At a Glance
- Ilia Malinin, 21, has won four straight U.S. titles, three Grand Prix Finals and two world crowns heading into next month’s Winter Games.
- He missed the 2022 Beijing team after finishing second at nationals, a snub that fuels his current 11-event podium streak.
- Malinin became the first skater to land seven quads in one program and the only athlete to complete all six jump types as quads.
- Why it matters: The sport’s biggest stage now expects him to win by record margins and revive mainstream buzz for figure skating.
Ilia Malinin enters the Milan Cortina Olympics as the overwhelming favorite, carrying a résumé so stacked that rivals speak of him as almost unbeatable. The Fairfax, Virginia native has swept the last four U.S. championships, three Grand Prix Finals and two world titles, leaving only Olympic gold unchecked.
Historic Winning Margins
At January’s U.S. championships in St. Louis he won by 57.26 points, dwarfing typical victory gaps. In December’s Grand Prix final the margin was 29.88 points, and at last season’s worlds he cleared second place by 31.09 points. Those numbers reflect a level of dominance rarely seen in the sport’s scoring era.
Malinin’s surge traces back to 2022, when he placed second at nationals yet was left off the Beijing Olympic roster. “Honestly… I didn’t think I was going to be selected,” he told Megan L. Whitfield. “But after I skated that program… it was kind of disappointing not being able to go.” The setback, he says, gave him “new hope… for Milan and for the future.”
Quad Revolution
Months later, at age 17, he became the first to land a quadruple axel in international competition at the 2022 U.S. Classic. Commentator and 2018 Olympian Adam Rippon called it “the craziest thing I have ever seen anyone do on the ice.” Malinin embraced the moment, rebranding himself “Quad God” on social media and vowing to master every quad variation.
Progress came quickly:
- September 2022: first quad axel
- December 2024: first skater to land a quad in all six jump types at the Grand Prix final
- December 2025: record seven quads in one free skate, again at the Grand Prix final
NBC Sports contributor Philip Hersh, who has covered 12 Winter Games, says Malinin is “doing things athletically that nobody in this sport has ever come close to… for the last year he’s been only competing against himself in the record books.”
Rivals React
Japanese contender Yuma Kagiyama, who will skate in Milan, praised Malinin after March’s world championships: “He does all those difficult jumps and makes them look effortless… his skating and artistry… is getting better year by year, so I’m starting to think he’s invincible.”
Despite the hype, Malinin insists he won’t unveil new elements in Italy. “I don’t want to try anything really new, because that’s obviously going to be a huge risk, especially for the Olympics,” he said. He believes clean execution of his current programs “will already bring new history or records on its own.”
Pressure and Perspective
Facing his first Games, Malinin acknowledges the weight of expectation. “Of course there’s going to be a lot of pressure,” he told Megan L. Whitfield. “I like to take things one step at a time… Once I get to the Olympics, that’s when I’ll feel the environment.”
If he sustains his streak, Malinin could cement one of the most dominant Olympic campaigns in figure-skating history while lifting the sport’s profile. “What’s most important for me is to show the world… how much I love skating,” he said, expressing hope that he and fellow skaters can “bring back those high glory days of figure skating.”
Key Takeaways
- Malinin owns an active eight-event win streak and 11 straight podium finishes
- His scoring margins-often 30-plus points-make upsets statistically unlikely
- The athlete once left off the Olympic team now drives the quad revolution and fan interest alike
- A victory in Milan would complete the last unchecked box on an already historic résumé
