ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final 2024/25: Re-live all the action as Ilia Malinin wins gold after quad Axel
Competition at the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final 2024 took place in Grenoble, France, from 5–7 December.
Re-live all the action from all four senior events with our routine-by-routine updates, and check the final scores from all eight medal events, below.
🔥 Key Moments
GPF 2024: Good night from Grenoble
Thank you for joining us on our Grand Prix Final live blog this weekend.
It's been a fantastic three days of skating, with only Sunday's exhibition gala left. We hope you've enjoyed our routine-by-routine live blog coverage of the senior Grand Prix Final from the Patinoire Polesud.
All that's left is for us to sign off with a good night, bonne soirée from Grenoble.
- Score Update
GPF 2024 men's free skating: Malinin leads Kagiyama and Sato on podium in quad show
Seven quadruple jumps.
That was what Ilia Malinin attempted en route to gold at the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final 2024, his second consecutive title after also taking gold in Beijing last year.
While all of them fell foul of the judges, receiving quarter under-rotation or full under-rotation calls, Malinin's stated aim had been to entertain the audience, which he certainly did by pulling out his quadruple Axel.
The U.S. self-proclaimed "quad god" is the only skater in the world to be able to perform the jump, and sent the crowd into loud cheers with both the quad Axel and a backflip in his routine.
While the judges only gave him a score of 186.69 points for a total of 292.12, it was enough for Malinin to hold off Olympic silver medallist Kagiyama Yuma.
"I had this idea and this goal I wanted to achieve here; I hope everyone enjoyed that performance," Malinin said to the crowd afterwards.
Kagiyama, meanwhile, may have been left rueing two big mistakes of his own. Given Malinin's under-par skate, it would not be an exaggeration to suggest the Japanese could have potentially pulled off a comeback victory.
But Kagiyama popped his quadruple Salchow to a double, and also doubled an intended triple loop.
His free skate score of 188.29 was the best of the six men, but only led to a total of 281.78 points, some 10-and-a-half points behind Malinin.
"I lost against myself. I was so nervous and felt like my stomach was tight," he told reporters in Japanese afterwards. "I didn’t make such a mistake with Salchow in practice, so I was shocked. Apart from that, I would say it was better than the performance in Finland [at Finlandia Trophy]. I need to skate with a strong mindset, not make mistakes, and aim for over 290 points constantly.
"You cannot perform better than the practice. At competitions, you will face particular feelings of nervousness. I should prepare 120% in practice so that I am able to give 100% at competitons."
Kagiyama's counterpart Sato Shun claimed bronze on 270.82 points, rebounding from a fall on his quadruple flip to produce a routine that lifted him from fourth after the short program into the podium spots.
Ilia Malinin poses with his gold medal at the 2024 Grand Prix Final
ISU Grand Prix Final 2024 – Senior Men final result
Free skating score in parentheses
- Ilia Malinin (USA) 292.12 (186.69)
- Kagiyama Yuma (JPN) 281.78 (188.29)
- Sato Shun (JPN) 270.82 (184.54)
- Daniel Grassl (ITA) 254.96 (173.20)
- Mikhail Shaidorov (KAZ) 253.75 (162.49)
- Kévin Aymoz (FRA) 238.63 (169.81)
GPF 2024 men's free skating: Malinin performs quad Axel and backflip en route to gold
Here comes the short program leader and favourite Ilia Malinin, the self-proclaimed "quad god" who is listed for four quads but not the quad Axel, only scheduled to perform a triple.
He starts with a quad flip, and pulls out the quadruple Axel! But he then falls on the quad Lutz, then spins out of the quad loop.
Malinin nearly falls on another quad Lutz but manages to turn it into his half loop Euler and triple Salchow combination.
And he turns his planned triple Salchow-triple Axel sequence into a quad-triple attempt.
Malinin lands a full backflip too – that element was unbanned for use in competition by the ISU this season.
What a performance, and a standing ovation from Grenoble as he lies prone on his back on the ice.
Well, well. Lots of quarter and under-rotation calls. Quarter calls for his opening quad flip, the quad Axel, quad toe and quad Salchow; full under-rotations on his quad Lutz which he fell on, the quad loop, and second quad Lutz.
It's a score of 186.69 for a total of 292.12 – seven quads attempted, but all of them got marked for quarter or full under-rotations. Ultimately, it was about thrilling the crowd, which he certainly did.
"A lot was going on in my mind, I had this idea and this goal I wanted to achieve here," Malinin says. "I wanted to get on the ice and I hope everyone enjoyed that performance. From now on, my main goal is to clean up everything.
"Merci beaucoup, Grenoble," he adds.
