The San Francisco 49ers will need all the help they can get Sunday on the road against the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles in an NFC wild card game.

The Eagles (11-6) have lost four of their last seven games, though, as Jalen Hurts and Co. begin their title defense in earnest. The 49ers (12-5) have won six of their previous seven games and look to avenge their 2023 NFC Championship Game loss to Philadelphia.

This time, things look slightly different.

In that 2023 meeting, the 49ers were (mostly) without quarterback Brock Purdy, who tore his UCL on the first drive of the game.

Purdy is back but injuries continue to plague San Francisco this year as it will be missing key players like receiver Brandon Aiyuk, linebacker Fred Warner and DE Nick Bosa − they’ve all missed most if not all of the regular season.

The 49ers have still found ways to continue rolling. Players have stepped up their play, whether it’s veteran stars coming through time and time again or emerging players rising to the occasion.

San Francisco will need winning plays and championship effort to get past the Eagles.

Here’s who the 49ers need to perform in order to advance and ultimately have a chance to win it all.

Note: This list doesn’t include guys such as Fred Warner, Dee Winters or anyone who appeared on the injured reserve list or has already been ruled out.

The 10* most important 49ers heading into the playoffs

10. Eddy Pineiro, place kicker

Pinero will need to be practically automatic, as he was all regular season with his 96.6% field goal percentage, tied for fifth in the NFL among place kickers.

He only missed one kick all season, which was beyond 50 yards. Besides that one-off, Pineiro has been perfect when going for three points. Pineiro had four extra-point field goals missed, or blocked, in 2025.

Kickers are important, especially in the playoffs. It’s where they make their money, their legacies. All too often games come down to a field goal or an extra point, make or miss. The 49ers need their kicker to show up in Philadelphia. Show them why you get paid, or should get paid, the big bucks.

9. Kyzir White, linebacker

With a 47-degree, rainy day forecasted in Philadelphia, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see a lot of running from Saquon Barkley and others. And of course, who can forget about the Tush Push on short yardage.

San Francisco is dealing with so many injuries to its linebacker core, including Dee Winters and Tatum Bethune − the team’s leading tacklers this season − the 49ers will need recent signee Kyzir White to step up in a big way.

White, 29, only played one game in 2025 for the Tennessee Titans, recording three tackles in a 41-20 loss to the Indianapolis Colts in Week 3. However, he was a standout a couple seasons ago for the Arizona Cardinals, leading the team with 90 tackles in 2023 and finishing second in 2024 with 137.

8. Jauan Jennings, wide receiver

Jennings has to provide the 49ers with a wideout target they can depend on, as he was throughout the season, whether catching passes from Purdy or Mac Jones.

He led the 49ers with nine receiving touchdowns, proving to be a reliable target and a red zone go-to.

Jennings ended the 2025 season with 55 catches for 643 yards. He averaged 11.7 yards per catch. The 49ers are going to need those automatic first downs to help them win against the Eagles.

7. Kyle Juszczyk, fullback

Juszczyk is just as important a weapon as Jennings. The 34-year-old fullback has been the complete package throughout his nine years in San Francisco.

Although his numbers have declined, in comparison to previous years, he’s still proven to be a great option for the 49ers.

He’s been a decent blocker for his position and when needed, he’s a dependable short-yard receiving target and a hard-nosed runner who makes things happen in short-yardage situations.

6. The entire offensive line

This game is going to come down to who has the best offensive line, and the 49ers frontline needs to dominate the game that might be murky and wet.

The Philadelphia Eagles are praised for their offensive line, but the 49ers’ is no slouch, either. Although they could be without Trent Williams (questionable) due to an ailing hamstring, knee and ankle, the San Francisco line as a unit is one to reckon with.

The combination of Spencer Burford, Jake Brendel, Dominick Puni, Colton McKivitz and Austen Pleasants, if Williams can’t go, has helped spur the 49ers offense, making things easy for their skill guys. That’s going to be key heading into Sunday’s wild card matchup. If they have Williams, then things are already looking good for the Bay.

5. The 49ers’ secondary

Since we’re putting emphasis on entire units, let’s enter the 49ers’ group of defensive backs. The 49ers defense allowed 232.4 yards per game, 25th most in the league.

There’s a lot of talk about Jalen Hurts not being a passing quarterback, but he can torch teams through the air, if you allow him to. The secondary core of Deommodore Lenoir, Renardo Green, Upton Stout, Malik Mustapha and Ji’Ayir Brown must not allow the Eagles to dominate the air.

More importantly, don’t get caught in expecting the run, given the Philadelphia forecast.

4. George Kittle, tight end

Kittle is a bright light for the 49ers, in the locker room and on the field, and he’s going to be needed dearly in Sunday’s game, for the good times, and potentially bad.

