Ilia Malinin achieved a historic milestone at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics. The 21-year-old figure skater delivered Team USA’s first Olympic gold medal in the figure skating team event with a standout performance.
Malinin impressed not only the local crowd but also tennis champion Novak Djokovic, whose reaction left Malinin himself astonished when he learned of the admiration. Who is Malinin?
Who Is Ilia Malinin? Profile of the American Figure Skater Who Impressed Novak Djokovic
Malinin is an American figure skater born to parents of Uzbek origin. His mother, Tatiana Malinina, was a 10-time Uzbek national champion and represented Uzbekistan at the Winter Olympics. His father, Roman Skorniakov, also represented Uzbekistan at the Winter Olympics and was a seven-time national champion.
Malinin completed his primary education in 2023 at George C. Marshall High School in Falls Church, Virginia, and is currently pursuing higher studies at George Mason University in Fairfax County, Virginia.
Malinin has won four consecutive national championships, including the 2026 edition. He is also the reigning world champion, having won gold at the 2024 and 2025 World Championships, in addition to a gold medal at the 2022 Junior World Championships. Malinin has captured three straight gold medals at the Grand Prix series and was part of the U.S. team that won the World Figure Skating Team Trophy in 2023 and 2025.
Malinin Impresses Djokovic
The final round for the team figure skating event in the Winter Olympics took place at the Forum di Milano in Milan, one of the two host cities alongside Cortina d’Ampezzo for the Milano Cortina Olympics. Japan posed tough competition to the American contingent, winning the women’s free skate and the pairs’ free skate events in the final round.
However, with Madison Chock and Evan Bates having won the ice dance round, the tiebreaker turned out to be the men’s free skate, where Japan’s Shun Sato clashed with Ilia Malinin for the gold medal.
Malinin delivered a near-perfect performance. However, it was the stunning backflip that left many spectators with their mouths agape, including Djokovic. Malinin delivered the first legal backflip in nearly 50 years, which sealed the deal for Team USA, which won its second consecutive gold medal since the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.
READ MORE : ‘The Audience Just Roared’ : Ilia Malinin Embraces Historic Olympic Moment in Team Event
In a post-match interview, Malinin remarked on the love and appreciation he received for his performance, including Djokovic’s reaction. The 21-year-old figure skater couldn’t believe that his performance left the tennis sensation stunned. In his words,
“I did see Djokovic. It’s so unreal. I heard that after I landed my backflip, he was like, he had his hands over his head. That’s incredible. That’s a once-in-a-lifetime moment: Seeing a famous tennis player watching my performance. I’m absolutely blown away.”
Malinin now aims for an individual Olympic gold medal in the men’s singles category. The qualification round is scheduled for Feb. 10, with the final on Feb. 13 at Forum di Milano. The 21-year-old skater will attempt to replicate the success of American figure skater Nathan Chen, who won both the team and individual events at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.
