The Armenian Trace in Ilia Malinin’s Olympic Gold at Milan 2026

At the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milan and Cortina, American figure skater Ilia Malinin has already written his name into the history of the tournament. The 21-year-old athlete won gold in the team event and confidently topped the standings after the men’s singles short program, confirming his status as the main favorite of the Games.

In the team competition, Team USA achieved the highest total score across men’s and women’s singles, pairs, and ice dance. Malinin made the decisive contribution: his skate in the men’s segment delivered the crucial extra point that allowed the Americans to edge out their rivals and secure gold.

Malinin is one of the brightest stars of modern figure skating. He became the first skater in history to land a fully rotated quadruple Axel in international competition and arrived at the Olympics as a reigning world champion. In Milan, he once again demonstrates phenomenal technique and mental resilience.

Ilia’s primary coaches remain his parents, Tatiana Malinina and Roman Skorniakov, former Olympians who represented Uzbekistan. However, representatives of the Armenian skating school also made a significant contribution to his Olympic preparation.

A key role in refining the technical elements of his programs was played by renowned specialist Rafael Harutyunyan, one of the most respected coaches in world figure skating and head coach of Team USA. He helped Malinin bring his most difficult elements to a new level of consistency ahead of the Olympic start.

An equally important figure in the athlete’s team is producer and agent Ari Zakarian. He oversees Malinin’s career off the ice, manages strategic brand development, and promotes him internationally. Zakarian is actively involved in popularizing figure skating both in the United States and Armenia.

Notably, Ari Zakarian is part of Armenia’s delegation at the 2026 Olympic Games. At the same time, he supports the Armenian pair Karina Akopova / Nikita Rakhmanin, helping strengthen Armenia’s position in global figure skating.

Thus, Ilia Malinin’s Olympic success is not only a triumph for Team USA but also a visible contribution from representatives of the Armenian school. The union of a family coaching dynasty, Rafael Arutyunyan’s expertise, and Ari Zakarian’s production strategy makes Malinin one of the brightest figures of this Olympics and the leading star of men’s singles in Milan.