History of Ilia Malinin in Timeline

Ilia Malinin is a highly decorated American figure skater, notable for his achievements at both the junior and senior levels. His accomplishments include a 2026 Olympic Games team event gold medal, two World titles, three Grand Prix Final titles, multiple Grand Prix and Challenger Series gold medals, and four U.S. national titles (2023-2026). He was also the 2022 World Junior champion. Malinin holds world junior records for the men's free skate and combined score, and the senior record for the men's free skate, marking him as a dominant force in the sport.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

1999: Tatiana Malinina's Grand Prix Final Win

In 1999, Tatiana Malinina, Ilia's mother, was the Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final champion.

December 2, 2004: Ilia Malinin Born

On December 2, 2004, Ilia Malinin, an American figure skater, was born.

Others born on this day/year

2010: Started Skating Tutelage

In 2010, at the age of six, Ilia Malinin began skating under the tutelage of his parents in Reston, Virginia.

2011: Began Skating

In 2011, Ilia Malinin began skating.

2016: U.S. National Juvenile Champion

In 2016, Ilia Malinin became the U.S. national juvenile champion.

2017: U.S. National Intermediate Champion

In 2017, Ilia Malinin became the U.S. national intermediate champion.

2018: Asian Open Trophy Champion and Golden Bear Silver Medalist

In 2018, Ilia Malinin became the Asian Open Trophy champion at the advanced novice level and the Golden Bear of Zagreb silver medalist.

2019: U.S. National Novice Bronze Medalist

In 2019, Ilia Malinin became the U.S. national novice bronze medalist.

2019: Junior International Debut

In 2019, Ilia Malinin made his junior international debut at the Philadelphia Summer International, where he won the gold medal.

2020: Skate America and Las Vegas Invitational

In 2020, Ilia Malinin competed at Skate America, finishing fifth and unveiling two new quadruple jumps. He also participated in the Las Vegas Invitational, helping Team Tara defeat Team Johnny. He gained the nickname "Quad God" after adopting the Instagram handle "quadg0d" in late 2020.

2020: World Junior Championships Placement

In 2020, at the World Junior Championships, Ilia Malinin finished sixteenth overall.

2021: Junior Grand Prix Circuit

In 2021, Ilia Malinin returned to international competition at the first edition of the JGP in France in Courchevel, winning the gold medal, and won another gold at the JGP in Austria in Linz, qualifying for the 2021 Junior Grand Prix Final, which was later cancelled.

2021: Missed U.S. Championships

In 2021, Ilia Malinin was unable to compete at the U.S. Championships due to an ankle injury.

2021: Bronze Medal at Cup of Austria

In November 2021, Ilia Malinin returned to the senior level at the Cup of Austria, placing thirteenth in the short program but rallying back to win the bronze medal.

September 2022: Named to Time 100 Next List

In September 2022, Ilia Malinin was named to Time magazine's Time 100 Next List.

2022: World Junior Champion

In 2022, Ilia Malinin became the World Junior champion.

2022: Japan Open, Skate America, and Grand Prix Final

In 2022, Ilia Malinin competed at the Japan Open, Skate America, and Grand Prix of Espoo. He qualified for the Grand Prix Final in Turin, Italy, where he ultimately won the bronze medal.

2022: World Championships Performance

In 2022, Ilia Malinin competed at the World Championships in Montpellier, France, where he finished fourth in the short program but dropped to ninth overall after errors in the free skate.

2022: U.S. Championships and Olympic Team Selection

In 2022, Ilia Malinin placed second at the U.S. Championships but was not selected for the Olympic team, despite the controversy it generated. He was instead assigned to the World Championships.

2022: U.S. International Classic Win and Quad Axel

In 2022, at the U.S. International Classic, Ilia Malinin became the first skater to successfully land a quadruple Axel in international competition during his free skate, which was set to the Euphoria soundtrack.

2023: Grand Prix Final Champion

In 2023, Ilia Malinin became Grand Prix Final champion.

2023: Graduated High School

In 2023, Ilia Malinin graduated from George C. Marshall High School in Fairfax County, Virginia.

2023: U.S. Championships and World Championships

In 2023, Ilia Malinin won the U.S. Championships. At the World Championships, he placed third overall, landing the first-ever quadruple Axel at an ISU championship event. He was also gifted a "Quad God" hat by Fuji TV during the event.

2023: Autumn Classic International and Japan Open

In 2023, Ilia Malinin won the gold medal at the Autumn Classic International. He also competed as part of Team North America at the Japan Open, winning the men's segment.

2023: Grand Prix Success and Quadruple Jumps

In 2023, Ilia Malinin won the short program at Skate America and set new personal bests. He also qualified for the Grand Prix Final in Beijing, where he performed a quadruple Axel in the short program and all six quadruple jumps in the free skate, winning the event.