In 11 games, Kittle tallied 57 catches on 69 targets for 628 yards and seven touchdowns.

3. Christian McCaffrey, running back

McCaffrey has been the most valuable player for the San Francisco 49ers, really since he was traded there from the Carolina Panthers on Oct. 20, 2022.

In 2025, McCaffrey nearly had 1,000 rushing and 1,000 receiving yards. It would’ve been the second time he accomplished the feat. He ended with 1,202 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns. As a receiving target, he racked up 924 yards and seven touchdowns. The best stat: he hasn’t lost a fumble all season.

San Francisco will need McCaffrey to be in usual form. Foresee him getting touches all game long, whether as a ballcarrier or a receiver out of the backfield. His production is key to the 49ers offense as a whole. They will go as far as CMC takes them.

2. Brock Purdy, quarterback

Purdy gave the ‘Niner Faithful’ hope when he came back from injury to continue to lead the 49ers. He was throwing dimes, finding multiple receivers and even running for scores.

Purdy threw a career-high five touchdowns in a 48-27 ‘Monday Night Football’ win against the Indianapolis Colts on Dec. 22, 2025. His consistent play helped the 49ers to a six-game winning streak from Week 11 to 17.

Purdy finished the season throwing for 2,167 yards, 20 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in nine games played. He also ran for three touchdowns. The 49ers need Purdy to continue his stellar play for a chance to make a deep run this postseason.

It’s time for Purdy to etch his name as one of the best quarterbacks in 49ers history. A Super Bowl win can do that, but first it starts with the wild card round against Philadelphia.

1. Kyle Shanahan, head coach

Shanahan is an important piece to all of this. He’s the head coach, so of course, he can’t physically affect the outcome. But still, he has to put his team in the best position to win. That comes with decision-making on play calls and whether to kick or receive first in an overtime situation.

Most of all, it’s quieting the noise, murmurs and reminders of the three Super Bowls he’s lost after holding double-digit leads.

It happened twice as 49ers head coach, but the most widely-criticized comeback allowed was the Super Bowl 51 loss against the New England Patriots when, as the Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator, his team lost a 28-3 lead.

There’s no doubt that the collapse in Super Bowl 58 is still on the minds of all 49ers. Not being able to compete in last year’s postseason due to a mix of sustained injuries and losses, really struck a nerve with San Francisco. The 49ers came back in the 2025 regular season and now seem more ready than ever to prove that they are one of the top teams in the league.

Ilia Malinin won his fourth consecutive U.S. figure skating title, officially securing his spot on the 2026 Olympic team.
Known as the ‘Quad God,’ Malinin toned it down to ‘only’ three quadruple jumps due to issues with new skates.
Malinin, the son of former Olympic skaters, won the event by more than 50 points.

ST. LOUIS — The surest thing in the Winter Olympic world over the past several years has come to pass: Ilia Malinin, the son of Olympians, is now officially an Olympian himself.

Spinning mid-ice as his music came to an end, his blond hair rippling, the 21-year-old Malinin nodded approvingly as he finished his long program, knowing he had accomplished what he came to the 2026 U.S. figure skating championships to do.

The “Quad God” toned it down considerably Saturday night, landing “just” three quadruple jumps compared with the seven he uncorked a month ago at the Grand Prix Final. He is having issues with the new skates he has been breaking in for the rest of the season, and since there was no challenger even close to him at these nationals, he didn’t have to push himself or press his luck.

Watch our exclusive conversation with Ilia Malinin in the debut episode of ourMilan Magic Olympics podcast. Subscribe and listen:Apple Podcasts |Spotify |Amazon

“I decided to take it a little more safe,” he said afterward. “I was a little unsure what I was going to do so I decided not to go for any risks. I’m sure in a few weeks (the skates) will be in perfect condition.”

Funny being so good and so much better than everyone else that you can basically glide through your national championships into the Olympics, but that’s how talented Malinin is. The Milan Winter Olympics will present an entirely different storyline, but Malinin is predicted to win there as well. 

On a messy night of men’s skating, a distinct contrast from the excellent women’s event here the night before, Malinin won by more than 50 points. He finished with 324.88 points to 267.62 for the second-place finisher, Andrew Torgashev. Maxim Naumov, who lost both of his parents in the midair collision over Washington nearly a year ago, finished a surprising third with 249.16 points.

So the story was Malinin, as it has been in American men’s skating since the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics ended. This was his fourth consecutive men’s national title. But this time, an Olympic berth was attached. 

How fitting that is for him, and his family. It will be the fifth Olympics for all of them. His mother, Tatiana Malinina, competed at 10 consecutive world figure skating championships for Uzbekistan. She finished eighth at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, the competition in which Tara Lipinski won the gold medal and Michelle Kwan the silver. Malinina finished fourth at the 1999 world championships as well, and she also competed at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics, but withdrew after the short program with the flu. 

