Ilia Malinin has grown into the biggest star in figure skating, and while he’s still just 21 years old, he’s already experienced a wide range of highs — along with a bit of adversity over the past few months.
During what was an overall successful 2025–26 campaign, many expected Malinin to dominate at the Winter Olympics. While he did win gold in the team event for the United States, he failed to medal in the men’s free skate final — a result that shocked much of the Olympic world given his status as a heavy favorite.
Still, he handled the setback with class and didn’t let it impact his approach to the final competition of the season at the World Figure Skating Championships in Prague, Czechia last weekend.
Malinin delivered a strong performance on the final day, finishing with an impressive total score of 329.40 — more than 20 points ahead of silver medalist Yuma Kagiyama.
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Malinin’s season has now come to an end, and while he’s relieved to get a much-needed break, he still took part in several interviews following the event.
During a sit-down with France TV, Malinin opened up about his Olympic journey, his World Championship victory, and the sport as a whole — leading to an honest confession about the impact fans have on his mindset and success.
“They might not realize it, but the fans do more for me than I do for myself,” Malinin revealed.
Malinin received an outpouring of support after his eighth-place finish at the Olympics, and he appears to have one of the largest fanbases in the sport.
He’s set to participate in the Stars on Ice tour in Japan and the United States over the coming days and weeks before taking some time off as the 2026–27 season begins to ramp up in July.
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