Ilya Malinin: How the «Square God» Conquers Figure Skating
8 february 2026 в 00:13
When you are given a nickname that includes the word «god», - you realize that you are lucky. This is exactly what happens to U.S. figure skater Ilia Malinin, who has been dubbed the «God of Quads» for his ability to execute the extremely difficult jump—the quadruple axel—and not just one, but several quadruple jumps.
«Definitely more people know me as the 'God of Quads' than by my name», - Ilia said in February 2026, according to Forbes. «Sometimes it’s good because having a nickname helps you stand out from the crowd».
Hollywood Life presented five facts about Ilia that you should know.
The figure skater is from Virginia! Ilia was born in Fairfax and grew up in his hometown of Vienna. He comes from a family of figure skaters: his mother, Tatiana Malinina, is an Olympic figure skater who competed for Uzbekistan and the 1999 Grand Prix figure skating champion, while his father is Olympic figure skater Roman Skornyakov, also representing Uzbekistan.
Ilia was born on December 2, 2004, making him 21 years old at the time of publication.
Ilia officially became a master of quads after the 2022 CS U.S. International Classic competition. He is the first and only figure skater to land a quadruple axel in international competition.
After he received the nickname «God of Quads», - Ilia changed his Instagram handle to include this title. Eventually, he even noted that most people «know me as the 'God of Quads,' not by my name», - according to Forbes.
Ilia began skating at the age of 6 under the guidance of his professional figure skater parents. He also had an interest in soccer but later focused on figure skating.
Although he is known for his achievements as a figure skater, Ilia is contemplating what he might do outside of the ice. As he prepares for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy, Ilia expressed interest in film production.
«One of my goals is to become a globally recognized celebrity», - Ilia told Forbes in February 2026. «Something like how Dwayne Johnson was known as a wrestler and then became an actor and got a lot of different opportunities, so my idea is to be similar at that level».
Dwayne, a former professional wrestler, is now one of the most successful actors in Hollywood
«Definitely more people know me as the 'God of Quads' than by my name», - Ilia said in February 2026, according to Forbes. «Sometimes it’s good because having a nickname helps you stand out from the crowd».
Hollywood Life presented five facts about Ilia that you should know.
The figure skater is from Virginia! Ilia was born in Fairfax and grew up in his hometown of Vienna. He comes from a family of figure skaters: his mother, Tatiana Malinina, is an Olympic figure skater who competed for Uzbekistan and the 1999 Grand Prix figure skating champion, while his father is Olympic figure skater Roman Skornyakov, also representing Uzbekistan.
Ilia was born on December 2, 2004, making him 21 years old at the time of publication.
Ilia officially became a master of quads after the 2022 CS U.S. International Classic competition. He is the first and only figure skater to land a quadruple axel in international competition.
After he received the nickname «God of Quads», - Ilia changed his Instagram handle to include this title. Eventually, he even noted that most people «know me as the 'God of Quads,' not by my name», - according to Forbes.
Ilia began skating at the age of 6 under the guidance of his professional figure skater parents. He also had an interest in soccer but later focused on figure skating.
Although he is known for his achievements as a figure skater, Ilia is contemplating what he might do outside of the ice. As he prepares for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy, Ilia expressed interest in film production.
«One of my goals is to become a globally recognized celebrity», - Ilia told Forbes in February 2026. «Something like how Dwayne Johnson was known as a wrestler and then became an actor and got a lot of different opportunities, so my idea is to be similar at that level».
Dwayne, a former professional wrestler, is now one of the most successful actors in Hollywood
© Artemenko Olga