Ilia Malinin competes in the men's free skate - Grand Prix Final 2024
GPF 2024 men's free skating: Kagiyama errors open door for Malinin
Up next is Olympic silver medallist Kagiyama Yuma, the penultimate competitor tonight, who is also listed for four quads.
And he lands a stunning quad flip to start his free skate – but then pops an attempted quad Salchow down to a double, to loud gasps from the crowd.
A fantastic recovery with a quad toe-triple toe, followed by a triple Axel-Euler-triple Salchow.
The second half of this program is going well until his triple flip-triple loop combination as he puts his free foot down on the landing to the loop, which he doubles.
Kagiyama really needed a completely clean skate to have a chance at overtaking Ilia Malinin. And while he receives great applause from the crowd, that probably isn't enough barring a complete meltdown from his American opponent.
Malinin claps Kagiyama as the two cross paths on the ice, the latter skating off while Malinin heads out to warm up.
Here come the scores. It's 188.29 for a total of 281.78.
GPF 2024 men's free skating: Crowd disagree with low score for Shaidorov
Mikhail Shaidorov is next, and will skate to both Moonlight Sonata and Take On Me – two very different pieces of music. He also has the unique triple Axel-Euler-quad Salchow combination planned.
The Kazakh falls on his opening quad Lutz, but recovers with his signature combination!
A quad flip, then a triple loop. The program takes an ethereal turn as Shaidorov lands the quad toe-triple toe combination to start the second half of his routine.
As the music transitions into the familiar strains of a-ha's Take On Me, the crowd starts rhythmically clapping along.
A tremendous roar goes up as the debutant completes the routine. Someone's thrown a giant teddy onto the ice at the far end of the rink.
Shaidorov earns a disappointing 162.49 points for a total of 253.75 putting him third, drawing jeers and catcalls from the crowd.
Under-rotation calls on the quad Lutz, quad flip, and second triple Axel.
GPF 2024 men's free skating: Sato recovers from fall to put in solid skate
Sato Shun of Japan is listed for four quadruple jumps in his free skate, and starts well with a quad Lutz.
Well off-balance going into his second jump, however, and Sato falls on the quad flip. Can he recover quickly? Quad toe-triple toe, yes he can as he launches into a spin. His fourth quad is due next.
It's the quad toe again and well landed.
The rest of his program goes well and he picks up 184.54 points for a total of 270.82, giving the crowd a wave as his score is announced. He's in the lead.
GPF 2024 men's free skating: Grassl left wanting more after under-rotations
Italy's Daniel Grassl next with his Billy Elliot-themed free skate. He is wearing a white ballet-style top with black trousers.
Launches into his quad Lutz to open, one of three quads he is listed for. Then the quad Salchow, and Grassl does well not to crash into the boards. The quad loop is his last quad and he lands that too.
Both his triple Axels are due to come in combinations. The first is nicely done with a triple toe on the end. A bit of a janky music change there as it moves from jumps into a choreo sequence.
A triple Axel-double Axel-double Axel sequence is followed by a triple flip-triple toe, and his final jump is a triple Lutz.
The Italian looks out of breath, staying down on the ice a few extra seconds before lifting himself to thank the crowd.
There is quite a long review going on with Grassl's skate with the judges. It's a 173.20 for a total of 254.96 – under-rotation calls on his first two quads.
GPF 2024 men's free skating: Kévin Aymoz thrills home crowd
It is deafening in the Patinoire Polesud as Kévin Aymoz is introduced for his free skate.
After his difficult short program yesterday, can the Grenoblois turn it around on home ice?
Huge roars around as he lands the opening combination, a quad toe-double toe. Off-balance into his second element, another quad toe, and he has to turn out with his free foot to avoid a fall.
And again on the triple Lutz, his free foot comes down but he stays upright. Recovers with a triple Axel-double Axel sequence.
For this home crowd, Aymoz can do no wrong. He is their local boy. Unfortunately, he has to land a triple toe-Euler-triple Salchow two-footed too.
And the triple flip to close out the jumps, which looks a little suspect. Shouts of "Allez!" still fill the rink as Aymoz launches into his change foot combination spin to finish the program.
He puts both hands on the ice as the crowd give him a massive ovation. And he pumps them up and applauds them before bowing to all four sides of the arena. Soft toys are peppering the ice now as Aymoz skates off, blowing kisses to his home crowd.
Another tough night for the Frenchman, but a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to skate in a Grand Prix Final in front of his own people has been realised.
No tears in the kiss and cry for Aymoz today, only a big smile as he continues to blow kisses to the camera. He gets a 169.91 for a total of 238.63, both well off his best but that doesn't matter.
An under-rotation call on the triple Salchow and an edge call on the flip.
