Ilia Malinin is feeling good right now.
After a whirlwind of a Winter Olympic Games where he went from superhero back to human by the end of it, the “Quad God” has regained most of his powers following a successful Figure Skating World Championships.
In Prague, Malinin needed to prove to the world that he is still the best men’s figure skater alive, and he did just that, blowing out the competition to win his third straight world title. Now he gets to head into the offseason with a clear mind and optimism for 2027.
When he won his third world title, though, it wasn’t only he who was celebrating: his fans in Czechia were celebrating as well, serenading Malinin not only with cheers but with an avalanche of stuffed animals thrown onto the ice.
Malinin picked up some of the toys and showed them to the camera, but the rest were bagged and set aside for the 21-year-old American to do with them as he pleased.
Instead of taking them home, however, or simply throwing them away, the men’s world champion decided on something different.
Malinin and Japanese star skaters Yuma Kagiyama, alongside Kaori Sakamoto, donated their stuffed animals to local kindergartens in Prague for children to play with for a long time to come.
After the kind gesture from the three, Malinin is now in Japan, training alongside Team USA teammates Alysa Liu, Amber Glenn, and more, as they prepare for the “Stars on Ice” tour, which begins in only a few weeks.
Malinin, Liu, Glenn, and many others will be traveling across the United States to perform in packed sports arenas for fans in their first opportunity to skate at home following a legendary Olympics for the Americans.