Who Is ‘Quad God’ Determine Skater Ilia Malinin within the 2026 Olympics?

You might acknowledge US determine skater Ilia Malinin from his gravity-defying backflips and quadruple jumps.

Or maybe you understand him merely because the “Quad God.”

Malinin, 21, is a two-time world champion and one in all Crew USA’s breakout determine skating stars of the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics.

This is what to learn about Malinin’s background and Olympic profession.

Who’re Ilia Malinin’s mother and father?

Malinin’s mother and father, Tatiana Malinina and Roman Skorniakov, have been born in Russia and represented Uzbekistan on the 1998 Olympics in Nagano and the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake Metropolis.

Now, they function his coaches.

The place was Ilia Malinin born?

Malinin was born in Fairfax, Virginia, and started determine skating at 7 years previous.

Malinin’s youthful sister, Ellie “Liza” Beatrice Malinina, can be a aggressive determine skater.

He trains in Reston, Virginia. When he is not determine skating, he is a pupil on the close by George Mason College majoring in exploratory research.

Why is Ilia Malinin nicknamed the “Quad God”?

Malinin is the primary and solely skater to ever land a quadruple axel in competitors, and started utilizing the nickname “Quad God” when he was 13 years previous.

Malinin helped Crew USA safe the gold medal within the crew determine skating competitors on Sunday. He landed 5 quadruple jumps in his free skate, however has but to try a quadruple axel on the 2026 Olympics. Whereas he had deliberate to execute a quadruple axel through the Crew Occasion, he substituted a triple axel as a substitute.

Are Ilia Malinin’s backflips allowed?

Malinin has additionally included backflips in his Olympic routines — a feat with a sophisticated historical past.

Throughout the 1976 Olympics, American determine skater Terry Kubicka carried out the first-ever backflip, however the Worldwide Skating Union banned the transfer shortly thereafter in 1977, saying it was too harmful.

In 1998, French determine skater Surya Bonaly grew to become the primary Olympic determine skater to land a backflip on one blade throughout her free skate, however was penalized by the judges because the transfer was nonetheless unlawful in competitors.

The Worldwide Skating Union lifted the ban on backflips in 2024. Throughout the Crew Occasion this yr, Malinin landed a backflip on one skate simply as Bonaly had, however this time, it was permitted.

How a lot does Ilia Malinin make?

Malinin is believed to be the highest-paid determine skater on the 2026 Olympics with an estimated earnings of $700,000 from sponsorships over the past yr, Forbes reported.

In line with Malinin’s web site, his company companions embrace Coca-Cola, Samsung, Google, Xfinity, Dick’s Sporting Items, and Honda.

When is Ilia Malinin competing?

Having already received gold within the crew competitors, Malinin will skate within the particular person Males’s Brief Program on February 10 and the person Males’s Free Skate on February 13.

See Enterprise Insider’s full information to watching Olympic determine skating for extra details about how you can catch Malinin on the ice.