When Ilia Malinin—better known as the "Quad God" to figure skating fans—stepped onto the ice at Utah's Maverik Center, he wasn't just preparing for another show. He was getting a sneak peek at the venue that will host the world's best skaters at the 2034 Winter Games.
The three-time world champion and Olympic gold medalist in the team event was in West Valley City for the Stifel Stars on Ice tour, performing on the same rink that will transform into an Olympic stage in a decade. But for Malinin and his fellow Team USA stars, the news that this familiar arena would host figure skating's biggest moments came as a surprise.
"I sure hope so. We'll see how my body holds on to then, but I'm looking forward to being here no matter what," the 21-year-old told reporters during a rehearsal break, when asked if he'll still be competing in 2034. The arena, built nearly three decades ago and long home to the Utah Grizzlies minor league hockey team, already has his approval. "I like this. I generally think this is pretty cool. I already envision how everything is going to look in 2034."
Malinin, known for his jaw-dropping quadruple jumps, isn't just thinking about the physical demands of competing at 31. He's imagining the atmosphere. "I think it really just comes down to what the whole vibe around it is going to be, the whole theme of what Utah is going to bring, and the atmosphere that they want to show to the world," he said.
His advice for organizers? Pack the house and keep the skaters at the center of the experience. "For figure skating events in 2034, it makes sense to just have it be as packed as possible and really make it engaging for the audience to enjoy," Malinin explained. "But it also has to work really well for the skaters, because in the end, we're the ones on the ice. This event is around us."
That pressure is something Malinin knows intimately. At his first Olympics—the 2026 Winter Games in Milan-Cortina, Italy—he entered as a favorite for individual gold. But after a fall during the men's free skate, he finished eighth. The experience taught him that environment matters. How skaters handle the Maverik Center in 2034, he noted, will depend on "how the environment of the arena is going to be" and how the media shapes the narrative around them.
Whether Malinin returns as a competitor or a spectator, one thing is clear: Utah's 2034 Games are already on his radar, and he's ready to be part of the show.