Local Skating Phenom Ilia Malinin, a 2023 George Marshall High School Grad, leads Team USA at the 2024 World Figuring Skating competition. In what can only be described as the USA’s most dominate performance in more than 2 decades, Malinin the self-described “Quad God,” led the way as he won Gold.
Malinin’s skating performance was set to the theme song of “Succession,” a popular HBO series. He was able to land six quadruple jumps and a quad axel. The 19-year old is still the only skater to land the quad in competition.
Malinin attends George Mason University in Fairfax Va. and is led by his coaches Tatiana Malinina and Roman Skorniakov, who also happen to be his parents. Skaters themselves who competed for their home country of Uzbekistan.
Malinin completed the competion with a score of 333.76 — besting second place Yuma Kagiyama by 24 points.
It’s been a long time, since the Americans have seen this kind of success at the World Championships.
In addition to Malinin, American ice dancers Madison Chock and Evan Bates took home gold as well, which was their second consecutive world title. The last time the Americans were able to take home two gold medals at the World Championships was in 1996 in Edmonton.
Malinin’s breakthrough comes on the international stage, where he captured the hearts of audiences with his captivating performances. His elegant spins, gravity-defying jumps, and expressive choreography earned him acclaim from fans and fellow skaters alike. With each competition, Malinin continues to raise the bar, pushing the boundaries of what was thought possible in figure skating.
The pinnacle of Malinin’s career came this year at the World Figure Skating Championship, where he delivered a performance for the ages.
With the world watching, Malinin took to the ice with a quiet confidence, his movements flowing seamlessly from one element to the next. Every jump landed with precision, every spin executed with grace, leaving spectators breathless with wonder.
As the final notes of his music echoed through the arena, Malinin knew he had delivered something truly special. Malinin has achieved his lifelong dream, clinching the title of World Figure Skating Champion.
For Malinin, this victory is more than just a personal triumph—it’s a testament to the power of perseverance and passion. Through hard work and determination, he defied the odds and reached the pinnacle of his sport. As he stands atop the podium, adorned with gold, Malinin hopes to continuing pushing the sport forward as he’s interested in attempting a quintuple jump, a maneuver that involves five airborne rotations and has never been performed in competition.