Team USA figure skater Ilia Malininhis peers followed him after the gold medalist finished a disappointing eighth during the men’s singles competition.
“I didn’t expect that,” Malinin, 21, told NBC Sports on Friday, February 13, after his final performance at the 2026 Winter Olympics. “I felt very prepared going into that ice. Maybe I was too confident that it would go well.”
Malinin, affectionately nicknamed the “quad god” for the large number of quadruple turns in his performances, was a gold medal favorite at the 2026 Winter Olympics. After finishing the short program at the top of the leaderboard, he dropped to eighth place after falling twice and making several technical errors in his free skate.
“We’re finally experiencing that Olympic atmosphere, it’s crazy. It’s really different,” she told NBC after her competition. “I hit it, there’s no way that just happened.”
Before each event, Malinin helped Team USA win gold in the team event.
Keep scrolling to see how Malinin’s skaters responded to his impressive eighth-place finish:
Tara Lipinski
Tara Lipinski worked as a broadcaster during the Malinin Olympics.
“The kindness, honesty and sportsmanship you have shown in times of adversity show that you are not only a great athlete but also a kind person,” Lipiniski wrote on Instagram. “I can’t wait to watch you wake up.”
Johnny Weir
Johnny Weir works with Tara Lipinski as a commentator for NBC during the Winter Games.
“You are one in a million @ilia_quadg0d_malinin,” Weir captioned the tribute on Instagram. “He showed true bravery and kindness. 🤍“
Nathan Chen
Gold medalist Nathan Chen was also confused as to why Malinin faced so many mistakes in the free skate.
“Something happened tonight, and, honestly, I can’t even say what it might be,” Chen told Yahoo! Sports. “I can definitely remember my experience in 2018, when I entered the short program I was under a lot of pressure, I had a lot of worries in my head. [and] many doubts.”
Chen also noted that Malinin appeared to “not hold back” many of his things throughout the Olympics.
He said: “At the end of it, it wasn’t his night yet. “One of the hardest parts about performing for a big sold-out crowd is that you can really feel the reaction from the crowd. … That makes you sick to your gut. Conceptually, you have to figure out what went wrong and how can I reprogram the next thing? Also, the energy is changing on the pitch and you can feel the tension now.”
Chen also noted that Malinin is still young and “still hungry” to win his 2026 Olympics.
“You have a lot of power,” Chen concluded. “Tonight is a night where he’s going to have to think and reassess where he’s been mentally and physically, and try to figure out how he can go into the next Olympics and have a different outcome.”
Elladj Balde
Retired Canadian publisher Elladj Baldé also offered his support.
“Figure Skating is one of the most mentally demanding sports. The pressure is unbelievably hard and there is no margin for error,” wrote Baldé on Instagram. “It was a tough night, but I’m proud of all these skaters for the work they’ve done to get here.”
Addressing Malinin directly, he added, “He is the founder and fan of the sport and what he brings to the ice is much greater than his ability to jump.”
