RESTON, Va. — Vienna, Virginia native Ilia Malinin, 19, skated his way into the history books on Saturday night at the World Figure Skating Championships in Montreal, Quebec. But just a few weeks ago, he wasn't even sure if he would be there.
"I’ve had an injury which took me off for a couple of days, and it was really hard mentally to get over that and it got to the point where we thought maybe I wouldn’t be able to go," he told WUSA9.
But because it was the last competition of the season, he decided to give it a go — and it ended up being a legendary skate.
"I'm really glad I made the decision to go," he said, "because it turned out to be one of the greatest skates of my life."
Malinin landed six quadruple jumps in his program, something no one has ever done before. He earned himself his first world title, and set a world record in the process. He is still in disbelief.
"To be honest, I’m not fully aware of… I’m still trying to realize I am world champion now. It’s really something I can’t take in right now. I don’t know why," he said, "I had so many — like a rush of different feelings, thoughts, flashbacks of my whole life so far. It was almost like everything I did so far led to this moment."
Malinin remains humble in his accomplishments. We spent the afternoon at his home rink, SkateQuest in Reston, where it was clear that Malinin is inspiring the next generation of skaters.
"I never thought I’d be in the position where I inspire people and skaters to improve and want to be better," he said, "but it makes me feel very grateful that everyone is supportive of their sports and me."
So now that he's landed a quadruple jump, what's next for Malinin? He says his sights are set on landing a quintuple jump.
"That’s something people feel is impossible, but I’m really looking forward to it and I really want to try it," he said.
Malinin says he's started his "four year plan" ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano-Cortina, which he has goals of competing in. But for now, he genuinely expressed gratitude for the people who have supported him.
"I always appreciate how people feel or what people do for me. It’s just how I am as a person," he said.
Malinin especially expressed gratitude for his parents, who are both former Olympic figure skaters, especially his mom's food - which he called his favorite dishes.
"It's always amazing," he explained.
Malinin is now off to Japan, where he will skate in shows.