Ilia Malinin Breaks Priceless Secret Hours After Recording Historic Feat at Grand Prix Final 2023

Ilia Malinin, the American figure skating phenom, has been making headlines since he stepped feet into the icy realm. Since his skating roots run deep, his recent Grand Prix Final title clinch wasn’t unusual for him. In fact, the several Grand Prix laurels in his golden purse speak volumes. But let’s know about Malinin’s pre-game strategies now.

Being the only skater to have landed a quadruple Axel, the 19-year-old had achieved it in one go. For his age, such finesse and expertise have put him on the same podium as the greats. Even at the 2023-24 Grand Prix Final, he scored 207.76, pushing Uno Shoma to the second with 297.34. But what goes on in his mind before the youngster hits the ice?

Ilia Malini simply enjoys skating

Taking over the Olympics’ Instagram story, the Virginia native invited his fans for a Q&A session. Consequently, one fan dropped a question which went like, “What are your thoughts before touching the ice?” With no hesitation, Malinin casually replied, “Things that I think about before I get on the ice are, I just wanna have fun and I wanna try to impress.”

Clearly, the young skater put his competitive self aside to bring out his humility. It definitely shined. Having said so, Ilia Malinin had a surprise element at the 2023 Grand Prix Final to sweep his fans off their feet. It’s the quad Axel execution in the short program. In addition, as he landed the complex move like a pro, he recorded history. However, initially, he decided to bypass it.

Furthermore, landing all six quads on December 7, he became the first man to have achieved it. Previously, only Nathan Chen had unfurled his victory flag with three consecutive Grand Prix titles from 2017 to 2019. Now, the deserving Malinin equalled him like a seasoned athlete.

Malinin’s thoughts after the event

He had said after his victorious moment, “I look at how I was able to achieve this under pressure… and am really happy with that result overall.” Another exciting thing that has a family connection is Malinin’s mom, Tatiana Malinin, secured the same Grand Prix title in 1999. Fast forward to 25 years later, her son had lived up to her legacy.

In fact, even his grandfather coaches skating athletes in Novosibirsk, Siberia, after having skated as a competitor before. So, to sum up, his family gets a shout out for his 2023-24 season win. Even at the 2023 Grand Prix de France, the skating phenom concluded his event on a silver podium, which granted him an entry in Beijing this time.

READ MORE: 17-Year-Old American Figure Skater, Ilia Malinin, Leaves Everyone Stunned With His Performance at the 2022 Skate America

As he goes on to secure more accolades, the skating world celebrates the fresh winner of GP.

Watch this story: Best Sportsmanship Moments Between Figure Skating Stars Yuzuru Hanyu and Nathan Chen