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Ilia Malinin hasn’t embraced the nickname “quad god” lightly. On Dec. 7, he became the first skater to land all six types of quadruple jumps — including the four-and-a-half revolution quad axel — in one program at the Grand Prix Final in France, where he earned his second consecutive Grand Prix Final victory. He also won this year’s World and National championships, as well as last year’s Nationals, pulling off multiple quads in all of them.

Though he technically underrotated the jumps in his free skate at the Grand Prix Final, he still made history by landing all six types within one program. And, he’s just getting started. Heading into the competition, he wanted to challenge himself technically while incorporating artistic style he’s been working on perfecting the past few years. He viewed it as a kind of test program in which to improve upon as he prepares for the 2026 Olympics.

“I’m definitely looking forward to making sure I’m prepared enough and taking the time to stay healthy and slowly, gradually, improving and getting everything as consistent as it can be — and finding the things that will be the most efficient and comfortable,” he said about preparing for the upcoming Winter Games.

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Born to Russian-Uzbekistani Olympic figure skaters Roman Skorniakov and Tatiana Malinina, both of whom competed in the 1998 Olympics (his father also competed in 2002, and his mother was the 1999 Grand Prix Final and Four Continents champion), he began skating at age 6. After all, he was already at the rink often enough with his parents as they coached. These days, his parents continue to coach him, along with Rafael Arutunian.

“A lot of people have mixed thoughts about me being coached by my parents,” he said, but he prefers the opportunity. “It’s really nice because they keep track of you 24/7, so they know exactly how you feel, so they can change practice — adjust it to be able to cooperate with you to kind of look over you. They’re a big inspiration in my life. Being their son means a lot to me. I can trust them (personally and coaching wise).”

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While some attribute his technical prowess to genetics or natural talent, he said it’s “mainly hard work and putting in as much effort as you can. The biggest thing is you have to put in the work and effort to improve. If you want it, it’s easy (to work for).”

When he first started skating, he didn’t envision himself competing at such a high level, but he said that a few years ago, he saw his potential.

“The main thing I love about competition is getting to show off your skills (with) the programs you make and the artistry,” he said. “Making programs, I get to use my creative side, with new themes and genres. I enjoy working with my choreographer and getting down to specific details … until we find what works. It’s a group process. We both have ideas.”

He was so comfortable with his short program to “Running” by NF — a rap song he listens to before competing to get in the zone — he sang some of the lines during his Grand Prix Final performance. The story depicts wanting to reject a part of the self and then finding one way to escape it; the grey of his costume represents the suffering, while the blue portrays freedom.

He has continually surprised himself, and the world, as he works his way up the ranks, even despite a left foot injury that affected his training before last year’s World Championships, where he won bronze. But since winning the Grand Prix Final in 2023, he told Olympics.com that one of the biggest changes he has noticed involves recognizing his confidence and focus when he takes to the ice to compete.

With that increased confidence, and successfully landing quads in competition after competition, comes the buzz about when he’ll attempt a quintuple jump, or five rotations. No skater has successfully landed a quin in a competition; the International Skating Union doesn’t even officially recognize or assign points to it.

“It’s a tough process. It’s similar to the quad axel,” he said, referring to how he and his coaches had to figure out which techniques work and which don’t, in terms of aiding necessary rotation and height. “Physically, I think I might be ready, but mentally, you have to attack it 100% because if you don’t, there’s a chance it won’t go so well. Mentally, it’s hard to go into because you really don’t know what’s going to happen.”

Major injury is definitely within the realm of possibility. So, he continues to perfect his quad axel technique, readying himself to possibly work on a quin jump, both mentally and physically. Of course, it comes as no surprise that his favorite subject in high school, from which he graduated last year, was physics. He’s currently taking online math and economics classes while training four to six hours a day.

This will be his first appearance, and trip, to Vail.

“I’ve heard so much about it, that it’s a very cool spot,” he said, adding that skating in Colorado Springs and Salt Lake City, Utah, have somewhat prepared him for the high elevation, which affects so many performers, from singers to skaters.

Not only will Vail Ice Spectacular feature all of the current National champions this year, but since Shipstad Entertainment has booked them, Amber Glenn made history as the first American woman in 14 years to win the Grand Prix Final earlier this month, and ice dancers Madison Chock and Evan Bates became back-to-back Grand Prix Final champions.