Ilia Malinin: “Skating is a part of my life, so I always have practice or competitions, even on my birthday. Right now, I’m at about 85% – I haven’t reached my ideal condition yet. At the Olympics, I want to be at 120%.”
Two-time reigning world champion Ilia Malinin is gradually shifting into higher gear as he prepares for the winter’s biggest event.
original source: Tokyo Sports, 4th. December 2025
Two-time world champion Ilia Malinin is steadily raising his level ahead of the Olympics, expressing growing confidence and viewing the Grand Prix Final as a stepping stone toward his ultimate goal. Here’s a translation of his comments.
After official practice for the Grand Prix Final (opening December 4 at Aichi IG Arena), Malinin revealed, “I’ve been feeling really good these past few weeks since Skate Canada, and I’ve spent a lot of time making adjustments and changes to my programs.”
Expected to contend for gold at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics, Malinin said, “My presence on the ice has changed dramatically. I’ve gained confidence in myself and have come to trust everything I’ve put into my training.” He sees this competition as just another step along the way: “After the GP Series, I was able to take things a bit slower for a few weeks to prepare for the Final, but I’m here at this event to check my own condition,” he said, looking ahead to even greater heights.
Malinin just celebrated his 21st birthday on the December 2nd, but showed no signs of distraction: “Skating is a part of my life, so I always have practice or competitions, even on my birthday.” He added, “Right now, I’m at about 85% – I haven’t reached my ideal condition yet. At the Olympics, I want to be at 120%,” he told.
Related topics: grand prix final, Ilia Malinin
Oh wow
Can’t wait to see what that will look like !!! Great excitement to see him skate !