Ilia Malinin has revealed that his parents initially did not want him to pursue figure skating as a career, as they knew it would require significant hard work and dedication. Fast forward to now, the 21-year-old is regarded as one of the top figure skaters in the world.
Malinin, nicknamed “Quad God” for his exemplary quadruple jumps, has gone from strength to strength, backed by his parents’ support as his coaches.
Ilia Malinin Sheds Light on How He Got Into Skating
Ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympics, Malinin sat down with the TODAY Show for an interview that covered a wide range of topics. The Virginia native spoke about how his love for figure skating began and how his parents initially hesitated to let him pursue the sport.
“I would say, around maybe 13 years old, was when I really fell in love with it and wanted to pursue this professionally. Before that, it was half the time I’d be spending with my time at the rink because my parents would coach 24/7. And they’d have nowhere else to have me go to daycare or something like that. I started skating at six. At that time, it was very recreational, very just for fun, not taking this seriously,” he said.
“Both my parents, they didn’t want me to skate. They wanted me to find a different passion, because they knew how hard it was, they went through two Olympic cycles and they’ve spent all their lives just skating and they know how much time, effort, dedication it is. And they didn’t want me to grow in the same path. I guess it turns out that her I am now,” he added.
Malinin also spoke about the pride his parents feel in how his career has turned out so far.
“It’s such an honor that my parents are also my coaches. So they know how I feel 100% of the time and they can support me whether that be with my skating, but also with my life in general, how to keep myself in control that, not be in chaos,” he said.
Having already won the team event with Team USA at the 2026 Winter Olympics, Malinin now has his sights set on another gold medal in the men’s singles final.
Olympic Figure Skating Men’s Free Skate Schedule As Malinin Vies for Gold
Malinin delivered a sublime performance in the team event, leaving even tennis legend Novak Djokovic stunned. His performance secured the United States the gold medal in the team event.
Now competing in the men’s singles event, Malinin is once again the firm favorite to win gold. He leads the standings after the short program and hopes to continue his impressive form in the free skate.
Fans in the United States can watch the men’s singles medal event live on NBC and Peacock, with coverage beginning at 1 p.m. EST (7 p.m. local time) on Friday. Malinin’s routine is scheduled for around 4:45 p.m. EST (10:45 p.m. local time).
