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Ilia Malinin had a clear path to the gold medal on Friday evening – but therefore nothing will be played on paper.
The 21-year-old American skating phenom, who has been nicknamed the “Quad God” for his amazing jumping ability, failed to medal after being the heavy favorite to win gold, finishing eighth.
Malinin connected on a quad flip to start, but then settled for a single axel. He then had a double loop instead of a quad loop, which was not exactly what he had hoped for.
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Ilia Malinin of the United States reacts after competing in the men’s singles figure skating on day seven of the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at the Milan Ice Skating Arena in Milan, Italy, on February 13, 2026. (Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
It all went downhill from there. Malinin then fell on a quad lutz attempt and then fell on another jump shortly after.
Sitting on the bench, Malinin said that if he had been in Beijing four years ago, he would not have skated as badly as he did. Malinin was 17 when he was left off the veteran roster, and it’s clear it was a mental battle.
“I didn’t expect that,” Malinin said. “Honestly, I can’t process what just happened.”
“I blew it.”
This is a breaking story. Please check back for updates.
