MILAN (CONVERSEER) – Ilia Malinin is set to make his return to the global figure skating stage.
The two-time and reigning world champion confirmed Tuesday (17 February) to Olympics.com that he’ll go for three world titles in a row, something not done since his American compatriot Nathan Chen did so from 2018 to 2021.
The 2026 ISU World Figure Skating Championships are set for 23-29 March in Prague, Czechia.
“I’m looking forward to getting myself that ‘redemption competition’, as I like to call it,” Malinin said in a one-on-one interview.
“I’m definitely looking at that and I can be satisfied with it if everything goes well.”
Going into the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, Malinin had won 12 international events in a row, dating back to November 2023. He finished in eighth in the men’s singles event.
Malinin said he’s already taking learnings from his Olympic debut experience: “I didn’t understand how much that pressure was going to get to me,” he explained. “I thought I had it under control… but for some reason, I really didn’t understand it.”
Malinin will go head-to-head with newly-crowned Olympic champion Mikhail Shaidorov, a longtime friend of his, at the Worlds.
Malinin was lauded globally for congratulating Shaidorov for his win, just seconds after the American had received his scores.
“That exchange with Mikhail, it was just natural,” Malinin explained. “For me, that’s how I am always.”
Malinin has highlighted this season just how much expectation is put on skaters, and how close the greater community of athletes is – no matter where they’re from.
“I think people that are outside of skating don’t really think that we’re close… they think we’re rivals or have something between us, but that’s not really true,” he said. “We have a competitive rivalry between all of us, and it’s the reason why we like to push each other to go further and further in the sport, really bringing the level of sport up.
He continued: “We’re all human beings, so it’s really nice to you know congratulate your friends when they have an amazing skate.”
(Olympics)
