Who Is Ilia Malinin? The "Quad God" at the 2026 Olympics
The 21-year-old who brought his impossible jumps to Milano Cortina - and showed the world what grace under pressure really looks like.
If you've been following the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics and heard commentators talking about Ilia Malinin and his quad axel, you've been watching figure skating's most technically gifted athlete in action.
Ilia Malinin is called the "Quad God" because he's the only skater in history who can land all six types of quadruple jumps - including the impossible quad axel that no one else has ever done in competition.
Here's everything you need to know about the self-proclaimed "Quad God" and what he brought to the Olympics.
Quick Stats: Who Is Ilia Malinin?
Full name: Ilia Malinin
Height: 5'8" (173 cm)
Instagram: @ilia_quadg0d_malinin
Current status: George Mason University student, reigning World Champion
Major titles:
- 🥇 Two-time World Champion (2024 Montreal, 2025 Boston)
- 🥇 Four-time U.S. National Champion (2023-2026)
- 🥇 Three-time Grand Prix Final Champion (2023-2025)
- 🥇 Olympic team event gold medalist (2026 Milano Cortina)
Fun facts: Former handle was "Lutzboy," avid gamer, car enthusiast, owns two Ragdoll cats, interested in civil engineering and architecture after skating
Why Is Ilia Malinin Called the "Quad God"?
Simple: Ilia gave himself the nickname - then backed it up so completely that nobody argues anymore.
In figure skating, a "quad" (quadruple jump) means rotating four full times in the air before landing. Most elite male skaters can land one or two types consistently. Malinin can land all six types of quadruple jumps - and he's the only skater in history to do it.
📚 The nickname evolution:
Original Instagram handle: "Lutzboy"
2020: Landed first quads, changed to "quadg0d"
His explanation: "I was like, 'Oh, I landed a quad? Quad God, there it is.' And from there everyone's like, 'Why'd you name yourself Quad God? You only have one quad.' And I'm like, 'Well, now that I think about it, maybe I should try to land all of them to get the Quad God status.'"
He then went out and did exactly that.
The nickname went mainstream at 2023 Worlds in Saitama when Japanese broadcaster Fuji TV gave him a "Quad God" hat in Japanese - which he proudly wore during interviews.
The Quad Axel: The Jump Nobody Else Can Do
Malinin's signature move is the quadruple axel - widely considered the most difficult jump in all of figure skating.
⚠️ Why the quad axel is impossible:
• Only jump where skaters take off facing forward
• Requires 4.5 rotations (not 4) because of the forward takeoff
• 340 RPM rotation speed - 10x faster than a vinyl record
• 200 pounds of centrifugal force per arm to resist
• All in 0.79 seconds of airtime
September 2022: At 17 years old, Malinin became the first person in history to land a quad axel in international competition at the U.S. International Classic.
To this day, he remains the only skater to have ever landed the jump in competition.
- Olympic team event bronze medalist Adam Rippon's reaction
Record-Breaking Technical Arsenal
Malinin hasn't just pushed boundaries once - he keeps rewriting what's possible:
Historic Firsts:
- ✅ First quad axel in competition - September 2022
- ✅ First to land all 6 quad types in competition - December 2023, GP Final Beijing
- ✅ First to land all 6 quad types in one program - December 2025, GP Final Nagoya
- ✅ First to land 7 clean quads in one program - December 2025, GP Final Nagoya
What he brought to the Olympics: The only skater capable of attempting the quad axel, plus the deepest technical arsenal in the sport. For those just starting their skating journey, understanding the basics of figure skating makes watching these incredible feats even more impressive.
Skating Runs in the Family
Malinin wasn't just born talented - he was engineered for this sport.
Both parents were Olympic figure skaters who competed for Uzbekistan:
Mom - Tatiana Malinina:
- 1999 Grand Prix Final champion
- 1999 Four Continents champion
- 10-time Uzbek national champion
- Two-time Olympian (1998, 2002)
Dad - Roman Skorniakov:
- Seven-time Uzbek national champion
- Two-time Olympian (1998, 2002)
Grandfather - Valery Malinin: Competed for the Soviet Union, coached in Novosibirsk, Russia
Both parents coach Ilia - an unusual arrangement at elite level, but clearly working. The family system emphasizes jump mechanics, repetition, and treating difficulty as discipline to master, not novelty.
Sister Liza also competes in figure skating.
Malinin at the 2026 Olympics
Malinin arrived at Milano Cortina as the overwhelming favorite in men's singles - reigning World Champion, world record holder, and the only skater alive attempting the quad axel.
He delivered in the team event, helping Team USA win gold. Then in the individual event, he led after a strong short program - before experiencing the worst free skate of his senior career, falling twice and finishing 8th overall. The gold went to Kazakhstan's Mikhail Shaidorov in one of the biggest upsets in Olympic figure skating history.
💜 The moment that defined him:
Instead of retreating after the result, Malinin immediately embraced Shaidorov - congratulating him with genuine warmth. The gesture earned Malinin the Milano Cortina 2026 Fair Play Award, reminding the world that sportsmanship matters as much as scores.
