Ilia Malinin at TD Garden, Boston, was such a vibe! The American boy left the home crowd roaring at the ISU Figure Skating Championships 2025. After all, six quadruple jumps and one backflip is not something you see someone do every day, that too on ice! In fact, this was the first time anyone had ever done that. So yes, he made history at just 20. But amid the celebrations, Malinin’s heart ached. He felt a void, the one left by the skaters who died in the plane crash. To get here, he had to channel his grief over those losses. But the question is: has he done it fully?

In January 2025, 28 people from the U.S. Figure Skating died when a helicopter had a mid-air collision with a passenger plane. And among those who had tragically passed were young skaters, three from the Washington Figure Skating Club where Ilia Malinin trains. Also, a coach and a whole family from that club died, a loss that Malinin couldn’t come to terms with. He could barely even say their names. And an emptiness engulfed him when he returned to the rink that week to train for the World Champs.

But he did not give up. There were even times inside the rink while he was training for the World Champs when Malinin’s mind dodged. He kept having fleeting thoughts about the skaters who died, he admitted, which forced him to pause. But his parents, who skated for Uzbekistan at the past Olympics and coach him now, helped him regroup. The New York Times also reported that Ilia Malinin realized he would be able to move forward by honoring the lost skaters through his performances. And so he did.

This is how Ilia Malinin got back on his feet and has now seized the moment. Yes, he has successfully bagged his second world champion title in the men’s figure skating event at the Championships in Boston. In doing so, he has honored their presence. The skaters who passed away are no longer around anymore, standing or gliding behind him, watching him learn or training next to him, and that upsets him. However, he is grateful he gave it a second chance; “I’m also really glad that I was able to get through this and really just have this mindset of, you know, skating for them now.” 

And yes, his performance was worthy of their memory. The American scored 208.15 in the free skate event, which took his total score to 318.56. And that’s how he got a 31-point victory over Mikhail Shaidorov. But the most impressive aspect? His ‘Quad God’ title! Know the story behind this moniker he has earned.

Ilia Malinin is the new ‘quad god’ and rightly so

Four-and-a-half rotations in the air, can anyone imagine doing that? Well, Ilia Malinin was indeed ready to nail his six quad jumps. No one, let us repeat, no other figure skater in the world has landed six quads in one program. For many, this is a dream, but Malinin has been doing it since he was 17, on the international stage. But this one today was special. It was in front of a home crowd.

Ilia Malinin started calling himself ‘Quad God’ as a teenager. Today, the entire world has picked up on it. Of course, he had identified his ability to ace quad jumps since then. And rightly so. Today, in fact, the Quad God was disappointed that he could not land seven as he had hoped. So yes, this 6 which is a dream for many, was his consolation prize. “That seven-quad layout is [something] I really want to nail effortlessly. I think this is my perfect layout for the Olympics.” 

If you ask us, we think he is not far from that. In December, at the Grand Prix Final, he landed seven quad jumps. A few were a bit under-rotated. Yes, a bit rusty. But we think perfection is on its way. What do you say, fans? Can Ilia Malinin nail it?