Malinin’s father, Roman Skorniakov, represented Uzbekistan at the same two Olympics, 1998 and 2002, finishing 19th both times. They were married in 2000 and became skating coaches in the United States, moving to the Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C., where, in December 2004, Ilia was born. He took the Russian masculine form of his mother’s last name because his parents were concerned that Skorniakov was too difficult to pronounce. 

No one is having any problem pronouncing Malinin. It is, after all, the name of the United States’ newest and most promising Olympic star. 

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The U.S. Olympic figure skating team is selected based on a body of work, not just the U.S. championships.
Ilia Malinin, Amber Glenn, Alysa Liu, Isabeau Levito, and Madison Chock and Evan Bates are considered locks for the team.
Several spots, particularly in the men’s and pairs disciplines, are still up for grabs
U.S. Figure Skating is set to announce the roster on Sunday at 2 p.m.

ST. LOUIS — Now that the U.S. figure skating championships are complete, now comes the part everyone is anticipating: Who will make the 2026 Winter Olympics?

Figure skating doesn’t have your typical Olympic selection process where spots are determined at the U.S. championships or trials. Instead, the U.S. Figure Skating’s International Committee looks at an athlete’s body of work from the start of 2025 through the 2026 U.S. championships.

The U.S. will send 16 skaters – three men, three women, two pairs and three ice dance pairs – to the Milano Cortina Games and will announce the roster Sunday. But there is a pretty good sense of who is a roster certainty while others are on the bubble. We break down the candidates, from locks to longshots.

Watch our exclusive conversation with Ilia Malinin in the debut episode of ourMilan Magic Olympics podcast. Subscribe and listen:Apple Podcasts |Spotify |Amazon

Olympic locks

Men: Ilia Malinin
Women:Amber Glenn, Alysa Liu, Isabeau Levito
Ice dance:Madison Chock and Evan Bates

The cream of the crop, all of these skaters have cemented their spots in Milano Cortina. Malinin and Glenn in singles, Chock and Bates in ice dance claimed national championships as the perfect send off to Italy. 

The “Quad God” Malinin won his title by a whopping 57 points and the young phenom is arguably the top skater in the world. Glenn and Liu have been at the top of standings at nearly every competition they’ve been in, mixing artistic beauty with fierceness. Levito guaranteed her spot with a third place finish in St. Louis. Chock and Bates have been a force in the ice dance and are on the hunt for their first medal in the discipline in what will be their fourth Olympic Games.

In additional to their individual medal potential, all of these skaters give the U.S. a great chance to win gold in the team event.

Likely in

Pairs: Ellie Kam and Danny O’Shea
Ice dance: Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik

This group aren’t complete locks, but there’s a great chance they will be in.

Kam and O’Shea are the top eligible pair after finishing second in the U.S. championships, and landed on the podium in two Grand Prix events this season. Behind Chock and Bates for most of the season have been Zingas and Kolesnik, with two Grand Prix medals to go along with the second place finish at the U.S. championships.

There’s a chance

Men: Jason Brown, Tomoki Hiwatashi, Maxim Naumov, Andrew Torgashev, Jacob Sanchez
Pairs: Katie McBeath and Daniil Parkman; Audrey Shin and Balazs Nagy; Emily Chan and Spencer Akira Howe
Ice dance: Christina Carreira and Anthony Ponomarenko

This is where it gets real interesting. The biggest question is who will take the final two spots alongside Malinin. It looked like Brown was a lock, but a disastrous free skate dropped Brown 12th place in the segement and eighth overall, jeopardizing his Olympic spot.

Then there’s Torgashev, Naumov and Hiwatashi. Torgashev may be the safest after he won back-to-back U.S. silver medals, bouncing back from a rough season. Naumov has been an incredible story coming back after losing both his parents in a January 2025 plane crash while Hiwatashi has been up-and-down. Sanchez, an 18-year-old who skated his way to fourth place in St. Louis, boosted his candidacy after a meteoric rise in the senior level. His performance may have accelerated his Olympic journey.

The second pairs spot is also up for grabs. McBeath and Parkman won silver this year after taking third in 2025, likely putting them ahead of Shin and Nagy after a tough free skate took them off the podium. However, they do have an ISU Challenger Series win. A dark horse is Chan and Howe, who recovered in their free skate for a second straight fourth place finish at the U.S. championships.

Carreira and Ponomarenko have the inside track for the third ice dance spots after another podium finish.

Longshots

Men: Jimmy Ma
Women: Bradie Tennell
Pairs: Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov
Ice dance: Caroline Green and Michael Parsons

Hope remains, but the odds are slim this group can make it. 

