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Before ever stepping onto the Olympic stage, the U.S. figure skating sensation, known as the “Quad God,” was destined for greatness thanks to his remarkable heritage.
MILAN, Metropolitan City of Milan — Among the standout talents of Team USA in figure skating, one athlete had the Olympic spirit coursing through him long before he ever donned his skates.
Ilia Malinin, dubbed the “Quad God,” has earned his reputation by mastering the formidable quadruple axel, a feat he performs repeatedly with finesse. It’s no surprise, as his Olympic lineage suggests he was almost born to achieve the extraordinary, with both parents being Olympians.
Ilia’s parents, Tatiana Malinina and Roman Skorniakov, originally from Russia, proudly represented Uzbekistan in the 1998 Nagano and 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics. Their accolades extend beyond the Olympics; Tatiana clinched gold at both the Four Continents Championships and the Grand Prix Final, while Roman secured a silver medal at the Asian Winter Games.
Who are Ilia Malinin’s parents?
After their illustrious careers, the pair settled in Virginia, marrying in 2000 and later welcoming Ilia and his younger sister, Elli Beatrice, into their family.
The couple later moved to Virginia, where they married in 2000 and welcomed both Ilia and his younger sister, Elli Beatrice.
Ilia credited his parents for his early figure skating start during a recent interview, saying he was brought to the rink numerous times during childhood.
“My parents were at the rink from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day,” Ilia said. “They really didn’t want me to go into figure skating. They hoped that I would have tried to pick another sport or another hobby, but I really enjoyed skating.”
Ilia’s parents confirmed that during an interview with the International Skating Union, saying they knew the sacrifices, hard work, and time that the sport required and wanted a different life for Ilia. But, they confessed that once Ilia began skating, it came naturally to him.
“We waited until his was six and a half when he constantly asked us ‘Can I go on the ice? Can I go on the ice?” Tatiana said during the interview. “Finally, we decided, okay, let’s do that just for fun.”
“I don’t think we ever even thought about competing,” Roman said. “He would just bring his own music and create his own programs. He tried to do different things. And then we ended up in this.”