Ilia Marin Shines with Historic Backflip at Winter Olympics

It was mostly expected. Yet, when Ilia Marin, the American figure skater, landed his first backflip since 1998 during the Winter Olympics, the cheering from the crowd was as loud as his music echoing throughout the Milan Ice Skating Arena.

How does one feel about their Olympic debut? Well, by the end of his short program, part of a team event, Marin was visibly exhausted and even stuck his tongue out in a playful display.

He made history with that spectacular flip, and it didn’t escape his notice.

“It was fun,” Marin shared with reporters afterward. “The audience just went wild. It really makes you value the Olympic experience.”

The 21-year-old, often referred to as the “God of the Quad,” scored 98.00 points, securing second place behind Japan’s Yuma Kagiyama, who scored 108.67 points. Despite the slight surprise, Team USA held the lead in the team competition with 34 points due to Marin’s performance. However, Kagiyama’s win brought Japan right up to within a point of the American team.

As it stands, Italy found itself in third place with 28 points.

Marin’s backflip was a key part of his routine leading up to the Olympics, but executing it on such a prominent stage was remarkable.

He now becomes the first skater to legally execute a backflip at a Winter Olympics since Terry Kubicka did so back in 1976 in Innsbruck, Austria. The International Skating Union subsequently banned the maneuver the following year, citing safety concerns.

Interestingly, French skater Surya Bonaly attempted a backflip at the 1998 Winter Olympics, landing on one blade, but it resulted in a point deduction due to the move being illegal.

In a twist, the ISU legalized backflips in 2024, paving the way for Marin’s memorable moment.

Entering his first Olympics, Marin was already a strong contender, having garnered multiple gold medals in previous competitions.

Known for defying the laws of physics, Marin earned his nickname, “Quad God,” owing to how effortlessly he appears to perform quadruple rotations.

2026 Winter Olympics

Interestingly, Marin is recognized as the only skater to have completed a four-and-a-half rotation quad axel, a feat he has been achieving since 2022.

With Team USA moving forward to the finals of the team event, Marin opted to swap out the quad axel for a quad flip in his routine.

He demonstrated his human side during Saturday’s performance, facing deductions for missing the rotations on a quad lutz and a flying sit spin.

Regardless, Marin remains among the most watched figure skaters in this year’s Winter Olympics. He is set to compete in the men’s single skating short program as well as the free skating events next week.