Ma is a a respected veteran skater that has hovered around the top five of U.S. championships for several years. Tennell proved she’s still an elite skater, but just the women’s field is stacked and there’s only three spots available.

Efimova and Mitrofanov would be shoe-ins with their two-straight U.S. titles, but Efimova hasn’t obtained her U.S. citizenship after getting green card approval in July 2024 and she can’t compete for the U.S. at the Olympics without a passport. Green and Parsons have been at the podium in nearly every event this season, but a fourth place finish at the 2026 U.S. championships may put them out of reach.

The Los Angeles Rams defeated the Carolina Panthers 34-31 to advance in the playoffs.
Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford threw for 304 yards and three touchdowns, including the game-winning score.
Rams receiver Puka Nacua had 10 catches for 111 yards and two total touchdowns.
The Rams defense stopped the Panthers on all three of their fourth-down attempts.

The Los Angeles Rams are moving on to the divisional round of the playoffs.

Matthew Stafford and the Rams survived a 34-31 thriller Jan. 10 against the Carolina Panthers to advance to the divisional round.

The Panthers overcame a 14-0 deficit in the first half to climb back into the lead twice, the final time after a Carolina blocked punt sparked a TD drive and 31-27 lead late in the fourth quarter.

The Rams had time and the ball, however, and Stafford engineered a seven-play, 71-yard touchdown drive capped off by a beautiful pass to tight end Colby Parkinson to save the Rams’ season.

USA TODAY Sports examines the winners and losers from the wild-card game in Charlotte:

Winners

Matthew Stafford comes up clutch

The Rams veteran was up and down for much of the game. He injured his finger late in the second quarter and struggled for parts of the second half, but he led the Rams on a go-ahead touchdown drive in the fourth quarter.

Stafford is the fifth player in NFL history to have at least 300 passing yards in seven playoff games.

He averaged a league-best 276.9 passing yards per game in the regular season and threw an NFL-best and career-high 46 touchdown passes.

Rams’ fourth-down defense

The Panthers converted all three of their fourth-down attempts in a Week 13 upset win over the Rams. But Carolina’s fourth-down success rate went in the opposite direction in the wild-card game. The Panthers went 0-for-3 on fourth downs in the loss.

The Rams defense stopped Carolina on a desperation fourth down to seal the win. The unit gave up 333 total yards but stood tall on fourth downs.

Panthers’ punt-block unit

The Rams’ special teams unit has been a sore spot the entire year, and special teams hurt the Rams again against the Panthers.

Panthers linebacker Isaiah Simmons blocked Ethan Evans’ punt in the fourth quarter. The Panthers offense reached the end zone four plays later to take a 31-27 lead.  

The Rams have to shore up their special teams if they want to keep advancing in the playoffs.

Puka Nacua leads Rams passing attack

Nacua had three catches, 40 yards and a touchdown on the Rams’ opening drive. Targeting Nacua was a point of emphasis for the Rams all game.

The Rams wideout caught a backwards pass from Matthew Stafford, made couple moves by defenders and found the end zone to give L.A. a 14-0 advantage in the second quarter.

Nacua did have a crucial drop late in that second quarter that could’ve been a touchdown. However, he made up for the drop when he later dislodged a football that would’ve resulted in a Stafford interception. The Rams would end up scoring a touchdown on the possession.

Nacua finished with a game-high 10 catches for 111 yards, one touchdown catch and one rushing TD.

Losers

Trevor Etienne

The Panthers had a little momentum after a defensive stop and were able to take over possession of the football in the second quarter. But Etienne muffed a punt that was recovered by Rams special teamer Troy Reeder at Carolina’s 41-yard line.

The football bounced off Etienne face mask, and the fumble cost the Panthers a potential scoring opportunity.

Rams’ third-down efficiency in first half

The Rams had an opportunity to build a big first-half lead. Carolina had two first-half turnovers and turned the ball over on downs once. But Los Angeles went 1-for-6 on third downs and had issues sustaining drives, allowing the Panthers to claw back into the game.

The Rams converted only three of 13 third down chances overall.

Panthers run game

Carolina couldn’t get its ground game going. The Panthers averaged just 3.8 yards per carry, and their three three rushing touchdowns came on short yardage situations. Chuba Hubbard led the team with 46 of their 83 rushing yards.

Rams penalties

The Rams were the least-penalized team in the NFL during the regular season.

On Saturday, though, the Rams were flagged for nine penalties for 83 yards. They were lucky the penalties didn’t comeback to bite them.

The Green Bay Packers have officially entered their offseason, and after a loss to the Chicago Bears in the NFL playoffs, the biggest question remains: What will become of head coach Matt LaFleur?

LaFleur’s contract with the Packers reportedly runs through the end of the 2026 season, and no coach, executive or player enjoys the security – or lack thereof – of a one-year deal.

