QUAD GOD” ILIA MALININ CLOSES THE 2026 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS GALA WITH AN EMOTIONAL PERFORMANCE THAT LEAVES THE ENTIRE ARENA SPELLBOUND. Ilia Malinin transforms “I Was Made for Lovin’ You” into a powerful statement on the ice, blending raw emotion with signature technical brilliance in a moment no one expected. As the music by Yungblud echoes through the arena, Malinin delivers a breathtaking finale that captures hearts and ignites a wave of reactions across the skating world.
Ilia Malinin capped off a dominant week at the ISU Figure Skating World Championships 2026 with a standout exhibition performance, skating to “I Was Made for Lovin’ You” by Yungblud before receiving the “Trailblazer on Ice” award for his groundbreaking seven-quad layout.
The gala performance came shortly after Malinin secured his third consecutive world title in Prague, delivering a powerful statement just six weeks after a disappointing Olympic skate saw him fall twice and drop out of medal contention. Widely considered the favorite heading into the Olympics, the American later admitted the pressure and mental weight of the moment had overwhelmed him.
In Prague, however, Malinin responded emphatically. Skating last after leading the short program, he reeled off one major element after another, landing five high-scoring quadruple jumps along with a triple Axel and his signature backflip, thrilling a crowd of more than 15,000. He posted 218.11 points in the free skate for a total of 329.40, finishing comfortably ahead of Yuma Kagiyama (306.67) and Shun Sato (288.54).
Watch the video (2:24:07)
Ilia Malinin capped off a dominant week at the ISU Figure Skating World Championships 2026 with a standout exhibition performance, skating to “I Was Made for Lovin’ You” by Yungblud before receiving the “Trailblazer on Ice” award for his groundbreaking seven-quad layout.
The gala performance came shortly after Malinin secured his third consecutive world title in Prague, delivering a powerful statement just six weeks after a disappointing Olympic skate saw him fall twice and drop out of medal contention. Widely considered the favorite heading into the Olympics, the American later admitted the pressure and mental weight of the moment had overwhelmed him.
In Prague, however, Malinin responded emphatically. Skating last after leading the short program, he reeled off one major element after another, landing five high-scoring quadruple jumps along with a triple Axel and his signature backflip, thrilling a crowd of more than 15,000. He posted 218.11 points in the free skate for a total of 329.40, finishing comfortably ahead of Yuma Kagiyama (306.67) and Shun Sato (288.54).
