Sawt Falasteen - Can Ilia Malinin fulfil his promise at the Winter Olympics?

The son of Uzbeks who were Olympians themselves, Malinin's gravity-defying quadruple jumps have propelled him past his rivals.

Barring a meltdown in the Milano Ice Skating Rink, the question is not will he succeed fellow American Nathan Chen as men's champion, but what his winning margin will be.

"Of course, there's going to be a lot of pressure especially because it's my first Olympics," said 21-year-old Malinin, who is unbeaten in over two years.

"I've been looking forward to this moment my entire life.

"My parents tell me a lot about the Olympics. The way they want me to view it is to train how I would for any other competition.

"I'm ready to handle it and we'll see how I manage it."

Malinin, from Virginia, is the only skater to master all the quadruple jumps including the formidable quad Axel.

The two-time world champion produced an unprecedented seven quadruple jumps in his free skate at the Grand Prix Final in December.

The skater who has dubbed himself "Quad God" has even suggested he feels "physically ready" to try to land a five-rotation quintuple jump in Milan.

Yuma Kagiyama, the 2022 Olympic silver medallist, and fellow Japanese Shun Sato, are hoping to get a look in.

Kagiyama said Malinin makes everything look "really easy".

"And it's not just the jumps," said Kagiyama, a four-time world medallist.

"I feel like his skating and his artistry, his expression, is getting better year by year, so I'm starting to think he's invincible."

- Petrosian carrying Russian hopes -

Adeliia Petrosian, 18, carries Russian hopes as she bids to keep the women's gold in her country's grasp for a fourth consecutive Games.

Guided by controversial coach Eteri Tutberidze, who also trained Kamila Valieva, whose failed doping test overshadowed the Beijing Games, the three-time Russian champion arrives without being tested in international competition and will compete under a neutral banner.

Russian and Belarusian skaters have been banned from ISU events since Moscow's offensive on Ukraine began in 2022.

Her main rivals are American and Japanese.

Japan's Kaori Sakamoto, a former three-time world champion, won bronze in Beijing behind two Russians.

But the 25-year-old had to settle for silver at last year's worlds behind American Alysa Liu.

"So far, I haven't really felt that special sense of tension," said Sakamoto.

"It's my third time and I have some confidence.

"I feel a bit nervous, but I really want to put everything into it because this is my last Olympics."

Liu, 20, won the Grand Prix final ahead of Japan's Ami Nakai and Sakamoto, but was edged out for the US national title in January by Amber Glenn.

- Trailblazing Japanese pair target gold -

Two-time world champions Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara are poised to give Japan their first ever Olympic medal in the acrobatic pairs discipline.

They placed seventh in Beijing but helped Japan to silver in the Olympic team competition.

They were the first Japanese pair to win worlds and the ISU Grand Prix Final and Kihara said "we feel like challengers this time around".

Olympic champions Sui Wenjing and Han Cong are back after a three-year break but failed to make the ISU Grand Prix final after two third-place finishes during the Grand Prix season.

Italy's Sara Conti and Niccolo Macii are also hoping for a first Olympic pairs medal in front of their home crowd after placing second in the Grand Prix final.

Cizeron eyes second ice dance gold

Reigning Olympic ice dance champion Guillaume Cizeron of France will be targeting a second consecutive gold, but with new partner Laurence Fournier Beaudry.

Cizeron, a five-time world champion with former partner Gabriella Papadakis in a partnership spanning two decades, teamed up with Canadian Fournier Beaudry in March last year.

They secured their first European title together -- Cizeron's sixth -- in England in January despite being unsettled by the release, just days before the championships, of a book by Papadakis.

In it, the former skater presented her version of the reasons for the end of their successful partnership, claiming "controlling" behaviour by Cizeron.

"(At the Europeans) we were able to manage our stress and pressure very well, to create a bubble of concentration and enjoy ourselves," said 31-year-old Cizeron.

US duo Madison Chock and Evan Bates are their leading rivals as the reigning three-time world champions and winners of the Grand Prix final ahead of the French.

S.Abdullah--SF-PST