But, as it goes, plans change in the NFL. Could the wild-card loss vs. the Bears be the last that LaFleur coaches for the Packers?

Here’s what the Packers head coach said about his job security following the loss:

Will the Packers fire Matt LaFleur?

LaFleur’s job security entering the Packers’ matchup against the Bears in the wild-card round was seemingly strong, with the two sides reportedly set to discuss a contract extension that would keep him in Green Bay beyond 2026.

Rapoport added that LaFleur wouldn’t be ‘coaching for his job’ on Saturday night.

The head coach didn’t want to speak on his contract status or potential negotiations in the immediate aftermath of the loss to the Bears.

‘With all due respect to your question, Pete, now’s not the time for that,’ LaFleur said. ‘I’m just hurting for these guys. I can only think about what just happened, and there will be time for that.’

LaFleur didn’t answer further questions positing his job status or the team’s confidence in him, but said that being the head coach of the Packers ‘means everything’ to him.

If there’s any consolation for LaFleur, it’s that Packers president Ed Policy isn’t necessarily in favor of a coach entering a season on an expiring contract.

“I’m generally opposed – I’d never say never – [but] I’m generally opposed to a coach or GM going into the last year of their contract,’ Policy said in June 2025. ‘That creates a lot of issues. I think normally you have a pretty good idea of where that relationship is going when you have two years left – not always, but normally.

‘So I think generally speaking I would avoid ‘lame-duck’ status. It’s oftentimes difficult on everybody involved. But there are certain situations that probably call for it, so I would not say never.’

Could the team’s standing with LaFleur be one of those ‘certain situations?’ Only time will tell.

Matt LaFleur record

Under LaFleur’s watch, the Packers have been one of the most consistent franchises in the NFL. He has an overall record of 76-40-1 and has one season where the Packers have been sub-.500.

Here’s the year-by-year breakdown:

2019: 13-3, won NFC North, lost NFC championship
2020: 13-3, won NFC North, lost NFC championship
2021: 13-4, won NFC North, lost NFC divisional round
2022: 8-9, third place in NFC North
2023: 9-8, second place in NFC North, lost NFC divisional round
2024: 11-6, third place in NFC North, lost wild-card round
2025: 9-7-1, third place in NFC North, lost wild-card round

The Chicago Bears’ improbable 31-27 home victory over the Green Bay Packers capped off a wild first day of NFL playoff action with a wave of celebration in the Windy City.

A Jordan Love fumble of the snap, wild scramble and eventual incompletion sealed Chicago’s first playoff victory in 15 years, sending the Bears to an NFC divisional round matchup against either Philadelphia Eagles or Los Angeles Rams.

But first, there was the party in Chicago. Here are the best sights and sounds from the conclusion of the Jan. 10 wild card playoff game.

A fumble, scramble and heave: See the Packers’ last gasp against the Bears

Love and the Packers had a final chance to win the game from the Bears’ 28-yard line, but it certainly didn’t go as planned:

Rome Odunze takes down Ben Johnson in Bears’ celebration

The Bears’ rookie receiver and coach enjoyed the win together, with Johnson ending up on the Soldier Field turf.

ST. LOUIS — For more than a decade, the U.S. championships have become the playground of Madison Chock and Evan Bates.

It’s felt like the top step of the ice dance podium has had a sign that read “Reserved for Madison Chock and Evan Bates,” like Larry Bird showing up to the 1986 3-point contest and asking, “Who’s coming in second?”

At the 2026 U.S. figure skating championships on Saturday, they took their place on that very same top step, cementing themselves as the great American ice dance dynasty. It is their seventh national title, breaking a tie with Meryl Davis and Charlie White for most all-time.

‘The feeling that we got front he audience today was unlike anything I’ve ever felt before,’ Chock said after, tears welling in her eyes. ‘It felt so special, I felt so much love and joy and I’m so grateful for this moment to share with everyone here and to share with Evan. It’s been the most incredible, incredible career. Couldn’t have asked for anything more.’

In typical fashion, Chock and Bates set themselves up for success by rocking their short program. They earned a season-best score of 91.70 on Thursday, nearly six points ahead of Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik in second place, a comfortable margin for the pair.

The quality of their free dance program meant only a monumental mess would have left wiggle room for other competitors.

But their free skate felt more like a coronation than a competition. The “Paint it Black” program features Chock as a matadora and Bates as a bull, and they brought the intensity, highlighted by their step sequence that brought out the fairy Paso Doble influence that had the crowd in awe.

Ultimately, their free dance yielded a double-digit victory. Chock and Bates finished with a program score of 137.17 and a total score of 228.87, 15.22 points than the second place team of Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik.

‘I think our performance today was definitely the best that we’ve skated the free dance all year,’ Bates said. ‘It’s a great feeling going into a big event knowing that you’ve skated well at the previous competition.’

