US Figure Skater 'Quad God' Ilia Malinin Makes Olympic Debut

The 21-year-old Virginia native finished second in the short program with a score of 98.00 during the team event.

Published on Feb. 7, 2026

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U.S. figure skater Ilia Malinin, nicknamed the 'Quad God' for his ability to perform a 4 1/2-rotation jump, made his Olympic debut at the Milan Cortina games on Saturday. Malinin finished second in the short program with a score of 98.00 during the team event.

Why it matters

Malinin's Olympic debut is significant as he is one of the few skaters in history capable of landing the extremely difficult quadruple axel jump. His performance could help the U.S. team in the overall team event competition.

The details

Malinin, a 21-year-old Virginia native, told NBC News that he felt 'really good' and 'really confident' during his Olympic debut. Japan's Yuma Kagiyama finished first in the short program with a score of 108.67, putting Japan just one point behind the U.S. in the team event. The team event concludes on Sunday with the pairs, women's, and men's free skates.

  • Malinin made his Olympic debut on Saturday, February 8, 2026.
  • The team event concludes on Sunday, February 9, 2026.

The players

Ilia Malinin

A 21-year-old U.S. figure skater nicknamed the 'Quad God' for his ability to perform a 4 1/2-rotation jump, the quadruple axel, which is the most difficult jump in figure skating.

Yuma Kagiyama

A Japanese figure skater who finished first in the short program with a score of 108.67, putting Japan just one point behind the U.S. in the team event.

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What they’re saying

“I felt really good. I felt really confident and I'm grateful to be here. It's an honor to be here. I've spent so much time and dedication just to get to this point. To have this one event down is awesome.”

— Ilia Malinin (NBC News)

What’s next

The team event concludes on Sunday, February 9, 2026 with the pairs, women's, and men's free skates.

The takeaway

Ilia Malinin's Olympic debut showcases his exceptional talent as one of the few skaters capable of landing the extremely difficult quadruple axel jump. His performance could be a key factor in the U.S. team's success in the overall team event competition.