Ilia Malinin’s Sister is Also a Skater: Inside the ‘Quad God’
Ilia Malinin was one of the first Team USA members to secure a gold in the 2026 Winter Olympics in figure skating, and he also did an impressive backflip on the ice that has people talking. But, did you know that Ilia Malinin’s sister is also a high-profile figure skater?
On Tuesday, Feb. 10, Malinin, known as the “Quad God,” continues his journey in Milan, Italy, in the Men’s Figure Skating Short Program in Milan, Italy.
Ilia Malinin’s younger sister, Ellie Beatrice Malinina, nicknamed Liza, is also a figure skater. As with her brother, she attends George Mason University. They both comes from a long line of professional skaters, including their parents, Tatiana Malinina and Roman Skorniakov.
“It’s easy to see where Ellie Beatrice Malinina gets her moves from,” U.S. Figure Skating shared in a video post on Facebook back in 2024, showing nostalgic video of the two skating together as children.
In May 2025, NBC Sports shared a piece about Malinin and highlighted his sister, stating, “Ilia Malinin’s sister is Elli Beatrice Malinina, nicknamed ‘Liza.’ She is also a competitive figure skater, following in the footsteps of her brother and parents.”
They added, “Just 10 years old, her most notable performance thus far has been her participation in the 2025 U.S. Eastern Sectionals. She competed in the juvenile girls free skate division, placing 17th.” So, she’s making waves just like her brother, even if she isn’t at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
At the time, Malinin said that he absolutely had further to go and more to accomplish in his skating career. “One of the things I would say is maybe that I’m still not at my full potential yet, and that there’s a lot bigger of a limit that I can go for. So I think that’s something to look forward to worlds,” he stated to NBC Sports.
Malinin was born and raised in Fairfax, Virginia. He still lives in Virginia and is currently attending George Mason University in his hometown.
As touched on above, his parents are both well known in the skating world and both previously represented Uzbekistan competitively. “Malinina is a two-time Olympian (1998, 2002) and retired in 2002,” NBC Sports notes in their piece. “Skorniakov is also a two-time Olympian (1998, 2002) and has been coaching since his 2002 retirement.”
“I’m so glad to be here,” he added ahead of his Olympics trip. “You know, this Olympic moment and this Olympic experience was a once-in-a-lifetime moment for me, so just being able to go out here is what I’m just grateful for. “I’m trying to enjoy every single moment. There are a lot of unexpected things that happen in life.”