US EditionShocking Outcome at Winter Olympics for "Quad God" Ilia Malinin
Ilia Malinin, favored for gold, fell to eighth after errors on his quad Axel and quad loop, with pressure and ice conditions cited as factors in his worst finish since 2022.
- On Friday, Feb. 13, 2026, Ilia Malinin, American figure skater and self-styled 'Quad God,' skated at Milano Ice Skating Arena but finished off the podium, ending a two-plus-year unbeaten run.
- After the skate, Malinin described how pressure and traumatic thoughts overwhelmed him before the free skate and suggested the ice conditions may not have been ideal.
- Judges recorded under-rotations and falls when Malinin bailed on the quadruple axel, popped the quadruple loop as a double, and fell twice, costing more than 70 points.
- Following the free skate, Malinin congratulated Mikhail Shaidorov of Kazakhstan, who won gold after landing five quadruple jumps, saying `You deserve it` and leaving Milan without a medal.
- Looking ahead, Malinin's rebound chances echo Nathan Chen's Olympic comeback, but analysts say his legacy will depend on his response before the next Winter Olympics.
62 Articles
62 Articles
Ilia Malinin Bails On Press Conference Less Than 24 Hours After Catastrophic Failure At Winter Olympics
Ilia Malinin did not speak to reporters as planned at the Winter Olympics on Saturday. The American figure skater chose to postpone (or cancel) his prescheduled media day after the catastrophic collapse during the individual competition. He was set up to fail! The bright lights of the Olympics ultimately proved to be too much for the 21-year-old, who was also impacted by poor ice conditions. Malinin should not be faulted for skipping out on the …
Ilia Malinin Had 'Traumatic' Thoughts Before Shocking 8th Place Finish
After a heartbreaking performance in the men’s free skate final at the 2026 Winter Olympics, figure skating phenom Ilia Malinin said he felt “overwhelmed” in the moment. “It was really just something that overwhelmed me, and I just felt like I had no control,” Malinin said on Friday, February 13, after his shocking eight place finish. He continued, “Honestly, I still haven’t been able to process what just happened. It’s a lot of mixed emotions. …
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