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Ilia Malinin is having a breakout performance during his first-ever Olympic games at the 2026 Winter Games. Nicknamed 'quad god', he's known for landing the quadruple axel, which is a rare feat in figure skating. So rare, in fact, that he's the only one who has landed it in competition.
Figure skating is in Malinin's family history. Both of his parents competed professionally at the Olympic level and have won several medals. His younger sister, Liza, is also a figure skater.
Let's learn more about Malinin's figure skating roots, which date back to his parents and even his grandfather.
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Who are Ilia Malinin's parents?
Ilia Malinin's parents are his mother, Tatiana Malinina and father, Roman Skorniakov. His parents gave their son Tatiana's last name with the masculine inflection because they thought Skorniakov would be too difficult to pronounce.
Both Malinina and Skorniakov skated professionally for the Soviet Union, then skated for Uzbekistan after the USSR fell.
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Tatiana Malinina career
Ilia's mother was born in Novosibirsk, Russian SFSR in 1973. Her father, Valeri Malinin, was also a figure skater who went on to coach skating. Her mother was a gymnast. Tatiana competed in 10 straight consecutive World Championships beginning in 1993.
In 1999, she became the first Four Continents Champion in history, winning the gold medal at the first-ever event in February 1999. She has won two other gold medals in her career, including a Grand Prix win in 1998-99 and a 1999 gold at the Asian Winter Games. She took silver in those games in 1996.
In 1998, she moved to Dale City, Virginia with Malinin's father for better training conditions. She finished eighth in the 1998 Winter Olympics.
After her career ended, she became a skating coach in Virginia with her husband.
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Roman Skorniakov career
Ilia's dad has an equally impressive career. He finished as the Uzbek national champion seven consecutive times from 1997-2003, and he won silver in the 1999 Asian Winter Games in men's singles. He appeared in the 1998 and 2002 Winter Games, finishing both in 19th place.
Both of his parents are clearly Ilia's biggest fans.
Where are Ilia Malinin's parents from?
Malinin's parents are both from Russia, when it was previously the Soviet Union. Ilia's mother was born in Novosibirsk, Russian SFSR in 1973. And his father was born in Sverdlovsk, Russian SFSR.
Part of their decision to move to the United States hinged on looking for better skating training conditions.
MORE: How 'Quad God' became Malinin's nickname
How Ilia Malinin's parents came to United States
Malinin's parents came to the United States with the Uzbekistan national team in search of better training conditions for their skating career.
"They went to the training camp with the team," Malinin's grandfather said in a 2023 interview. "Tania was convinced that the results could be achieved in the United States after spending some time there. For skaters, the main thing is ice. And in Russia, there is not so much of it, so many use additional training."
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They settled in Dale City, Virginia, and have worked as skating coaches in the Virginia area ever since. In fact, coaching is how their son took up the sport:
Malinin has already done something his parents never did in winning an Olympic medal. And it seems as though he is just getting his career started.
English (US)