Ilia Malinin bounced back at the World Figure Skating Championships after his Winter Olympics heartbreak, securing a historic feat at the tournament. His achievement captured the attention of the Olympian and ice dancer Evan Bates, who dropped a sweet reaction to the American’s victory.
Malinin solidified his legacy in the figure skating world after earning his third consecutive World Figure Skating Championships title in Prague. He competed in the free skate event, where he landed five quadruple jumps and won by scoring 218.11 points and nabbed the title with an overall score of 329.40.
It also his fourth World Championship medal, as he also won a bronze in 2023. His historic three-peat feat was shared by US Figure Skating on Instagram, which garnered the attention of Bates. He reposted his achievement on his Instagram story and appreciated the American for the win.
“Well done @ilia_quadg0d_malinin🥇👏”
This win for Malinin came after his disappointing journey at the Milan-Cortina Olympics, where he placed eighth in the individual event.
Ilia Malinin made his feelings known about winning his third World Championship title
After securing the stellar win at the World Championships in Prague, Ilia Malinin spoke to the media in the post-championship interview. Talking about the ins and outs of his win, he opened up about securing the victory.
“I felt relieved that the season’s finally done after a long up and down for this whole season. I’m glad to be here at the World Championships. It was a different change of mindset to come here. All I wanted to do was skate for myself, enjoy every moment on the ice and just have fun out there, and that’s exactly what I did,” said Ilia Malinin.
Revealing his mindset during the championships, he said:
“I was honestly taking everything one step at a time, and the whole mindset in that program was let’s just finish the program in one piece. So that’s exactly what I thought. I fought for everything, fought for every element. That’s the main thing that my parents tell me is don’t give up no matter what. You have to fight for every single element. So that’s definitely something that I was thinking about. I just would like to be done now. I’m looking forward to what comes next.”
With Ilia Malinin on the top, the silver and bronze medals at the 2026 World Figure Skating Championships were claimed by Japan’s Yuma Kagiyama and Shun Sato, respectively.
Read More:
Ilia Malinin Debuts New Look for 2026 Worlds After Winter Olympics Heartbreak
Ilia Malinin Targets Redemption at World Championships Following Stressful Olympics
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