At 21, Malinin has plenty of Olympic cycles ahead. And his response to adversity only deepened the respect the skating community has for him.
But What About the Artistry?
Common misconception: Malinin is "just a jumper."
Reality: His component scores (skating skills, choreography, performance) rank among the highest in the field, making him one of the most complete skaters competing today.
Choreographer: Shae-Lynn Bourne - three-time Olympian, World Championship-winning ice dancer who's worked with Olympic champions Yuzuru Hanyu and Nathan Chen.
Together, they've built programs showcasing Malinin's unique blend of technical power and artistic expression - disproving the "all athletics, no artistry" narrative.
What the Quad God Means for Skating's Future
Whether you love the quad revolution or prefer artistic skating, Malinin is undeniably moving the sport forward.
🔬 The science:
Biomechanics researchers believe the quintuple jump may be the physical limit on ice - and multiple experts believe Malinin may have already tried one in practice.
The culture shift: His Instagram presence, gaming interests, and streetwear style resonate with younger audiences. The "Quad God" persona - equal parts swagger and genuine sport love - has become a defining storyline in modern skating.
For adult skaters: Watching Malinin is humbling and inspiring. The jumps are otherworldly, but the dedication, family connection, and pure joy? That's something every skater relates to. Whether you're starting skating at 30 or working on your first salchow jump, his passion for the sport is infectious.
The bottom line: In a sport where landing a single axel feels like magic, Ilia Malinin is doing quad axels. That's why he's the Quad God - and why figure skating will never be the same.
Frequently Asked Questions
The quad axel is a jump with 4.5 rotations in the air - the most difficult jump ever landed in competitive figure skating. Ilia Malinin became the first person to land it in competition in September 2022 at the U.S. International Figure Skating Classic. The jump requires enormous height, speed, and rotational velocity. For a full breakdown of all figure skating jumps, including what makes the axel uniquely difficult, see our jump guide.
Ilia Malinin was born on December 2, 2004, making him 21 years old as of early 2026. He was 21 when he competed at the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics, where he helped Team USA win team gold and finished 8th in the individual men's event.
Malinin earned the nickname "Quad God" because of his unprecedented mastery of quadruple jumps. He is the first skater to land all six types of quads in competition (quad toe loop, salchow, loop, flip, lutz, and axel), the first to land all six in a single program, and the first to land seven clean quads in one program. No other skater in history has matched this technical range.
Malinin had a mixed 2026 Olympics. He won team gold with Team USA, but in the individual men's event, he finished 8th after falling twice in the free skate - the worst free skate of his senior career. The individual gold went to Kazakhstan's Mikhail Shaidorov in one of the biggest upsets in Olympic figure skating history. For the full story of every event, see our complete 2026 Olympics recap.
Both of Malinin's parents are former Olympic figure skaters who competed for Uzbekistan. His mother, Tatiana Malinina, was the 1999 Grand Prix Final champion, 1999 Four Continents champion, and a two-time Olympian (1998, 2002). His father, Roman Skorniakov, was a seven-time Uzbek national champion and two-time Olympian. Both parents serve as Malinin's coaches - an unusual arrangement at the elite level.
Malinin holds the world record free skate score of 238.24 points, set at the Grand Prix Final in December 2025 in Nagoya, Japan. In that same program, he became the first skater to land all six quad types and seven clean quads in a single program. To understand how figure skating scoring works, each quad jump carries a high base value that contributes to the technical element score.
Malinin has pushed the technical ceiling of the sport beyond what anyone thought possible. Biomechanics researchers believe the quintuple jump may be the physical limit on ice, and multiple experts believe Malinin may have already attempted one in practice. His dominance has accelerated the quad revolution, with more skaters attempting multiple quads per program than ever before. The IJS scoring system rewards this difficulty, which shapes how the next generation of skaters trains.
Contrary to the common misconception, Malinin is not "just a jumper." His program component scores - which measure skating skills, transitions, choreography, and interpretation - rank among the highest in the men's field. His choreographer is Shae-Lynn Bourne, a three-time Olympian and World Championship-winning ice dancer who has also worked with Yuzuru Hanyu and Nathan Chen. For more on how scoring breaks down, see our score guide.
Malinin trains in Northern Virginia, near Washington, D.C. He is coached by both of his parents, Tatiana Malinina and Roman Skorniakov. His grandfather, Valery Malinin, who competed for the Soviet Union, also contributed to the family's skating tradition. For anyone inspired to start figure skating, the first step is finding a rink and coach near you.
Our complete guide to figure skating jumps breaks down every jump type - toe loop, salchow, loop, flip, lutz, and axel - with explanations of what makes each one different and how they're scored. You can also read about jump placement strategy to understand why skaters put certain jumps in the second half of their programs for bonus points.
1 comment
Insanely good ❤. A shame that he has to spend his Ife now to ‘apologise’ for 1 slip which was most probably not even his fault (damaged blade + temperature modification by IOC without previous communication!)😢 For me, the IOC simply and as an act of pure political motivated racism didn’t want him to have the very deserved Gold… both his parents (and trainers) are (exiled) Russians 😎…