The self-proclaimed \u201cQuad God\u201d told PEOPLE in January 2026 that he originally had no plans to follow in his parents\u2019 footsteps. It wasn\u2019t until he landed his first quad jump at 13 that his parents realized he was \u201csurprisingly good.\u201d<\/p>\n
In 2022, the athlete, who earned his first Olympic gold medal in the team event at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, became the first \u2014 and so far, only \u2014 person in the world to land the difficult, four-revolution jump in competition.<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought I was going to be a soccer player,\u201d he told PEOPLE, \u201cbut my parents didn\u2019t have time to take me to soccer lessons \u2014 so skating kind of took over.\u201d<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s everything to know about Ilia Malinin\u2019s parents, Tatiana Malinina and Roman Skorniakov.<\/p>\n
They\u2019re from Russia\u00a0 <\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n![\"Ilia](\"https:\/\/people.com\/thmb\/5zqeCEfTXKiJIaVdru5ohZTbMOo=\/4000x0\/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(710x218:712x220)\/ilia-malinin-dad-roman-skorniakov-020926-86e085530f7741b792fba9d714d62a17.jpg\")
<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>Ilia Malinin with his dad Roman Skorniakov in June 2023.<\/span>Ilia Malinin\/Instagram<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nBoth Skorniakov and Malinina are from Russia. Malinin\u2019s mother was born in Novosibirsk, the unofficial capital city of Siberia, on Jan. 28, 1973, per her International Skating Union bio. She later chose to represent Uzbekistan after she relocated there as a teen.<\/p>\n
Born on Feb. 17, 1976, Skorniakov was raised in Sverdlovsk, a Russian industrial hub, per his ISU bio.<\/p>\n
Malinina and Skorniakov were both Olympic figure skaters <\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n![\"Roman](\"https:\/\/people.com\/thmb\/YK4-tUiMFmlscog3KZSJad43xyc=\/4000x0\/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(742x250:744x252)\/roman-skorniakov-tatiana-malinina-020926-843b48343c8f4b0bbaf7e1f1c35e7780.jpg\")
<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>Roman Skorniakov of Uzbekistan competes in the men\u2019s short program during the Salt Lake City Winter Olympic Games ; Tatiana Malinina of Uzbekistan performs during the ladies qualifying free-skating event for the World Figure Skating Championships on March 24, 1999.<\/span>Jamie Squire\/Getty ; PASCAL PAVANI \/ AFP via Getty<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nMalinin\u2019s parents skated for Uzbekistan in the Olympics twice \u2014 once in 1998 and again in 2002.<\/p>\n
In addition to her stints at the Games, Malinina became the first Four Continents Champion in history in 1999 and was the first Uzbekistan skater to medal at the ISU Championships and in the ISU Grand Prix. Her father, Valery Malinin, is a former figure skater-turned-coach in Russia who used to bring the \u201cQuad God\u201d to the rink when he babysat him.<\/p>\n
Skorniakov also competed for Uzbekistan and won the men\u2019s singles title at the National Championships in 1997, per his ISU bio. After they retired from skating in 2002, they both became coaches, per NBC Sports.<\/p>\n
They got married in 2000 <\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n![\"Ilia](\"https:\/\/people.com\/thmb\/oTCnp-4kURhavmeo1E_zf3ORDH4=\/4000x0\/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(694x396:696x398)\/ilia-malinin-mom-tatiana-020926-f8791ff98acd4c0580d71063ef651cfe.jpg\")
<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>Ilia Malinin and his mom Tatiana Malinina in May 2023.<\/span>Ilia Malinin\/Instagram<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nIn 1998, the couple moved to Virginia because their practice conditions in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, had deteriorated, per their ISU bios. Two years later, they tied the knot in January 2000.<\/p>\n
\u201cI like America very much,\u201d Malinina told Golden Skate in March 2002. \u201cIt was difficult to come to America, but easy to stay.\u201d<\/p>\n
