Podcast Summary: “'Quad God' Ilia Malinin Is The Winter Olympics' Breakout Star”

The Run-Through with Vogue
Date: February 11, 2026
Guests: Ilia Malinin ("Quad God"), Vogue Editors Arden Fanning Andrews & Christian Allaire

Main Theme & Purpose

This special bonus episode dives into the world of breakout U.S. figure skater Ilia Malinin, fresh off his gold medal win at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics. Ilia, dubbed the “Quad God” for his pioneering quadruple axel, sits down with Vogue editors Arden Fanning Andrews and Christian Allaire for an intimate, wide-ranging conversation. The episode uncovers Ilia’s relaxed Olympic mindset, the technical and artistic challenges of modern skating, and delves deeply into his approach to performance, music, fashion, and life beyond the rink.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Ilia’s Olympic Mindset and Training Approach

• Chill Under Pressure: Ilia is known for his calm and relaxed demeanor, both on and off the ice.

  • Quote: “I’m trying not to, you know, give me the unnecessary pressure of the Olympic stage and more, just take it as I would prepare for any other competition… no need to overcomplicate things." (06:19)

• Daily Training Routine:

  • Morning: 8 am ice time for warmup, light jumps, and getting comfortable
  • Afternoon: Intense 2-hour session focusing on stamina, coordination, and running programs
  • Evenings: Media, interviews, or downtime
  • Quote: “It’s more just waking up the body and really getting into that, like, training groove.” (08:25)

• Rest and Recovery:

  • Ilia values taking at least one day off per week to recover:
    • Quote: “Sometimes I’m really tired after the week and I just lay in bed through absolutely nothing all day.” (07:44)

2. The Quadruple Axel: Technical Marvel

• On What Makes the Quad Axel So Hard:
  • It demands four and a half rotations in mid-air, launched from a forward takeoff and landed backward—all on “shoes with knives.”
    • Quote: "You have to do four revolutions, or in the quad axel case... four and a half, then you have to...land on one leg..." (09:54)
• Learning Curve:
  • Mastery through repetition, muscle memory, and normalization of difficulty:
    • Quote: “Once you land it for the first time, you kind of get an understanding of what you need to do now to have it happen again.” (11:28)

3. Family Dynamics and Coaching

• Family as Coaches:
  • Ilia’s parents are his coaches; boundaries between family and coach blur in their household.
    • Quote: “For me, I don’t understand that—I feel like we’re all just the same all throughout the day...it’s all integrated into one.” (13:58)
• Trust and Fearlessness:
  • Parents have taught Ilia trust and the importance of taking things one step at a time.
    • Quote: “Take things one step at a time. Don’t think too much ahead.” (14:38)
  • Ilia has pushed boundaries and inspired his parents with his willingness to be different.

4. Performance, Personality & Theatrics

• Fearlessness on Ice:
  • Ilia leans into performance and character with programs like “Malaguena” (2024), embodying personas (e.g., a bullfighter):
    • Quote: “It’s more fun that you can kind of just let everything go and really just try to enjoy every single moment.” (16:36)
• Expressing Identity:
  • Ilia encourages authenticity in presentation—confidence in natural looks or embracing flamboyant vibes is all about personal choice.
    • Quote: “It’s just being you...I mean, I really don’t do much with my hair, but somehow people really like it.” (18:27)

5. Music: From Classical to Rap and Beyond

• Music Selection Process:
  • Ilia chooses music that challenges him and evokes emotion; feels connection to the program is essential.
    • Quote: "I go with music that really just speaks to me...I'll listen to music over and over and...get goosebumps." (20:59)
• Creative Voiceovers:
  • He experiments with original concepts, like adding his own voiceover depicting his future self.
    • Quote: “My mom had the idea...I came up with the idea on my own while I was there, saying, oh, we should add a voiceover.” (22:53)
• Future Projects:
  • Ilia hints at possibly composing his own skate music and exploring new genres.
    • Quote: “Maybe...make my own music, like the music itself and...a rap program.” (24:11)

6. Fashion: On and Off the Ice

• Skate Costumes:

  • Ilia is hands-on in designing his costumes, balancing practicality with show-stopping flair.
    • Quote: “I'm kind of the one wearing the costume...so I feel like I would...have to love it in order to feel good on the ice.” (26:06)

• Evolving Style:

  • He’s moved from pure comfort to costumes with “extra pizzazz.”
    • Quote: “I can sacrifice a little bit of that for an extra...pizzazz or an extra...unique look.” (27:21)

