At 13 years old, Fairfax Virginia native Ilia Malinin attached the name “quadg0d” to his social media handles after landing his first successful quad jump during practice at his local ice rink. What Malinin didn’t know was that he had unintentionally set a massive challenge for himself.
“I started receiving comments like, ‘Why did you name yourself “quad god”? You haven’t even landed any other type of quad jump,’” Malinin said. “Ever since that moment, I had a goal just to land every single type of quad jump.”
Not only did Malinin achieve his goal: he broke records. In 2022, at just 17 years old, he became the first ever figure skater to perform a quad Axel jump in a competition setting. Four years later, Malinin won his first Olympic gold medal in Milan.
His success in the sporting world and his close ties with the DMV area inspired the American University Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) to honor him with the Icons of D.C. award in collaboration with George Mason University’s PRSSA chapter.
“He is an icon to a large fanbase of people who aspire to be just like him or aspire to be at the level he is right now,” Adan Hernandez Nova, president of the AU PRRSA chapter, said. “We wanted to recognize someone with that tenacity and that dedication.”
Before Malinin took the stage, attendees were shown a video created by his agency, featuring both his triumphs and shortcomings at the 2026 Winter Olympics. Although Malinin won gold for the figure skating team competition, he placed eighth in an individual skating event where he failed to do his signature quad Axel.
The main point that Malinin drove home is to see failure as a learning opportunity.
“It’s really important that you’re able to embrace your mistakes, and be able to embrace the stuff that you’ve lost. It’s nothing that you should be ashamed of,” Malinin said.
With his father in attendance, Malinin began the event by acknowledging the support and coaching his parents have given him throughout his career. His father, Roman, and his mother, Tatiana, both competed professionally as figure skaters representing Uzbekistan.
“They’re always there for me, and they always look out for every single thing I do,” Malinin said. “Whether I have a very bad day or a bad practice, they’re always there to cheer me up and give me more confidence for the future.”
The panel then turned its attention to the Winter Olympics journey, which had its fair share of highs and lows for Malinin. After joking about the inconvenient bus scheduling and subpar food served, Malinin emphasized the importance of stepping back and taking breaks.
Notably, Malinin said he unwinds through gaming. He streams Minecraft and other games on his Twitch channel, which he made sure to promote. Malinin also uses his streams to give fans a look at his life off the ice rink.
“Live streaming is pretty fun for me because it’s something that I can do at home that doesn’t require much physical activity,” Malinin said. “It’s just a wonderful experience for me to be able to give back to the fans or the people that want to stay up to date with me.”
Getting into form for competition is no game, though. During the season, Malinin trains for up to six hours a day. However, that doesn’t stop him from feeling nervous before a big competition.
Like any professional athlete, Malinin faces immense pressure. His solution? Eating a milk chocolate Hershey bar before stepping on the ice. He joked that feeling full replaces feeling nervous. Those same candy bars helped fuel Malinin to his third world championship title shortly after the Olympics.
However, one of the biggest takeaways for students attending the event was Malinin’s life in the Washington, D.C. area.
“It’s so interesting how someone so young can accomplish so much in their life. I didn’t know he went to George Mason, so that’s really cool that he’s an Olympic medalist and also earning a degree,” Sabenah Abudu-Abrams, a freshman in the School of Public Affairs, said.
At just 21 years old, the list of accomplishments Malinin has earned already establishes him as one of the best athletes to ever represent the United States at the Olympics. But as Malinin ended his remarks on the night, he reemphasized the importance of facing failure head-on and using it to make yourself not only a better athlete, but a better person.
“We all make mistakes; that’s all a part of human nature. But it’s really such a beauty to see all the inconveniences and inconsistencies we have as humans,” Malinin said. “My note to all of you is don’t be afraid to fail in life, because you learn so much from not being able to achieve the things you want.”
This article was edited by Ella Wilson, Matthias Jaylen and Cara Halford. Copy editing done by Avery Grossman, Nicole Kariuki, Ryan Sieve and Jaden Maitland Anderson.
