Ilia Malinin wins his third consecutive world championship

George Mason University's Ilia Malinin gave a resounding performance at the 2026 World Figure Skating Championships in Prague that resulted in his third consecutive world championship.

Malinin, a 21-year-old exploratory studies major from Vienna best known as the "Quad God," was just six weeks removed from a free skate at the 2026 Milan Winter Olympics that saw the heavy gold medal favorite fall from medal contention. In the immediate days afterwards, he spoke of the relentless pressure on him and others at the Olympic level.

With a fresh outlook, Malinin delivered an impressive two-minute, 49-second short program that included a quadruple flip, a triple axel, a quadruple lutz-triple toe loop combination, and a backflip for good measure, affirming his status as the world's most dominant skater.

"I was definitely coming back to prove myself that [the Olympic performance] was a one-time thing, but now I realize this is much more than just skating," Malinin told the media afterward. "It's being able to go and enjoy and have fun."

Malinin finished with a total score of 329.40, placing him well ahead of silver medalist Yuma Kagiyama of Japan (306.67). Another Japanese skater, Shun Sato, finished third with 288.54 points.

Malinin plans to spend the next few weeks touring across America on the Stars on Ice tour.

"I was around 13 when I realized that I could skate for more than just fun."

Ilia Malinin

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