{"id":19455,"date":"2026-04-09T06:53:09","date_gmt":"2026-04-09T06:53:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/grow24.us\/?p=19455"},"modified":"2026-04-09T06:53:09","modified_gmt":"2026-04-09T06:53:09","slug":"i-didnt-win-this-alone-i-never-did-the-arena-in-prague-froze-as-ilia-malinin-stood-trembling-fresh-off-a-gravity-defying-routine-to-yungbluds-i-was-made-f","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/grow24.us\/?p=19455","title":{"rendered":"\u201cI Didn\u2019t Win This Alone\u2014I Never Did.\u201d The Arena in Prague Froze as Ilia Malinin Stood Trembling, Fresh off a Gravity-Defying Routine to Yungblud\u2019s I Was Made for Lovin\u2019 You. Moments Earlier, He Had Stunned the World With a Flawless Quadruple Axel\u2014Then Shocked It Again With a Synchronized Backflip Beside Adam Siao Him Fa. The Crowd Roared. History Had Been Made. But Then Came the Silence."},"content":{"rendered":"<article id=\"post-53563\" class=\"post-53563 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-fadwdafa\">\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone  wp-image-53564\" src=\"https:\/\/yesterdaysamerica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/c-2026-03-30T084543.047-300x162.jpg\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1194px) 100vw, 1194px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/yesterdaysamerica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/c-2026-03-30T084543.047-300x162.jpg 300w, https:\/\/yesterdaysamerica.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/c-2026-03-30T084543.047.jpg 650w\" alt=\"\" width=\"1194\" height=\"645\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"xRQLumxz\"><\/div>\n<p><em><strong>With a memorable performance at the Laureates Gala on Sunday, March 29, 2026, American figure skater Ilia Malinin concluded his season on a high note after winning his third world title in Prague. In contrast to the Olympic-themed routine he had previously performed, which mirrored the difficulties he encountered at the Milano\u2013Cortina Games, where he placed eighth in the men\u2019s event, the 21-year-old picked a program set to music by Yungblud for the show.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"N55XfPSl\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"code-block code-block-2\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/cacheimg.gsp.ro\/autocrop\/smp-images-production\/gsp.ro\/29032026\/cf8aff96-f513-477a-ab3a-de19ac547a28.jpg?width=900&amp;height=0\" alt=\"Ilia Malinin s-a desp\u0103r\u021bit de acest sezon cu un program optimist la Gala Laurea\u021bilor\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"code-block code-block-3\"><\/div>\n<p>Malinin, often self-styled as the \u201cQuad God,\u201d experienced a season filled with both triumphs and setbacks. He helped Team USA secure gold early in the year but endured disappointment in the individual Olympic competition. He ultimately rebounded by securing his third consecutive world championship title, reinforcing his status as one of the sport\u2019s top competitors.<\/p>\n<div class=\"code-block code-block-4\"><\/div>\n<p><strong>Watch the video below.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Ilia MALININ (USA) | Exhibition Gala | ISU World Championships Prague 2026 | #FigureSkating\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/B0RHASGRJks?feature=oembed\" width=\"790\" height=\"444\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" data-origwidth=\"790\" data-origheight=\"444\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>At the Gala, Malinin opted for a more optimistic and expressive routine, skating without pressure or expectations. He explained that his approach in Prague was to leave everything behind and simply perform, describing his mindset as \u201cwhatever happens, happens,\u201d focusing only on presenting himself on the ice.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/isudam.blob.core.windows.net\/isudamcontainer\/CMS\/editorimage\/GettyImages-22684574431774809870-1216.jpg\" alt=\"Ilia Malinin Honored with First-Ever \u201cTrailblazer on Ice\u201d Award for  Record-Breaking Feat\" \/><\/p>\n<p>For his exhibition program, Malinin also made a notable change in style. He set aside his Olympic routine, which featured darker tones and music by NF, and instead performed in white attire to Yungblud\u2019s reinterpretation of \u201cI Was Made for Lovin\u2019 You.\u201d He ended the performance with a quadruple Axel followed by a synchronized backflip alongside French skater Adam Siao Him Fa, drawing strong reactions from the audience.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-63066 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/qnewscenter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Ilia-Malinin-delivers-a-stunning-final-performance-in-Prague-skating-to-I-Was-Made-for-Lovin-You-by-Yungblud-with-a-powerful-finish.jpg\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 813px) 100vw, 813px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/qnewscenter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Ilia-Malinin-delivers-a-stunning-final-performance-in-Prague-skating-to-I-Was-Made-for-Lovin-You-by-Yungblud-with-a-powerful-finish.jpg 813w, https:\/\/qnewscenter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Ilia-Malinin-delivers-a-stunning-final-performance-in-Prague-skating-to-I-Was-Made-for-Lovin-You-by-Yungblud-with-a-powerful-finish-300x162.jpg 300w, https:\/\/qnewscenter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Ilia-Malinin-delivers-a-stunning-final-performance-in-Prague-skating-to-I-Was-Made-for-Lovin-You-by-Yungblud-with-a-powerful-finish-768x415.jpg 768w\" alt=\"\" width=\"813\" height=\"439\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Despite the end of the competitive season, Malinin is not taking an extended break. He is set to join other Olympic medalists, including Alysa Liu, Madison Chock, and Evan Bates, on the \u201cStars on Ice\u201d tour, which he described as a relaxed and enjoyable environment focused on entertainment rather than competition.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/pbs.twimg.com\/media\/HEkvjfDbsAAauwq.jpg\" alt=\"Ilia Malinin will skate to &quot;I Was Made for Lovin' You&quot; by Yungblud at the  exhibition gala of the 2026 World Championships today. \ud83d\udcf8 Kyodo News\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Looking ahead, Malinin plans to work closely with his parents\u2014who also serve as his coaches\u2014along with his choreographers to develop new music, programs, and costumes for the upcoming season. His broader goal is to reset and prepare for the next Olympic cycle, aiming for a stronger return in 2030.<\/p>\n<p><ins class=\"982a9496\" data-key=\"63471129118a2e863045b265c058d3f7\"><\/ins>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-tags\"><\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"entry-footer\">\n<div class=\"share-icons\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-box clear\"><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp; With a memorable performance at the Laureates Gala on Sunday, March 29, 2026, American figure skater Ilia Malinin concluded his season on a high note after&#8230; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":19456,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19455","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/grow24.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19455","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/grow24.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/grow24.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grow24.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grow24.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=19455"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/grow24.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19455\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19457,"href":"https:\/\/grow24.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19455\/revisions\/19457"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grow24.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/19456"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/grow24.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=19455"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grow24.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=19455"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grow24.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=19455"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}