It’s pretty much a full circle moment for Chock. She recalled watching Davis and White, as well as Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto, growing up and idolizing them. Little did she know that she would one day surpass their records.

‘I really took that to heart and let it guide me and lead me,’ she said. ‘Hopefully we can leave a little bit of that legacy for the next generation and keep the love for the sport going.’

Here is the full picture of their excellence: This was their sixth championship in the last seven years; all of their titles have come in the past 12 years; they’ve competed in the past 15 U.S. championships; they’ve finished on the podium the last 14 times — and only one of those was a third-place finish.

However, when they were reminded of all the winning they had been doing at the U.S. Championships, Bates thought of how difficult it was to win their second title in 2020 after their first in 2015, how it wasn’t an easy ride to get to this point.

‘Those years where we felt the struggle set us up for this run now we’ve been enjoying for the last few years. The domestic rivalries that we had through that span of time sharpened us for international competition,’ he said.

All that’s missing from their decorated career is that Olympic medal. At the 2026 Milano Cortina Games, they will be determined to come out on top at their fourth Olympics.

‘We know what to do,’ Chock said. ‘We have our plan. We’re executing it, and we don’t plan on deviating from it. We’re going to stick to it, trust ourselves, trust our team, and do what we know how to do.’

ST. LOUIS — Ilia Malinin won his fourth consecutive U.S. figure skating championship on Saturday, the “Quad God” bringing the crowd to its feet in his final competition before he makes his Olympic debut at the 2026 Milano Cortina Games.

The free skate earned him a 209.78, bringing his championship-winning score to 324.88, a whopping 57.26 points ahead of second-place Andrew Torgashev and 75.72 points ahead of third-place Maxim Naumov. Malinin, who’s been breaking in new skates, did three quad jumps in his free skate, what he called playing it safe.

“I was coming into this one, I was a little unsure what I was gonna do, so I decided not to go for any risks and I wanted to play it safe because I know that hopefully in a few weeks I’ll have to go again,’ he said.

He said he will ‘really try to get comfortable with (the new skates), and I’m sure in a few weeks they’ll be in perfect condition, so I’m really looking forward to that process.”

Earlier Saturday, the ice dance duo of Madison Chock and Evan Bates captured their seventh national title, an all-time record. It’s their fifth consecutive championship and it propels them to their fourth Olympic games together. U.S. Figure Skating will announce the 2026 Olympic team on Sunday.

‘The feeling that we got from the audience today was unlike anything I’ve ever felt before,’ Chock said after, tears welling in her eyes. ‘It felt so special, I felt so much love and joy and I’m so grateful for this moment to share with everyone here and to share with Evan. It’s been the most incredible, incredible career. Couldn’t have asked for anything more.’

Watch our exclusive conversation with Ilia Malinin in the debut episode of ourMilan Magic Olympics podcast. Subscribe and listen:Apple Podcasts |Spotify |Amazon

Check out all the results and highlights from Day 4 of nationals below.

US figure skating championships results, standings

Here are the overall men’s standings.

Ilia Malinin: 324.88
Andrew Torgashev: 267.62
Maxim Naumov: 249.16
Jacob Sanchez: 249.07
Tomoki Hiwatashi: 247.24
Liam Kapeikis: 235.13
Daniel Martynov: 229.95
Jason Brown: 227.52
Lucius Kazanecki: 227.07
Kai Kovar: 225.75
Jimmy Ma: 225.71
Lorenzo Elano: 213.34
Goku Endo: 203.42
Michael Xie: 196.78
Samuel Mindra: 190.04
Emmanuel Savary: 188.14
Will Annis: 175.80
Ken Mikawa: 145.91

Here are the free skate scores.

Ilia Malinin: 209.78 total segment score, 116.17 technical elements score, 93.61 program components score.
Andrew Torgashev: 182.63 total segment score, 95.69 technical elements score, 86.94 program components score.
Jacob Sanchez: 167.80 total segment score, 85.24 technical elements score, 82.56 program components score.
Maxim Naumov: 163.44 total segment score, 80.08 technical elements score, 83.36 program components score.
Tomoki Hiwatashi: 157.98 total segment score, 76.29 technical elements score, 81.69 program components score.
Liam Kapeikis: 156.27 total segment score, 79.46 technical elements score, 76.81 program components score.
Lucius Kazanecki: 151.35 total segment score, 78.95 technical elements score, 72.40 program components score.
Jimmy Ma: 150.15 total segment score, 73.96 technical elements score, 77.19 program components score.
Kai Kovar: 148.84 total segment score, 73.41 technical elements score, 75.43 program components score.
Daniel Martynov: 148.32 total segment score, 73.56 technical elements score, 75.76 program components score.
Lorenzo Elano: 141.69 total segment score, 69.19 technical elements score, 73.50 program components score.
Jason Brown: 139.03 total segment score, 58.98 technical elements score, 82.05 program components score.
Michael Xie: 136.83 total segment score, 72.40 technical elements score, 64.43 program components score.
Goku Endo: 130.74 total segment score, 56.91 technical elements score, 73.83 program components score.
Emmanuel Savary: 127.93 total segment score, 59.63 technical elements score, 70.30 program components score.
Samuel Mindra: 125.02 total segment score, 53.76 technical elements score, 71.26 program components score.
Will Annis: 120.85 total segment score, 56.27 technical elements score, 64.58 program components score.
Ken Mikawa: 94.22 total segment score, 40.04 technical elements score, 55.18 program components score.

