Ilia Malinin: “My short program is about the journey of a warrior striving for greatness. I deeply connect with it because it feels similar to my journey in figure skating, with all its struggles and setbacks.”
Ilia Malinin Discusses His Short Program and Quad Axel Aspirations
original source: Sports by Maya Bagriantseva
Ilia Malinin reflects on the theme of his short program, the challenges he’s faced, and his goal of perfecting the quad axel as he leads the Grand Prix de France standings. Here’s a translation of his comments.
“To be honest, I’m really exhausted right now – my energy level feels like it’s at about 50 percent, no more,” Malinin admitted. “At one point, I wasn’t even sure I’d be able to compete at the Grand Prix. I won’t get into too many details, but there were some minor issues with my mental focus and a couple of small injuries. Still, I’m glad to be here today.”
Malinin described the inspiration behind his short program. “My short program is about the journey of a warrior striving for greatness. I deeply connect with it because it feels similar to my journey in figure skating, with all its struggles and setbacks.”
The skater also addressed the possibility of incorporating his signature quad axel into his program. “Of course, I’m thinking about including it, but it’s hard to say when. To perform it in competition, the jump needs to feel completely solid during run-throughs. I guess you could say that landing it is one of my goals for the season. Maybe I’ll get the chance to showcase it at the Olympics – that would be amazing.”
Related topics: Grand Prix de France, Ilia Malinin
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