Team USA figure skating favorite Ilia Malinin will have an opportunity for redemption this week after ending in a staggering 8th place overall finish in the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics, where he fell twice and missed important parts of his routine.
After the public shock of his mistake-prone free skate in the Olympics, the world-renowned Virginian skater posted on Instagram about the life lessons he’d learned and his promise for the future.
“1: One loss doesn’t change what you have already won,” wrote Malinin. “2: You learn more from failure than success. I came in being one person and left with a changed mind…Next step, Redemption. See you in Prague.”
Malinin ended his post with a reference to the 2026 World Figure Skating Championships, set in Prague, Czechia, an event taking place between Mar 25 and March 29. Before this post, Malinin stated to NBC News that he wasn’t ready for Olympic pressure, but that he would take a different approach if he attends the 2030 Olympics.
Malinin has won two figure skating world titles and three US National Championships. Malinin plays for Team USA out of the Washington Figure Skating Club (WFSC). Although the WFSC is known for producing national and world level athletes, Malinin’s performance had been unprecedented. Widely skilled in his sport, he’s won particular attention for his ability to complete a quadruple-axel. This four-and-a-half-rotation jump requires Malinin to lift two and a half feet off the ground against near 500 pounds of pressure, spin at a velocity of around 143 miles per hour, and land on almost 1000 pounds of force.
Practicing figure skater Victoria Harmon was astonished by Malinin’s skills.
“Him doing this, he’s doing the impossible,” said Harmon. “He’s like figure skating’s Michael Jordan.”
Malinin became the first to successfully perform a quadruple-axel in competition in 2022, and remains the only athlete to have done so. In light of his apparent skill and previous accolades, Malinin was the favorite to win the gold for the men’s figure skating individual event, making his loss all the more surprising. Malinin had 72 points docked for his final performance, for a total of 156.33, compared to his scores in previous events, which never dropped below 209 points and capped at over 230.
His performance at the Olympic Exhibition was performed to “Fear,” a song about mental health struggles, showcasing one quadruple axel and a back flip while depicting his own emotional struggles in an Olympic environment.
His parents, Tatian Malinina and Roman Skorniakov, are both retired Olympic figure skaters and coached Malinin after his talents became apparent when he was as young as 6 years old.
“I would have to say my parents are my biggest inspiration,” said Malinin in an interview with NBC. “They always have my back, no matter what.”