Ilia Malinin ‘Quad God’ nickname

Simply put, Ilia Malinin has the greatest array of jumps any figure skater in history has ever possessed. He’s launched himself into the air for seven quadruple jumps in a single long program at last month’s Grand Prix Final and was the first skater to land a quad Axel.

Malinin’s username used to be Lutz God, but he changed it to Quad God after landing his first quad jump. 

“I didn’t think much about it … Days go by and people started asking, ‘Why’d you name yourself Quad God, you only landed one jump,’’ he said on Milan Magic, USA TODAY’s new Olympics podcast that drops its first episode Saturday. ‘And then I was like, ‘Oh, OK maybe I should be come a Quad God.’ From there I found my rhythm of landing quad after quad after quad and then of course landing the first quad axel.”

“In the most humble way possible, I think it’s definitely helped my confidence in not only to skating in general but just feeling like I deserve to be recognized as who I am.”

Andrew Torgashev dazzles, then gets pizza

We’ve reached the point of the lineup where the fight is on for the final men’s spots in the Olympics, and Andrew Torgashev made his case with a big statement.

He had an exceptional skate, starting with two quad toeloops to get the rhythm going and closing it with a tough choreo sequence. He got a standing ovation, and then got a box of pizza to celebrate it.

He received a season-best 182.63, and is now in first with a combined score of 267.62.

Jacob Sanchez’s emotional free skate

The future is bright for Jacob Sanchez, as the 18-year-old put on an exceptional performance in his free skate to take first place through Group 2. He began to cry once he completed his program as the crown serenaded him with an ovation. He was then greeted by his family just outside the rink as they waved their Puerto Rican flags.

Sanchez has had a meteoric rise since joining the senior ranks in November 2024, putting himself in the conversation for the third and final men’s spot on the Olympic team. Regardless of whether he makes it, Sanchez is making a name for himself and will be one to watch in the next Olympic cycle.

Madison Chock and Evan Bates win 7th US figure skating championship

Madison Chock and Evan Bates have another ice dance record.

The husband-and-wife duo have been on the podium at U.S. nationals every year since 2013. They have won five straight ice dance titles. And now they hold the record for most U.S. titles of all time, breaking a tie with Meryl Davis and Charlie White for most all-time.

‘The feeling that we got from the audience today was unlike anything I’ve ever felt before,’ Chock said after, tears welling in her eyes. ‘It felt so special, I felt so much love and joy and I’m so grateful for this moment to share with everyone here and to share with Evan. It’s been the most incredible, incredible career. Couldn’t have asked for anything more.’

Ultimately, their free dance yielded a double-digit victory — a program score of 137.17 and a total score of 228.87, 15.22 points than the second place team of Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik.

It’s just the latest feat in what’s been a dominant season for the married couple. Since the start of 2025, they have won all but one of the seven competitions they entered, including winning the Grand Prix final in December for the third straight year.

The couple’s return to the Winter Olympics is all but official, making Milano Cortina their fourth Games. The only thing that’s eludes them in their decorated careers is that ice dance Olympic medal after finishing just short of the podium in 2022.

Ilia Malinin’s parents

Malinin was born into figure skating. His mother, Tatiana Malinina, is from the Soviet Union, Siberia specifically, and competed at 10 consecutive world figure skating championships for Uzbekistan. She finished eighth at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, the competition in which Tara Lipinski won the gold medal and Michelle Kwan the silver. Malinina finished fourth at the 1999 world championships as well, and she also competed at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics, but withdrew after the short program with the flu.

Malinin’s father, Roman Skorniakov, represented Uzbekistan at the same two Olympics, 1998 and 2002, finishing 19th both times. He and Malinina were married in 2000 and became skating coaches in the United States, moving to the Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C., where, in December 2004, Ilia was born. He took the Russian masculine form of his mother’s last name because his parents were concerned that Skorniakov was too difficult to pronounce. 

Who is on the US Olympic figure skating team?

The team will be named on Sunday at 2 p.m. Three men and three women singles skaters will be chosen, as will three ice dance teams and two pairs, 16 athletes in all. The USFS selection process includes past performances, focusing on the athlete’s body of work over the past two seasons.

