Key Highlights
- Olympic skater Ilia Malinin postponed his press conference after an eighth-place finish.
- Malinin was the frontrunner for gold but fell twice during his performance.
- The judging controversy revolves around a French judge potentially giving a boosted score to the home country.
- Malinin’s performance shocked fans and pundits, marking one of the most unexpected stories in Winter Olympics history.
Malinin’s Fateful Fall at Milan Cortina 2026
The skies were clear for figure skating champion Ilia Malinin on February 13, 2026. Or so it seemed until he took to the ice in Milan, Italy. Malinin was the overwhelming favorite to claim gold, but his performance was a disaster.
From Frontunner to Fallen
Malinin began with a quad-flip and then settled for a single axel. He attempted a double loop instead of a more ambitious quad loop. A series of falls followed: first on a quad Lutz, then another jump shortly after. His score was a far cry from his world record of 238.24 set in December—156.33 against the 200-mark he routinely hits.
The Judgment Call
Malinin’s finish sparked widespread disappointment among Team USA and ice skating fans across social media. The controversy deepened when a judging discrepancy was highlighted: a French judge potentially gave a boosted score to the home country, which could have cost Team USA gold.
A Moment of Pressure and Panic
Malinin himself attributed his poor performance to mental pressure. “I had so many thoughts and memories flood right before I got into my starting pose,” he told NBC Washington after the competition. “The pressure of being that Olympic gold medal hopeful was something I couldn’t control.”
His teammate, Mikhail Shaidorov, won with a personal best score of 291.58, followed by Yuma Kagiyama and Shun Sato in silver and bronze respectively.
The Aftermath: Malinin’s Reflective Response
Malinin congratulated his Kazakhstani competitor after the event concluded. “While on the bench, I said if I had been in Beijing four years ago, I wouldn’t have skated as poorly as I did,” he reflected. “That experience left me off the roster for a while.”
Malinin’s fall from grace was one of the most unexpected stories at the Winter Olympics, highlighting the unpredictable nature of high-pressure performances.
