MILAN (AP) — Last Friday night, Ilia Malinin faced a surprising turn of events at the Olympics. As he prepared to take the ice, Nathan Chen, the renowned figure skater known as the “Quad God,” was in the stands, watching the tension unfold. Malinin, the favorite for gold, stumbled during his free skate, falling twice and missing the podium entirely. This shocking outcome allowed Mikhail Shaidorov to take home the gold medal.
Malinin’s experience echoed that of Chen at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games. Chen entered the competition with high expectations but struggled, ultimately not medaling despite a much-anticipated strong free skate. However, just a month later, he captured his first world title, and by the Beijing Olympics four years later, he stood atop the podium, securing gold.
Reflecting on his performance, Malinin noted, “I can’t go back and change it, even though I would love to.” He emphasized the importance of learning from setbacks and looking forward.
What made Malinin’s fall particularly surprising was his remarkable track record. He had an unbeaten streak lasting over two years and had secured two consecutive world championships effortlessly.
As he prepared to skate, it seemed everything was aligning for him. Many competitors before Malinin had faltered on the ice, leaving him a comfortable margin. Yet, after an initial strong jump, things went awry. He faltered on his quad lutz, doubled a planned quad loop, and ended up making mistakes on other jumps, transforming what should have been a spectacular performance into a disappointing one.
Japan’s Yuma Kagiyama, who claimed silver, observed, “His performance was a little bit unusual. But it really proves that this is the Olympics. Things can happen.” Malinin acknowledged the weight of expectations, admitting that he felt this pressure during his earlier routines.
In the arena, Malinin graciously congratulated Shaidorov, showing sportsmanship even in defeat. He explained the whirlwind nature of his performance, saying, “It was like it all went by so fast, and I didn’t have the time I needed to adjust.”
Despite this setback, the future looks bright for Malinin. He remains the reigning world champion and will undoubtedly be in the spotlight leading up to the next Olympics in France. “The pressure of the Olympics really gets to you,” he said. Nonetheless, his resilience is commendable. As he stated, “I’m still proud of being able to get to the finish.”
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Nathan Chen, Ilia Malinin, Figure skating, Mikhail Shaidorov, Olympic games, 2026 Milan Cortina Olympic Games, Send to Apple News, 2026 Winter Olympics, Daniel Grassl, Rafael Arutyunyan, Japan Olympic Team, Sports, Yuzuru Hanyu
