2026 SESSION
ENROLLED
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 218
Commending Ilia Roman Malinin.
Agreed to by the Senate, March 11, 2026
Agreed to by the House of Delegates, March 12, 2026
WHEREAS, Ilia Roman Malinin of Vienna, a student at George Mason University and an internationally renowned competitive figure skater, helped Team USA earn a gold medal in the mixed team event at the XXV Winter Olympic Games in 2026; and
WHEREAS, born in Fairfax, Ilia Malinin was inspired to pursue competitive skating by his parents, Tatiana Malinina and Roman Skorniakov, both of whom represented Uzbekistan as figure skaters in previous Winter Olympic Games, and he received some of his earliest training from his grandfather, Valery Malinin, a former Russian figure skater; and
WHEREAS, after making his international debut in 2019, Ilia Malinin served as an alternate for Team USA in the XXIV Winter Olympic Games in February 2022, then won a gold medal at the World Junior Figure Skating Championships the following April; and
WHEREAS, in September 2022, Ilia Malinin became the first skater to successfully land a quadruple axel in international competition; since that time, his signature quadruple jumps have earned him the nickname “QuadGod”; and
WHEREAS, Ilia Malinin advanced to the senior level in 2023, earning a bronze medal at the International Skating Union World Figure Skating Championships; he followed up with a gold medal in 2024, the fastest turnaround from a junior to senior world champion in 26 years, then defended his title with another gold medal in 2025; and