Ilia Malinin: “Which Worlds gold medal was the hardest to win? Probably the first one because I wanted to fulfill all the expectations I had at my first Worlds. Today, I just felt relief after the Olympic season.”
Ilia Malinin reflects on his third World Championship gold, his exhaustion after the Olympic season, and his hopes to bring something new to figure skating.
original source: Okko
Ilia Malinin commented to Russian media on his victory at the 2026 World Championships in Prague. Here’s a translation of his comments.
“Q: Congratulations on your third World Championship gold. Which medal was the hardest to win?
Ilia Malinin: Honestly, probably the first one. Yes, the first medal was the hardest because I wanted to fulfill all the expectations I had at my first World Championships. Today, I just felt relief after the Olympic season. The competitions are finally over, and I’m excited to rest a bit and come into the new season with full strength.
Q: On a scale of one to ten, how tired are you?
Ilia Malinin: Ten. A solid ten. I really want to rest now, recover, and enter the new season.
Q: You’ve mentioned several ice projects, but do you plan to take a break from the ice for at least a few weeks?
Ilia Malinin: I wouldn’t say that. I think for the next two months I’ll just be touring. Maybe I’ll find some new projects. I have a lot of plans, and I’m excited to do something new – especially for figure skating as a whole. I really hope for that.
Q: And one last question – about your hairstyle. It’s changed a bit; what did you do?
Ilia Malinin: Yes, literally the day before I left, my mom said, “Your hair’s gotten really long.” So she cut it for me. But I really like it. I don’t think I lost anything.”
Related topics: Ilia Malinin, world championship
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