"Figure skating star Ilya Malinin meets the media here in Milan. The 21-year-old just completed his first practice. And reveals to us he's wearing Alex Ovechkin laces, that were gifted to him by Ovechkin. Malinin will wear them thought out the Olympics."
"After first accomplishing the once thought impossible feat at the 2022 US International Classic, Malinin has since repeated it over and over again. At the 2025 Grand Prix Final in Nagoya, Japan, he broke his own world record by landing seven quadruple jumps, including the axel. While Malinin has previously worn his own yellow and black laces, the ones he received for the Olympics feature a brighter yellow and less black, matching Ovechkin's signature look for over two decades."
Ilia Malinin will wear yellow skate laces gifted by Alex Ovechkin throughout the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan. The 21-year-old Virginia native is the favorite in the men's figure skating event and has won the last three world championships and four straight U.S. titles. Malinin is nicknamed the "Quad God" for repeatedly landing multiple quadruple jumps, including the quad axel, and he remains the only skater to land a quad axel in competition. His Olympic laces are a brighter yellow with less black to mirror Ovechkin's longtime signature look. Malinin and Ovechkin were connected through agent Ari Zakarian.
Read at RMNB
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