Malinina and Skorniakov have two kids <\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n![\"Ilia](\"https:\/\/people.com\/thmb\/tUZq87vdmnbE6GSs7SibwjT-geE=\/4000x0\/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(552x474:554x476)\/ilia-malinin-family-020926-492daef9b4a44cb5b47e0edc7b470bdb.jpg\")
<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>Ilia Malinin with his family in June 2025.<\/span>Ilia Malinin\/Instagram<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nAfter Malinina and Skorniakov got married, they welcomed their son, Ilia, on Dec. 2, 2004, in Fairfax, Va., per NBC. According to NBC Sports, the skater decided to take his mother\u2019s last name in the traditional masculine form in Russian because his parents were worried that Skorniakov would be hard to pronounce.<\/p>\n
The couple later welcomed their daughter, Elli, who goes by the nickname \u201cLiza.\u201d She\u2019s also taken to the family sport and is a nationally ranked junior skater.<\/p>\n
Malinin said his parents didn\u2019t want him to skate \u201cat all\u201d <\/span><\/h2>\n\n
<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>Both Skorniakov and Malinina are from Russia. Malinin\u2019s mother was born in Novosibirsk, the unofficial capital city of Siberia, on Jan. 28, 1973, per her International Skating Union bio. She later chose to represent Uzbekistan after she relocated there as a teen.<\/p>\n
Born on Feb. 17, 1976, Skorniakov was raised in Sverdlovsk, a Russian industrial hub, per his ISU bio.<\/p>\n
Malinina and Skorniakov were both Olympic figure skaters <\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>Roman Skorniakov of Uzbekistan competes in the men\u2019s short program during the Salt Lake City Winter Olympic Games ; Tatiana Malinina of Uzbekistan performs during the ladies qualifying free-skating event for the World Figure Skating Championships on March 24, 1999.<\/span>Jamie Squire\/Getty ; PASCAL PAVANI \/ AFP via Getty<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nMalinin\u2019s parents skated for Uzbekistan in the Olympics twice \u2014 once in 1998 and again in 2002.<\/p>\n
In addition to her stints at the Games, Malinina became the first Four Continents Champion in history in 1999 and was the first Uzbekistan skater to medal at the ISU Championships and in the ISU Grand Prix. Her father, Valery Malinin, is a former figure skater-turned-coach in Russia who used to bring the \u201cQuad God\u201d to the rink when he babysat him.<\/p>\n
Skorniakov also competed for Uzbekistan and won the men\u2019s singles title at the National Championships in 1997, per his ISU bio. After they retired from skating in 2002, they both became coaches, per NBC Sports.<\/p>\n
They got married in 2000 <\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>Ilia Malinin and his mom Tatiana Malinina in May 2023.<\/span>Ilia Malinin\/Instagram<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nIn 1998, the couple moved to Virginia because their practice conditions in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, had deteriorated, per their ISU bios. Two years later, they tied the knot in January 2000.<\/p>\n
\u201cI like America very much,\u201d Malinina told Golden Skate in March 2002. \u201cIt was difficult to come to America, but easy to stay.\u201d<\/p>\n
Malinina and Skorniakov have two kids <\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>Ilia Malinin with his family in June 2025.<\/span>Ilia Malinin\/Instagram<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nAfter Malinina and Skorniakov got married, they welcomed their son, Ilia, on Dec. 2, 2004, in Fairfax, Va., per NBC. According to NBC Sports, the skater decided to take his mother\u2019s last name in the traditional masculine form in Russian because his parents were worried that Skorniakov would be hard to pronounce.<\/p>\n
The couple later welcomed their daughter, Elli, who goes by the nickname \u201cLiza.\u201d She\u2019s also taken to the family sport and is a nationally ranked junior skater.<\/p>\n
Malinin said his parents didn\u2019t want him to skate \u201cat all\u201d <\/span><\/h2>\n\n
