At school she had engaged in Sambo, figure skating and skiing caused the greatest interest.

The first sporting success was the victory in Apatity on the Feast of the North among schoolchild in 1980s, where she was its overall champion.

In 1990, Irina passed on the leadership of coach Yevgeny Komarov, and executed the qualifying standard of the candidate for master of sports.

In the same year she entered the Murmansk State Pedagogical University on specialty "primary school and physical education teacher".

At the 2006 Biathlon World Championships Irina Malgina was part of the mixed-relay that won owing to her and Nikolay Kruglov, Jr. accurate shooting at the last stage.