Ilia Malinin plans his quadruple Axel's return for Grand Prix Final as he settles into world champion spotlight
The American discusses how he feels motivated by rival Kagiyama Yuma - and how the generation of Hanyu, Chen and Uno has inspired him to chase big dreams.
Figure Skating
As Ilia Malinin, the reigning world champion in figure skating, strolled to his seat to watch the women's event at Skate Canada International in October, he didn't make it far.
The American, who turns 20 today (2 December), is stopped for selfies and autographs by a growing fan base, many who are in awe of Malinin's quadruple-jumping ability, most notably his quad Axel, a jump only he has done in the history of the sport.
Already a rising star, Malinin is getting used to a brighter, hotter spotlight.
"[This season], I feel like I have more pressure on me," he told Olympics.com in a recent interview ahead of the Grand Prix Final in Grenoble, France, this weekend (5-7 December).
"I'm the world champion... this is my name and this is who I am," he continued. "So it [has put] a little more pressure on me. It was really tough [at Skate America] the first week, and I don't think I'm going to really master [the pressure], but just figure out how to deal with it."
Since his breakout in early 2022, Malinin has - indeed - been figuring it out, and this weekend heads to the Final as the reigning champion there, too, having not lost at any international event since Grand Prix de France over a year ago.
"Now it's just a matter of, you know, focusing on what I have to do," Malinin said of his new-found world champ status. "A matter of training - and just really trusting myself."
Ilia Malinin is preparing himself for Olympic-sized pressure
Malinin has proven himself a quick learner in his meteoric rise in the sport, a tool that could prove uniquely useful as the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 grow closer and he will - no doubt - be considered in the gold-medal conversation.
"I'm starting to think about it, but at the same time, it's still in the back of my mind because I really don't want to get ahead of myself," Malinin said of Milano Cortina. "I feel like I can put a lot of pressure on myself... and I've heard the Olympics are a whole completely different [level of] pressure.
"But I'm interested to see how that's going to feel. And I think I'll be able to prepare for it very well."
It's been a stated goal of Malinin's to improve his artistry and he's maintained his sky-high technical level, which includes the quad Axel and - new this season - a crowd-pleasing backflip, which he said developed organically.
“The main idea why I decided to add it was just a coincidence that I wanted to learn this backflip so I could do it in shows," he said earlier this season. "When I heard that… they allowed backflips into normal competitions," I decided to add it.
His free skate, set to I'm Not a Vampire (and choreographed by Shae-Lynn Bourne) also features a raspberry twist (a butterfly jump with a twist added; pictured above), a move originated by Malinin, whose name means "raspberry" in Russian, his family's native language.
They are all part of the little details that Malinin has tended to as he's gobbled up technical points, while also working closely with Bourne and his extended team on his artistry.
"Ilia’s very obvious commitment to his performance and skating skills is commendable," wrote former pair skater Meagan Duhamel, a two-time world champion, on social media during Skate America. "He took such a big step in that area in such a short amount of time."
"That really sinks deep, because before, I was always known as just the jumper and... there's really nothing else to it," Malinin responded, laughing. "But now it seems like all the hard work that I'm putting, all the hours in the morning of just skating skills every day, is really paying off. So I'm really proud of that."
HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA: competes during the at Scotiabank Centre on October 25, 2024 in Halifax, Nova Scotia. (Photo by Jamie Squire - International Skating Union/International Skating Union via Getty Images)
Malinin on his rivalry with Kagiyama and how Uno, Hanyu and Chen inspired him
As he did last year during the Grand Prix Series, Malinin has removed his quad Axel from competition, but said the jump remains a part of his training regimen - and he plans to compete it this weekend in Grenoble.
"Yes, we're hoping to see the quad Axel at the Final," he confirmed. "But right now, in this current stage, it's a little tricky for me. It's kind of like a 50/50 sometimes, so I think I just need to go back and just practise a little more to make sure I can get the technical ability and that muscle memory back."
The Final features the top six skaters from each discipline, and among the men, Malinin will be joined by two-time Olympic and three-time world medallist Kagiyama Yuma, who is still only 21 himself.
"I relate to Yuma because he's pretty young out there, as well," Malinin said. "We have this enthusiastic, energetic feeling. We [both] want to compete... go out there and do ours jobs. I think both of us really push ourselves and motivate each other to push each other."
Malinin has been open about his admiration for Kagiyama's Japanese teammate Uno Shoma, the two-time world champion, who announced his retirement in May. While Malinin had two-and-a-half seasons to go head-to-head with Uno, he says Shoma's departure reminds him of the generation that came just before him - and how he wishes he got to skate more with the skaters he looked up to as a junior.
"It made me feel pretty sad because I really didn't get a chance to compete with many of the skaters I looked up to," Malinin said. "One of my goals is to, for example, compete with Yuzuru Hanyu... I would have been in shock. And it would have been nice competing a little more with Nathan Chen; I really wanted to do that as well."
"But overall, I'm really proud that they motivated me to become a better skater," he said.