Ilya Malinin & the Soviet school of figure skating: Is there a connection? (PHOTOS)
A record-breaking seven quadruple jumps, a quadruple axel that no one had ever attempted before and a killer backflip – an element banned for figure skaters for half a century. And the logical result was the adoration of fans worldwide and a gold medal in the team event at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina.
Not since the famous rivalry between two Russian skaters – Alexei Yagudin and Evgeni Plushenko – has there been such heightened interest in men's figure skating. "He's a legend! Seven quadruple jumps!" "He's the only one who skates for his own pleasure and the pleasure of the audience!" "It's out of this world!" These are just some of the words uttered by fans. But, his peers aren't far behind: renowned coach Tatyana Tarasova called him perfection, for whom nothing is impossible. And Ilya Averbukh called him the strongest skater on the planet, who can only lose to himself.
In videos of American figure skater Ilya Malinin's Olympic performances, the cries of delight drown out the music. He captivated the audience with his effortless skating and impeccable technique. And his reckless courage. So, what's his secret?
Ilya's parents were Soviet figure skaters. His father, Roman Skorniakov, competed in singles skating first for Russia, then for Uzbekistan, where he held the championship title for seven years. His mother, Tatyana Malinina, has a similar sporting background: she is a ten-time Kazakhstan champion, the first winner of the ‘Four Continents Championships’, the Grand Prix Final and the NHK Trophy Grand Prix series.
In the late 1990s, Skornyakov and Malinina, along with their coach Igor Ksenofontov, moved to the United States. After retiring, they focused on coaching. In 2004, their son, Ilya, was born, who is now known throughout the world. But, that's not all. The skater's grandfather, Valery Malinin, is also a renowned coach and the founder of the Novosibirsk figure skating school.
Skornyakov and Malinin train their son themselves. He is also advised by Rafael Arutyunyan, who said the following in an interview: "This boy was raised in America by Russian coaches and the country gave him the opportunity to realize his potential. This is also invaluable."
When asked about the secrets of his grandson's training, Valery Malinin once replied: "A secret training technique, you say? There are no secrets. Tanya and I talked about this. Colleagues write to her, call her, asking what they do that's so special. She answers simply: “We work the way we were taught in the Soviet Union.”
