Before the biggest day of his professional career, an interview with world champion figure skater Ilia Malinin aired on The Today Show.
TODAY’s Craig Melvin wanted to get to know the man behind the alter ego that was the “Quad God,” the superhuman skater who broke physics and hadn’t lost a competition in over two years.
Malinin, relaxed, opened up about how he loves a little bit of everything.
He loves to draw. He loves to tell stories. Like any person his age, he loves to play video games to wind down. And of course, he loves all kinds of music.
Well, all kinds of music except one specific person: pop icon Taylor Swift.
“Taylor Swift?” Melvin asked, following Malinin, naming all his favorite dramas.
“No,” the American figure skater answered before doubling down a few seconds later that he’s not a Swiftie.
Well, later that day, Malinin had the worst day of his professional career, being inches away from his first individual gold medal before cratering back to earth and below the surface.
After a difficult performance in which he looked unlike himself, Malinin fell completely off the podium and ended up eighth overall.
More news: USA’s Ilia Malinin Says Taylor Swift Is the Only Music He Won’t Listen To
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It was a rough night and then some for the 21-year-old, who was a professional afterwards. He congratulated the new champion, Mikhail Shaidorov, and did his best to answer questions with the media following the competition.
Where many athletes would have denied any media or simply left the venue, Malinin faced the music and showed sportsmanship worthy of a champion.
But as he had to face the music with reporters, he had to face the same with the Swifties, who did not let his words against Taylor Swift go by lightly.
If “Tayvoodoo” is truly a thing, Malinin might have to ask Swift if he can use one of her songs for his free skate program in four years at the French Alps Olympics.
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