CNN —Figure skating phenomenon Ilia Malinin defended his title at Skate America on Saturday with a personal-best score of 310.47 points in the season-opening Grand Prix. Performing his free skate to the title music of the hit TV show “Succession,” Malinin landed four quad jumps. Malinin competes in the men's free program at Texas Events Center. Chris Jones/USA Today Sports/ReutersHis score was better than his previous best overall score of 288.44, achieved at the World Championships this year where he won bronze. “I wasn’t expecting to skate this well, especially with the pressure that I was facing.

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Persons: Ilia Malinin, ” Malinin, Malinin, Chris Jones, Kevin Aymoz, Japan’s Shun Sato Organizations: CNN, Skate America, Credit Union of Texas, Texas Events, USA, Sports Locations: Allen , Texas