Ilia Malinin Is the Undisputed "Quad God" — And Here's Why He Owns the Title

The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan came at a time when the world desperately needed some unity and fun to distract from the weight of everything. It's a chance for athletes to bring their "A-game" to the world stage, represent their country, and turn competition into companionship and joy.

Among these athletes are the prime timers in their sports; cream of the crop. For Olympic figure skating, that includes Ilia Malinin. Known as the "Quad God," Ilia is an American figure skater known for extraordinary skills on the ice and for a powerful personality when off.

Here's what we know about why he's called "Quad God."

First of all, Ilia's record is impressive. Aside from being a multiple time World Champion in figure skating, Ilia's record has been undefeated since 2024.

But while his talents are impressive, they might not necessarily be "godlike" to all. So, where did the nickname come from?

According to USA Today, Ilia himself claimed the nickname. It started when he changed his Instagram handle to @ilia_quadg0d_malinin.

And, the outlet notes, this nickname was chosen "because of his ability to land quadruple jumps. He's actually the first to land a quadruple Axel in competition. Malinin is capable of executing all six quadruple jumps, and he's repeatedly broken records for quads in a single program."

Twenty-one-year-old Ilia has played up the nickname, explaining on Instagram that it doesn't come from having massive quads (leg muscles), which he playfully points out by highlighting his surprisingly normal-looking legs, for a champion figure skater.

Ilia himself is impressive, even if his legs don't scream "god." And what he's managed to do on those legs is nothing short of astonishing. According to SB Nation, Ilia comes from a family of skaters who themselves one competed in the Olympics.

His parents are Tatiana Malinina and Roman Skorniakov, two Russian-born skaters who competed for Uzbekistan at the Winter Olympics.

Ilia himself was born in Virginia in 2004, and has quickly risen to the top of a fiercely competitive sport in just 21 years of life. Among his impressive accomplishments are two World Championships, two Grand Prix, and three United States Championships.

Going into Milan and the 2026 Winter Olympics, Ilia was the easy favorite for most in men's figure skating, and it's easy to see why. After having landed the astonishing quadruple axel, he earned his nickname and all his accolades in spades.

The outlet notes that Ilia appears to be "the perfect figure skater created in a lab," as if someone were able to choose all the best parts of a figure skater and put them into Ilia. And, according to fans, this is an accurate description.

With all eyes on Ilia on the world stage, his "Quad God" nickname is well-earned. From his style and his determination to his extraordinary skill and grit, Ilia's self-styled nickname seems the perfect match for the fiery young skater.