Born in America, yet Ilia Malinin’s surname “Malinin” comes from the Russian word for raspberry. That heritage comes from his parents, both Russian-born skaters who moved to the U.S. in the late 1990s, later became American citizens, and raised Ilia there. Since then, Ilia has built his skating career under the U.S. flag and became a 3x World Champion. Despite all this, a Russian coach still claims he is “100 percent Russian.”

Russian ice dancing coach and former competitor Alexander Zhulin recently shared his thoughts with FS Gossips, saying, “We shouldn’t forget that Ilia has Russian parents. Both are talented athletes, so as the saying goes, ‘an aspen doesn’t bear oranges.’ The best conditions were created for Ilia, but he is also an extremely hardworking guy.”

To understand where this view comes from, you have to look at his family. His mother, Tatiana Malinina, was born in Novosibirsk when it was still the Soviet Union. She was an international figure skater who represented Uzbekistan and won major titles like the 1999 Grand Prix Final. Even his father, Roman Skorniako, was born in Sverdlovsk. He also competed at the Olympic level for Uzbekistan and later moved into coaching.

This might have also contributed to his high technical skill, as Ilia Malinin became the first skater to land all six varieties of quadruple jumps in competition, an achievement that has yet to be equaled. But this didn’t come overnight. It started from a young age when he was being trained by his parents at the age of six. And now, this identity of his has come under question.

Interestingly, this debate became louder after Ilia Malinin won his third consecutive gold medal at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships 2026 in Prague. Following that victory, Zhulin doubled down, saying, “I believe Malinin is 100 percent Russian.”

Sure, he also speaks Russian fluently and has given interviews in the language, including appearances on Match TV. Still, his career, training, and achievements are all tied to the United States, where he grew up and competes. Even before the Olympics, he said, “I’m just so excited to go there and represent Team USA and hopefully go for that Olympic gold.”

However, Zhulin did not stop at Ilia Malinin alone. He also added, “All the American men have Russian roots.” And that comment opens another layer of the conversation, because it shifts attention to other skaters who share similar backgrounds.

Anthony Ponomarenko is an American ice dancer who competes with Christina Carreira and is a multiple-time international medalist. His mother, Marina Klimova, is a Russian-born Olympic champion for the USSR, and his father, Sergei Ponomarenko, is also a Soviet Olympic champion.

Then there is Maxim Naumov, born in the U.S., whose parents, Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, were world champion skaters for Russia. Andrew Torgashev is another American skater with Russian family roots and a strong skating background at home. As a result, the broader rivalry between the United States and Russia in figure skating continues to stay in focus all these years.

USA Has Taken the Lead in Figure Skating Over Russia

The rivalry between the United States and Russia in figure skating seems never-ending. But right now, the USA is leading in this ranking. The United States has been fully active in ISU competitions. Like in the 2026 season, Ilia Malinin leads the men’s field with 4590 world ranking points. In women’s skating, Alysa Liu remains among the top contenders with 4248 points.

Russia, however, has not competed as a national team in ISU World Championships or the Olympics. Only a small number of athletes have appeared under neutral status, which has limited their presence in major international events compared to earlier years when Russia was dominant.

Because of that shift, Zhulin recently argued, “For Americans to be considered the best in figure skating, they need to beat our skaters at international competitions. Petr Gumennik looked excellent at the Olympics, while Ilia Malinin finished in eighth place. Yes, he’s out of reach, but in the end, Gumennik placed higher.”

He pointed to the 2026 Winter Olympics as an example where Russian skater Petr Gumennik competed as an Individual Neutral Athlete. In the event, Gumennik came 6th with 271.21 points, while Ilia Malinin came 8th with 264.49 points due to errors in his free skate. Zhulin used this to show the strength of Russian skating, despite not being fully represented. But this rivalry came into the limelight in 2022.

At the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games Team Event, Russia initially received the gold, the United States the silver, and Japan the bronze. However, the Court of Arbitration for Sport later ruled Kamila Valieva’s result out due to doping. This meant that the United States won the gold medal, Japan the silver, and Russia the bronze. And that is how this rivalry continued.

In the end, Ilia Malinin’s figure skating is no longer just about wins but also about where an athlete comes from and how they are seen.