While online fans debate Ilia Malinin’s backflip, it’s his historic quad axel that should command attention. The 21-year-old leads Olympic men’s figure skating into the free skate in Milano-Cortina.

Malinin’s “Quad God” nickname is one he gave himself. Years ago, he changed his Instagram handle to @ilia_quadg0d_malinin. “I was like, ‘Oh, I landed a quad? Quad God, there it is, OK, let’s put it in,’” he recently told CBS News.

Ilia Malinin is must-see TV. Even if you don’t know figure skating or its typical beats, Malinin is an entertainer on the ice who pulls off elements that few others can. He competed in the men’s short program on February 10 and came away with the top score in yet another impressive performance.

Shae-Lynn Bourne gave him that voice. Bourne, a former World champion ice dancer for Canada, has been one of figure skating’s most sought-after choreographers for more than a decade. But what has attracted Malinin and Olympic champions Nathan Chen and Yuzuru Hanyu to Bourne is her ability to help the world’s top skaters tell their story.