Ilia Malinin, of the United States, poses with his gold medal in the men's free program of the Skate Canada International figure skating competition in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025. (AP Photo)
Figure skating superstar Ilia Malinin set a men's free skate score world record at the ISU Grand Prix event in Saskatoon, Canada on Sunday evening.
The two-time and reigning world champion from the United States romped to victory with 228.97 points, bettering his 227.79 from the world championships in 2024.
In total, he scored 333.81 points after the free skate and the short program.
Malinin was just short of the all-time best overall score of 335.30, set by compatriot and reigning Olympic champion Nathan Chen at the Grand Prix Final in 2019.
"I feel really satisfied with my program today," Malinin told reporters. "It's one of the best programs I've done this season. I really worked on my cleanliness and feeling more confident on the ice after France, and I felt that out there today."
Malinin opened the Olympic season with a 40-point win at Grand Prix de France two weeks ago.
The ISU Grand Prix is the highest level of international figure skating competitions.
