Olympic Medalist Jason Brown Turns Into Cheerleader as Figure Skating’s ‘Quad God’ Elevates the Sport to New Heights

The world of figure skating is a delicate blend of poised grace and fierce precision. In this world, Jason Brown has made quite a name for himself. He has had a successful career, winning the Grand Prix nine times and also earning several medals, including a bronze medal in the team event at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, becoming one of the youngest male figure skating Olympic medalists.

Despite being a two-time Olympian and an elite figure in the sport, Jason Brown recently assumed the role of a cheerleader for a rising star in the sport who became the first and only skater to land a quadruple axel and calls himself the “Quad God.”

Jason Brown praises his competition

According to NBC Sports, after delivering an excellent performance at the U.S. figure skating championships at Nationwide Arena, Jason Brown acknowledged the elevated level of competition of his contender, Ilia Malinin, saying, “The level of skating just continues to be elevated year after year.”

Sharing his awe for the 19-year-old Ilia Malinin and comparing him to the iconic Nathan Chen, Jason Brown shared, “Nathan just kept pushing and pushing and pushing the sport. Ilia is doing the same thing. I think it’s incredible. Mad respect.” This commendation came despite Malinin not only surpassing Brown but also effortlessly executing one of the toughest combinations in skating, breaking Nathan Chen’s record.

The scores of the 2024 US Figure Skating Championships

At the 2024 US Figure Skating Championships at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, on January 26, Ilia Malinin scored 108.57 points, surpassing Nathan Chen’s record for the largest leading margin in a short program. Despite having boot problems that prevented him from attempting a quadruple axle, he showcased remarkable jumps and received high component scores for his artistry. And that’s not all.

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Two judges even gave Malinin perfect scores of 10.0 for his impeccable presentation. Maxim Naumov came in second with an 89.72. Meanwhile, in his 13th appearance at the senior division of nationals, Jason Brown encountered a less-than-ideal start, stumbling on his opening triple axel. Brown ultimately claimed the third spot with a score of 89.02. Despite his third-place finish, the camaraderie shared between the contenders shows the spirit of sportsmanship that enriches the competitive arena.

Watch this story: Best Sportsmanship Moments Between Figure Skating Stars Yuzuru Hanyu and Nathan Chen