- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,258,131
- Reaction score
- 59
You must be registered for see images attach
Ilia Malinin at the Olympics in Milan on Feb. 13
Credit: Shunik Denisovich/Anadolu via Getty
NEED TO KNOW
- Ilia Malinin tells PEOPLE exclusively about the new "therapy" he introduced this figure skating season, which included the 2026 Winter Olympics and wrapped with the World Figure Skating Championships in March
- The gold medalist opens up about the "ups and downs" he faced and how he bounced back
- Malinin also tells PEOPLE what he's looking forward to most in the offseason
Ilia Malinin is prioritizing his well-being.
The professional figure skater, 21, opens up to PEOPLE exclusively about what keeps his spirits high through the "ups and downs" of the competition season, which, this year, included his Olympic debut and third-consecutive world title win.
Malinin, who's famously known as the "Quad God," reflected on his whirlwind year shortly after topping the podium at the 2026 World Figure Skating Championships in March. The victory came just six weeks after a disappointing eighth-place individual finish at the Milan Cortina Winter Games following the Team USA gold-medal win.
You must be registered for see images attach
Ilia Malinin of Team USA at the Milan Olympics on Feb. 7
Credit: Joosep Martinson/Getty
"It's been a few days to really process it all now that everything has kind of come to an end for the season," he tells PEOPLE exclusively. "It's been a long, stressful season, with a lot of ups and downs. So just the fact that being able to be done, I'm really proud of that."
"And, honestly, I feel like this is one of the best seasons I've had just because I got cats," Malinin shares of his pets, Mysti and Miu Miu. "Like, they really turned my life around. Genuinely, I feel like they're my therapy now."
He explains, "When I don't feel good or need to just relax and feel comfortable, I'll always find them and hang out with them, so it's really a game changer."
Take PEOPLE with you! Subscribe to PEOPLE magazine to get the latest details on celebrity news, exclusive royal updates, how-it-happened true crime stories and more — right to your mailbox.
You must be registered for see images attach
Ilia Malinin of Team USA competes in Men's Single Skating on day two of the Winter Olympics on Feb. 8
Credit: Jamie Squire/Getty
Malinin, who has previously attributed his "mistakes" during his Olympics free skate finals performance on Feb. 13 to immense mental pressure and noise, tells PEOPLE that his comeback program at Worlds was incomparable to the Winter Games in Milan.
"Honestly, it didn't feel the same," he shares with PEOPLE. "For me, the World Championships really felt like more of, 'This is the last competition season. Let's just skate it over with.' It wasn't so much high stake, high pressure."
He adds, "It was really the fact that I had to come in with a different mindset, as well, after the Olympics happened — and then also just trying to enjoy why I love the sport so much."
You must be registered for see images attach
Ilia Malinin of United States performs during Gala Exhibition during ISU World Figure Skating Championships on March 29
Credit: Jurij Kodrun/getty
Malinin took a new mental approach to worlds, which is why he believes he performed so well.
"Honestly, just not worrying about people's expectations or the pressure that people put on you," he says, adding, "Really just doing it for yourself."
Being back on the podium "felt good," says the decorated medalist. "It felt really relieving — but at the same time, it taught me that sometimes medals aren't everything."
Although the figure skating season is over, Malinin has a few more shows to perform. Then, it's downtime with his favorite roommates.
"Right now, I have shows for a few months," he shares. "So after that, I will definitely be going home and really spending time with my cats, because that's my favorite, favorite, favorite thing to do."
Read the original article on People
Continue reading...