<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>Malinin\u2019s parents skated for Uzbekistan in the Olympics twice \u2014 once in 1998 and again in 2002.<\/p>\n
In addition to her stints at the Games, Malinina became the first Four Continents Champion in history in 1999 and was the first Uzbekistan skater to medal at the ISU Championships and in the ISU Grand Prix. Her father, Valery Malinin, is a former figure skater-turned-coach in Russia who used to bring the \u201cQuad God\u201d to the rink when he babysat him.<\/p>\n
Skorniakov also competed for Uzbekistan and won the men\u2019s singles title at the National Championships in 1997, per his ISU bio. After they retired from skating in 2002, they both became coaches, per NBC Sports.<\/p>\n
They got married in 2000 <\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>Ilia Malinin and his mom Tatiana Malinina in May 2023.<\/span>Ilia Malinin\/Instagram<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nIn 1998, the couple moved to Virginia because their practice conditions in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, had deteriorated, per their ISU bios. Two years later, they tied the knot in January 2000.<\/p>\n
\u201cI like America very much,\u201d Malinina told Golden Skate in March 2002. \u201cIt was difficult to come to America, but easy to stay.\u201d<\/p>\n
Malinina and Skorniakov have two kids <\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>Ilia Malinin with his family in June 2025.<\/span>Ilia Malinin\/Instagram<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nAfter Malinina and Skorniakov got married, they welcomed their son, Ilia, on Dec. 2, 2004, in Fairfax, Va., per NBC. According to NBC Sports, the skater decided to take his mother\u2019s last name in the traditional masculine form in Russian because his parents were worried that Skorniakov would be hard to pronounce.<\/p>\n
The couple later welcomed their daughter, Elli, who goes by the nickname \u201cLiza.\u201d She\u2019s also taken to the family sport and is a nationally ranked junior skater.<\/p>\n
Malinin said his parents didn\u2019t want him to skate \u201cat all\u201d <\/span><\/h2>\n\n
<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>In 1998, the couple moved to Virginia because their practice conditions in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, had deteriorated, per their ISU bios. Two years later, they tied the knot in January 2000.<\/p>\n
\u201cI like America very much,\u201d Malinina told Golden Skate in March 2002. \u201cIt was difficult to come to America, but easy to stay.\u201d<\/p>\n
Malinina and Skorniakov have two kids <\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>Ilia Malinin with his family in June 2025.<\/span>Ilia Malinin\/Instagram<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nAfter Malinina and Skorniakov got married, they welcomed their son, Ilia, on Dec. 2, 2004, in Fairfax, Va., per NBC. According to NBC Sports, the skater decided to take his mother\u2019s last name in the traditional masculine form in Russian because his parents were worried that Skorniakov would be hard to pronounce.<\/p>\n
The couple later welcomed their daughter, Elli, who goes by the nickname \u201cLiza.\u201d She\u2019s also taken to the family sport and is a nationally ranked junior skater.<\/p>\n
Malinin said his parents didn\u2019t want him to skate \u201cat all\u201d <\/span><\/h2>\n\n
<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>After Malinina and Skorniakov got married, they welcomed their son, Ilia, on Dec. 2, 2004, in Fairfax, Va., per NBC. According to NBC Sports, the skater decided to take his mother\u2019s last name in the traditional masculine form in Russian because his parents were worried that Skorniakov would be hard to pronounce.<\/p>\n
The couple later welcomed their daughter, Elli, who goes by the nickname \u201cLiza.\u201d She\u2019s also taken to the family sport and is a nationally ranked junior skater.<\/p>\n
![\"](\"https:\/\/people.com\/thmb\/RjmtkiqmSKUiBpwHsVvOJHHfHDA=\/4000x0\/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(694x323:696x325)\/ilia-malinin-mom-tatiana-world-team-trophy-tokyo-020926-3889abf5865a45a18ebf6ae150035dda.jpg\")
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