Men’s figure skating phenom, Ilia Malinin, nicknamed the “Quad God,” pulled off an incredible win for Team USA at Milano Cortina. He secured a gold medal with a move banned for decades. Ilia performed a backflip during the short program on February 7. This was the first time since 1998 that anyone attempted the flip. “It was fun,” Ilia Malinin said after his outrageous performance. “I mean, come on, the audience just roared, and they were just out of control. Really, that just helped me feel the gratitude of the Olympic stage.” According to USA Today, American skater Terry Kubicka performed the move during the 1976 Games in Innsbruck, Austria. The following year, the International Skating Union banned it, deeming the flip too dangerous. View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Olympic Games (@olympics) Ilia Malinin Appeared to Have No Fear Ilia Malinin faltered a bit on Saturday, so when it came to his performance on Sunday, he had a different attitude. “Just going in today, I was just so grateful to be a part of this team and knowing that they all were going to support me throughout this program, no matter what, really gave the confidence to really just calm down and really just get into that flow state,” he told NBC Sports. “Without them, I don’t think I would’ve been able to accomplish this.” Fans adore Ilia Malinin and his courage. “I love Ilia’s music choice because it sounds so victorious and triumphant at the climax. Very fitting for a program as intense as his and the incredible athletic performance that goes into it,” a fan wrote. “I can’t believe he made up the failed jump sequence. INCREDIBLE!!!!! The nerve should be out now. Believe in yourself Ilia!!! Awesome way to fight for it,” another person shared. “Congrats TEAM USA!” “Back-to-back competition. Whole team counting on him. Top-level difficulty. We need to give more credit to Iliia. It’s his first Olympics, and he carried so much pressure. He doesn’t deserve any of those malice against him out there,” a comment reads. This story’s featured image is by Jamie Squire/Getty Images.