skate leading the field after scoring 72.71 in the short program, narrowly ahead of Americans Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov on 71.85. Switzerland’s Oxana Vouillamoz and Tom Bouvart were third with 70.63 after the opening segment.
Sunday, November 15, 2026, remaining competition schedule:
- Ice Dance Free Dance: 11:10 a.m. PST / 2:10 p.m. EST
- Women’s Free Skate: 1:05 p.m. PST / 4:05 p.m. EST
The final day will determine the remaining women’s and ice dance medals. Sunday’s sessions will be broadcast in the United States on NBC and Peacock, with live coverage scheduled from 2 p.m. EST.
For the complete event timetable, participating skaters and viewing information, see Swikblog’s Skate America 2026 full schedule and how to watch live.
The Everett event is the fourth stop of the 2026–27 ISU Grand Prix series. Results contribute toward qualification for the Grand Prix Final, scheduled for December 10–13 in Chongqing, China, where the top six qualifiers in each discipline will compete.
Complete competition results and technical judging details are available through the official ISU Skate America results centre.
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