Overview
- The ISU Grand Prix Skate America opened in Everett, Washington, and the men's short program on Friday produced Ilia Malinin in first with 96.74 points and Sota Yamamoto in second with 91.29 points.
- Yamamoto landed three clean jumps in his short, including a quadruple toe loop, which helped him secure second place.
- Malinin opened with a clean quadruple flip but produced an unsettled quad Lutz into a two-jump sequence later in the program, making his skate less than perfect.
- Malinin said he is relaxed and focusing on enjoying skating rather than results, a mindset shaped by his 8th-place Olympic finish in February and a rebound to win the World Championship in March.
- The men's free skate is scheduled for Saturday and will decide final placements, with the women's short program featuring Ami Nakai and Rino Matsuo also set to run that day.