Ilia Malinin, Amber Glenn, Alysa Liu and Isabeau Levito are roster locks, as are Madison Chock and Evan Bates. That leaves two spots open on the men’s side, two ice dance team spots and both pairs spots.

How does Ilia Malinin train for his quad jumps?

Malinin shared with Christine Brennan and Brian Boitano on Milan Magic, USA TODAY’s new Olympics podcast that drops its first episode Saturday, that he likes to skate a full program at least once a day, but that doesn’t mean every jump in that practice session must be a quad. It depends on how his body feels.

“For me, at least the standard base can be all triple jumps, just to keep that stamina, just to keep that stamina in there. But then, of course, depending on how I feel or how the training is going, then I can say, ‘Maybe tomorrow I can go for a full quad layout or maybe do a full quad and the rest can be triples.’ 

“I think the main focus for me is just running the whole program in itself with all the jumps, all the spins and really just getting that muscle memory in your head because I think a lot of the times, especially with me, if I do a certain amount of triple jumps and I feel comfortable with it, then I can go and the quad jumps will get a little easier for me because I’ve been practicing that muscle memory for a while.”

Ice dance overall standings

Madison Chock and Evan Bates: 228.87
Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik: 213.65
Christina Carreira and Anthony Ponomarenko: 206.95
Caroline Green and Michael Parsons: 202.05
Emily Bratti and Ian Somerville: 197.29
Oona Brown and Gage Brown: 194.31
Katarina Wolfkostin and Dimitry Tsarevski: 186.60
Leah Neset and Artem Markelov: 176.46
Maia Shibutani and Alex Shibutani: 173.17
Amy Cui and Jonathan Rogers: 172.39
Eva Pate and Logan Bye: 170.49
Elliana Peal and Ethan Peal: 169.60
Raffaella Koncius and Alexey Shchepetov: 166.62
Isabella Flores and Linus Colmor: 160.75
Vanessa Pham and Anton Spiridonov: 158.62

Here are the free dance scores.

Madison Chock and Evan Bates: 137.17 total segment score, 77.89 technical elements score, 59.28 program components score.
Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik: 127.67 total segment score, 72.17 technical elements score, 55.50 program components score.
Christina Carreira and Anthony Ponomarenko: 123.66 total segment score, 69.24 technical elements score, 54.42 program components score.
Oona Brown and Gage Brown: 118.59 total segment score, 67.15 technical elements score, 51.44 program components score.
Emily Bratti and Ian Somerville: 117.86 total segment score, 66.38 technical elements score, 51.48 program components score.
Katarina Wolfkostin and Dimitry Tsarevski: 111.61 total segment score, 62.33 technical elements score, 49.28 program components score.
Leah Neset and Artem Markelov: 105.18 total segment score, 57.74 technical elements score, 47.44 program components score.
Amy Cui and Jonathan Rogers: 104.79 total segment score, 59.23 technical elements score, 45.56 program components score.
Maia Shibutani and Alex Shibutani: 101.93 total segment score, 54.63 technical elements score, 47.30 program components score.
Raffaella Koncius and Alexey Shchepetov: 101.47 total segment score, 57.27 technical elements score, 44.20 program components score.
Elliana Peal and Ethan Peal: 100.00 total segment score, 55.38 technical elements score, 44.62 program components score.
Vanessa Pham and Anton Spiridonov: 97.21 total segment score, 54.07 technical elements score, 43.14 program components score.
Eva Pate and Logan Bye: 96.95 total segment score, 51.15 technical elements score, 46.80 program components score.
Isabella Flores and Linus Colmor Jepsen: 94.38 total segment score, 51.44 technical elements score, 42.94 program components score.
Caroline Green and Michael Parsons: 121.50 total segment score, 68.06 technical elements score, 53.44 program components score.

Ice dancing vs. figure skating

Ice dancing does not feature jumps or lifts, like you see figure skating pairs execute. Ice dancing is made up of two segments, the rhythm dance and the free dance.

How does Ilia Malinin come up with his programs?

It takes an innovative mind to be as sensational as Malinin, and his creative process is far from ordinary. He said much of it comes from his love of gymnastics and acrobatics, which is the reason why he’s able to perform so much stunning jumps.

“It really pushes me to push the envelope in skating, not only just in a performance aspect, but also give it even more athleticism, other than all the jumps, all the spins and all of the hard things,” he said. “It gives me a lot of fun, but at the same time, I feel like it’s very useful for the sport to bring in something new, so everyone has something unique to watch.”

When do 2026 Winter Olympics start?

The opening ceremony for the Milano Cortina Games is Feb. 6. The closing ceremony is Feb. 22.

Milan Magic: Listen on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.