Ilia Malinin Breaks 48-Year Ban with Historic Olympic Stunt

Sons of former Olympic skaters Tatiana Malinina et Roman Skorniakov, Ilia Malinin began figure skating at the age of six and quickly stood out for his exceptional performances. Nicknamed theQuad God (the god of the quadruple) for his spectacular mastery of quadruple jumps, he displays an impressive track record: world champion in 2024 and 2025, quadruple champion of the United States and, since Sunday evening, team gold medalist at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games. He notably made history in 2022, by achieving for the first time a quadruple axel in official competition, a jump extremely difficult requiring four and a half turns in the air.

Ilia Malinin unveils exceptional performance at the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games

This Sunday, February 8, Ilia Malinin represented the United States in the men’s individual event at his first Olympic Games at Milan-Cortina 2026. Big favorite of the competition, he was the last of his team to take to the ice. His performance, combining energy and elegance, had a single misstep, which he quickly made up for with exceptional figures.