Is Figure Skater Ilia Malinin Dating Anyone? All About the Olympian’s Love Life
What To Know
- Ilia Malinin is a top contender for the 2026 Winter Olympics in men’s figure skating.
- He shared rare comments about his love life in January 2026.
Ilia Malinin is going for gold in the 2026 Winter Olympics. The nicknamed Quad God — at 17, he became the first person to land a quadruple axel in competition — is a favorite to reach the top of the podium in Men’s Figure Skating. Now 21, the Virginia native will bring his show-stopping jumps to the Olympics stage for the first time.
With a number of World Championships and Grand Prix Finals under his belt, Malinin has already become one of the most discussed athletes in his sport. While figure skating fans are always interested to see what he does next on the ice, a fair number of fans are also interested in his life off the ice. Before he makes his Olympic debut on February 10, Swooon has broken down everything we know about the figure skater’s love life.
Who is Ilia Malinin dating?
Malinin recently gave a rare update about his relationship status. In a January 2026 article, Malinin told People that he’d “rather skate than date.” He explained, “I know how nerve-racking the Olympics can be, but I’m really excited. I want to put my priorities into my career first and just see where that takes me.”
Malinin is currently balancing online classes at George Mason University and his intense training schedule. The skater told the outlet that, in the lead-up to the Olympics, he’s focused on perfecting his programs and staying in top form. He doesn’t have much time for anything else, though he skateboards and makes art to wind down.
In 2023, Malinin made headlines for his comments about sexuality and figure skating. Per USA Today, a fan asked on Instagram Live, “Ilia, do you need to prove you’re straight?”
Malinin responded, “Bro, you know, let’s be honest, I can’t be straight anymore because I need those (artistic) component scores up, you know. I gotta say that I’m not straight, that way my components are gonna go up.”
Minutes later, he wrote an apology on social media. “I want to truly apologize to everyone for my ‘teenage’ behavior, and I am aware that this mistake can’t really be undone. … I hope that everyone understands I mean no hate to anyone. Thank you all for understanding this mistake and making it known to me that I made a mistake.”
He expressed a similar sentiment in a letter to U.S. Figure Skating CEO Tracy Marek, which USA Today obtained. “Earlier today, during an Instagram Live question/answer viewed by fans and followers, I made some inaccurate and frankly embarrassing commentary linking sexual orientation and scoring by judges in our sport.”
He continued, “While I posted an immediate apology to the viewers for my immaturity, I also now want to additionally apologize to our governing body, the judges and my fellow competitors for even inserting such ill-advised commentary in our competitions. I have no evidence or reason to believe that I have been impacted in my scoring due to my heterosexual orientation. And, I would hope no competitor would be penalized for such private matters regardless of orientation.”
Who has Ilia Malinin dated in the past?
Malinin hasn’t been officially linked to anyone since he burst onto the figure skating scene. Per a fan video from late 2024, he was rumored to be dating fellow skater Anna Sretenski, but there isn’t any evidence of Malinin confirming it.
