The “Quad God” Ilia Malinin

Grace Vaccaro, Staff Writer

The “Quad God” Ilia Malinin

Grace Vaccaro

Nicknamed the “Quad God,” Ilia Malinin arrived at the Olympics with enormous expectations. On February 7th, 2026, Malinin made his Olympic debut at twenty-one years old. At his first-ever Olympic Games, he has already won gold in the U.S figure skating team event. 

To achieve such a feat, Malinin has made skating his life’s work ever since he was six years old. Both of his parents were professional figure skaters in Uzbekistan. His mother was a ten-time Uzbek national champion, and his father was a seven-time national champion. With their experience skating at a high level, they have been able to train and prepare him for greatness.

Competing in the 2022 World Junior Championships, Malinin set a world record for the junior program. He scored an 88.99, winning the competition by a staggering 42 points. By the age of seventeen, Malinin was making a name for himself. In competition, he was known for his technical ability and risk-taking when it came to difficult jumps. However, his most impressive feat came shortly after his Junior victory. 

In the 2022 U.S International Classic, Malinin became the first — and only — figure skater to land a quadruple axel. This jump was long considered impossible and is the highest-scoring individual jump possible. The skater must have great speed and power to leap nearly 30 inches into the air and complete four-and-a-half rotations. This jump begins facing forward and lands on the opposite foot from which they leaped. At seventeen years old, Malinin completed the most difficult jump in figure skating. 

Before making his Olympic debut, Malinin made himself known as a figure skating prodigy, racking up two World Championships, three Grand Prix Finals, and four U.S. Championships. At the 2025 Grand Prix Final, he set the world record for the highest free skate score, achieving 238.24. 

In the team figure skating event on February 8th, Malinin scored 200.03 points, resulting in the U.S team placing first overall to win gold. Without Malinin, the U.S team would not have prevailed — a fact reflected in the late decision to add Malinin to the lineup. Malinin was originally only going to compete in the individual programs to rest and prepare. But after realizing how tight the team event would be without Malinin’s points, they requested that he join their program. He agreed, ensuring their team won. 

On February 10th, he performed his short program, scoring 108.6 points. A score that significantly exceeds the average elite range of 75-85 points. Malinin, despite his great expectations, did not win Gold in the Men’s Singles after two falls during his free skate program resulted in him placing 8th in the event. Malinin did not perform his Quad Axel move during this event.