Star Ilia Malinin returns with a new look set to redefine his World Championship performance

It’s showtime for Ilia Malinin.

A little over a month ago, Malinin had one of the most public collapses in Winter Olympic Games history in Milan, Italy.

He was the gargantuan favorite to win the men’s individual figure skating competition, and all he had to do was skate cleanly. Malinin didn’t need to do anything special. After his two closest competitors both fell in their free skate segments, all the 21-year-old American had to do was play it safe and win his second gold medal of the Games.

Malinin folded. The world collapsed around him, and he admitted, following the worst performance of his career, that the Olympic pressure had gotten to him.

But he’s ready to redeem himself, at least a little, at the Figure Skating World Championships.

The back-to-back men’s world champion, Malinin, will try for the repeat in Prague.

MILAN, ITALY – FEBRUARY 08: Ilia Malinin of Team United States competes in Men’s Single Skating – Free Skating Team Event on day two of the Milano Cor…

Although the man who shockingly beat Malinin for the gold medal in Milan, Kazakhstan Mikail Shairdrov, won’t be competing, Malinin will still need to be a strong crop of rivals if he wishes to continue his World Championships streak.

Although the loss knocked Malinin down, giving him his first defeat in over two years, it didn’t knock him out. Malinin was landing his quadruple axel, backflips, and everything on the Prague ice during one of the first practices at the World Championships.

Malinin even debuted a new look that caught the attention of many of the fans in Czechia, showing off a shorter cut after having longer, more flowing hair during his performances in Milan.

The event kicks off on Wednesday with women’s and pairs short programs before Malinin starts his quest for redemption on Thursday.

Source: newsweek.com