December 2024: Malinin Wins Grand Prix Final for Second Consecutive Time

In December 2024, Ilia Malinin won the Grand Prix Final for the second consecutive time. He scored 105.43 in the short program and attempted seven quadruple jumps in his free skate, falling on one quadruple Lutz. His free skate earned 186.69 points, bringing his total score to 292.12. Malinin also became the first figure skater to land all six types of quadruple jumps in one program.

2024: Malinin Wins World Title at World Championships

At the 2024 World Championships in Montreal, Canada, Ilia Malinin won the World title with a total score of 333.76. He placed third after the short program, then successfully performed six quadruple jumps in the free program, earning a world record score of 227.79.

2024: Malinin Wins Skate America and Skate Canada International

During the 2024–25 Grand Prix series, Ilia Malinin won the 2024 Skate America and the 2024 Skate Canada International, securing a spot at the ISU Grand Prix Final. He acknowledged the pressure of being the World Champion and the challenges he faced.

2024: Malinin Adds Backflips to Programs

In 2024, Ilia Malinin added on-ice backflips to his competitive programs during the 2024–25 season, after the International Skating Union lifted the ban on them.

2024: World Champion Title

In 2024, Ilia Malinin became a World champion in figure skating.

2024: Malinin Defends Title at U.S. Nationals

In 2024, Ilia Malinin defended his title at the U.S. Nationals, securing first place in both the short and long programs. He revealed he had been struggling with his new boots during training, which made his performance uncertain.

2024: Malinin Wins Gold at Lombardia Trophy

In 2024, Ilia Malinin opened his season at the Lombardia Trophy. He performed a clean short program, breaking the 100-point barrier. In the free skate, he broke the 200-point barrier and the 300-point barrier overall, winning the gold medal.

January 2025: Malinin Competes at the U.S. Championships

In January 2025, Ilia Malinin competed at the U.S. Championships. He scored 114.08 in the short program. During his free skate, he attempted all six types of quadruple jumps, but fell on his attempted quadruple loop, though he still secured his third consecutive national title with a total score of 333.31.

March 2, 2025: Malinin Participates in Legacy on Ice

On March 2, 2025, Ilia Malinin participated in Legacy on Ice, an ice show organized by U.S. Figure Skating that paid tribute to lives lost aboard American Airlines Flight 5342.

2025: Malinin Wins Third Consecutive Grand Prix Final Title

A month later, in 2025, Ilia Malinin competed at and won the 2025–26 Grand Prix Final, his third consecutive title at this event. He earned a new personal best and record score of 238.24 points in the free skate, during which he landed a record of seven clean quadruple jumps.

2025: Malinin Breaks Record at Skate Canada International

At 2025 Skate Canada International, Ilia Malinin broke his own record in the free skate with a score of 228.97, finishing with a personal-best total of 333.81. After the performance, he expressed that he hoped to push the record even higher.

2025: World Champion Title

In 2025, Ilia Malinin became a World champion in figure skating.

2025: Malinin Wins at CS Lombardia Trophy

In 2025, Ilia Malinin opened his season with a win at 2025 CS Lombardia Trophy in September.

2025: Malinin Wins Second Consecutive World Title

In March 2025, Ilia Malinin won the gold medal at the World Championships in Boston, earning his second consecutive World title. He ranked first in both the short program and the free skate, becoming the first skater to successfully land all six types of jumps as quadruples in a single program in competition. During the gala, Malinin dedicated his performance, To Build a Home by The Cinematic Orchestra, to the victims and first responders of the American Airlines Flight 5342 crash.

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2025: Malinin Competes at World Team Trophy

Selected to compete for Team United States at the 2025 World Team Trophy, Ilia Malinin won all competition segments of the men's singles event, helping Team United States secure the gold medal overall.

2025: Malinin Takes Grand Prix Gold at Grand Prix de France

The following month, in 2025, Ilia Malinin took his sixth individual Grand Prix gold at 2025 Grand Prix de France. He expressed confidence and happiness with his performance despite feeling nervous.

2026: Olympic Gold Medal

In 2026, Ilia Malinin won a gold medal in the team event at the Olympic Games.

2026: Malinin Wins Fourth Straight National Title and Named to Olympic Team

In January 2026, Ilia Malinin won his fourth straight national title at the 2026 U.S. Figure Skating Championships. He decided to "play it safe" in the long program with fewer quad jumps due to breaking in a new pair of boots and was subsequently named to the 2026 Winter Olympic team.

2026: Malinin Secures Gold for the US in the Winter Olympics Team Event

On February 7, 2026, Ilia Malinin placed second in the short program in the 2026 Winter Olympics Figure Skating Team Event. On February 8, he placed first in the free program, securing gold for the United States in the team event.