MILAN (AP) — Ilia Malinin silenced any doubters of the self-styled “Quad God” on Tuesday night, when the American wunderkind threw down a near-perfect short program filled with high-flying jumps and a jaw-dropping backflip to take a big lead at the Milan Cortina Olympics.

From Terry Kubicka and Surya Bonaly to Ilia Malinin, the banned figure skating backflip is finally back on Olympic ice — and is still stirring controversy.

Can't view the above video? Click here. Take a closer look at Ilia Malinin's rousing performance in the men's singles short program, where he placed himself atop the leaderboard heading into the free skate.