Who Is the ‘Quad God’? 5 Things to Know About Ilia Malinin, Including Age, Figure Skating Background & More
The 2026 Olympian is favored to win gold, primarily for his ability to execute the difficult quadruple axel jump on the ice. Learn more about the ‘quad god’ here.
When you get a nickname with the word “god” in it, you know you’ve hit the jackpot. And that’s exactly what’s happening for Team USA Olympic figure skater Ilia Malinin, who has been dubbed the “Quad God” of the world for his ability to execute the extremely difficult quadruple axel jump — and not just one, but multiple quadruple jumps.
“Definitely more people know me for ‘Quad God’ than necessarily my name,” Ilia said in February 2026, per Forbes. “Sometimes, it’s a good thing because having your own nickname can have you stand out more for an audience.”
Hollywood Life has five facts about Ilia that you need to know below.
Ilia Malinin Is From Virginia
The figure skater is a Virginia native! Ilia was born in the town of Fairfax and raised in his hometown, Vienna. He comes from a family of figure skaters; his mother is Tatiana Malinina, an Olympic skater who competed for Uzbekistan and the 1999 Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final champion, and his father is Olympic skater Roman Skorniakov, who also competed for Uzbekistan.
Ilia Malinin Is 21 Years Old
Ilia was born on December 2, 2004, making him 21 years old at the time of publication.
Ilia Malinin Is the First Skater to Land a Quadruple Axel in International Competition
Ilia formally became the world’s quad master after the 2022 CS U.S. International Classic. He is the first and only skater to land a quadruple axel in an international competition.
After he earned the nickname “Quad God,” Ilia made his Instagram handle include the title. After all, he even pointed out that most people “know me for ‘Quad God’ than necessarily my name,” per Forbes.
Ilia Malinin Began Skating When He was 6 Years Old
Ilia was just 6 years old when he started skating under the guidance of his pro skater parents. He also took an interest in soccer but later focused on the ice instead.
Ilia Malinin Wants to Be a ‘Global Celebrity’
Although he’s known for his accomplishments as a figure skater, Ilia has been thinking of what he could do off the ice. While preparing for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy, Ilia expressed his interest in film production.
“One of my goals is definitely, and this is skating related, but it’s to become a worldwide global celebrity,” Ilia told Forbes in February 2026. “Kind of how The Rock [Dwayne Johnson] was known for wrestling, and then, he became an actor and has gone on to all these different opportunities, so my idea is to be similar, on that level.”
Dwayne, a former pro wrestler, is now one of the most successful actors in Hollywood.