• Technical Details:

  • Prioritizes stretch and lightweight materials; prefers baggy or street clothes for exhibitions and relaxes style off the ice.
    • Quote: “It needs to be comfortable so it can move in different ways...a very light fabric is also important.” (28:09)

• Street Style & Fashion Influences:

  • Off-ice: favors baggy, comfortable streetwear, chunky shoes, or bold looks for events.
  • Draws inspiration from social media and influencers like Wisdom Kaye.
    • Quote: “My favorite influencer is Wisdom Kane.” (32:02)

7. Social Media, TikTok, and School Life

• Viral Figure Skating Edits:

  • Ilia appears frequently in TikTok edits but prefers his feed be less about himself.
    • Quote: “At least, you know, one every 10 scrolls, there’s going to be me in an edit. I’m like, okay, I want to...just watch the funny TikToks. OK. I don’t want any of me anymore.” (32:54)

• Academic Balance:

  • Studies civil engineering/architecture, taking semester off for Olympics, values having distractions beyond skating.
    • Quote: “I wanted to keep something on the side to keep me interested while I was skating…” (33:25)

• Craftiness:

  • Enjoys origami and has creative ambitions but struggles to find free time.
    • Quote: “I have many ideas, but it’s very rarely that I actually, you know, get to do them.” (33:53)

8. Mindset & Motivation: Competing With Himself

• Mental Resilience:

  • Copes with Olympic pressure by reframing the Games as “just another competition” and staying busy with activities like shopping and exploring.
    • Quote: “You can’t go into it thinking that it’s a huge, massive event, which could put some unnecessary pressure…” (34:45)

• Personal Shopping Favorites:

  • Loves Zara for everyday fashion, also admires high-end brands: Louis Vuitton, Dior, Issey Miyake, Y-3.
    • Quote: “I’m a big Zara person… but also a pretty big designer person…” (35:34)

9. Life at Home: Pets & Personality

• Cats:

  • Proud cat dad to ragdolls Misty and Mew Mew.
    • Quote: “I have two cats…Their names are Misty for the black one and Mew Mew for the white one.” (36:33)

• Describing Himself for the Season:

  • Quote: "Fearless. Unique. Open minded." (37:11)

Memorable Quotes & Moments by Timestamp

• On Staying Relaxed at the Olympics:
  “Just another competition, no need to overcomplicate things.” – Ilia (06:19)

• On the Quad Axel:
  “You have to do four revolutions, or in the quad axel case... four and a half, then you have to...land on one leg.” – Ilia (09:54)

• On Family as Coaches:
  “We're just a family 24/7... it's all integrated into one.” – Ilia (13:58)

• On Stage Presence:
  “It's more fun that you can kind of just let everything go and really just try to enjoy every single moment.” – Ilia (16:36)

• On Skating and Style Freedom:
  “It’s just being you... and that might apply to female skaters as well.” – Ilia (18:27)

• On Self-Competition:
  “My biggest competition is myself.” – Ilia (34:33)

• Three Words for the Season:
  “Fearless. Unique. Open minded.” – Ilia (37:11)

Timestamps of Important Segments

• [05:43] Ilia joins the interview
• [06:19] Olympic mindset & preparation
• [08:25] A day in training
• [09:54] The challenge of the quadruple axel
• [13:35] Family dynamic and day-to-day life
• [16:05] Performance artistry and confidence
• [20:59] Music choices and creative process
• [25:06] Creative ambitions post-Olympics
• [26:06] Getting involved in costume design
• [28:09] Balancing function and fashion on the ice
• [31:02] Off-ice street style and fashion icons
• [32:54] TikTok edits and social media
• [33:25] School, DIY, and creative distractors
• [34:33] Self-competition and mental health
• [35:34] Milan shopping plans and designer favorites
• [36:33] Cat dad life
• [37:11] Ilia describes himself in 3 words: “Fearless. Unique. Open minded.”

Closing Note

This episode captures not just the technical and competitive prowess of Ilia Malinin, but his artistic, creative, and authentic personality. For anyone interested in the new face of Olympic skating—and how fashion, music, and mindset shape a modern sports icon—this conversation is insightful, personal, and inspiring.

Hosts: Arden Fanning Andrews (Vogue Beauty Editor), Christian Allaire (Vogue Senior Fashion Writer)
Guest: Ilia Malinin (US Olympic gold medalist figure skater)