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U.S. Olympic skater Ilia Malinin did not hold his scheduled media session Saturday. The session was postponed, according to Christine Brennan.
The postponement comes one day after Malinin finished eighth in the men’s free skate. The American star was the frontrunner to win gold but fell twice during his performance, shocking fans and pundits.
Malinin’s folly was considered one of the most unexpected stories of the Winter Olympics since he dominated competition prior to Friday.
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Ilia Malinin of the United States competes during the men’s free skate program in figure skating at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, Feb. 13, 2026. (Ashley Landis/AP Photo)
Malinin revealed his mind became flooded with “thoughts and memories” before his performance.
“I just had so many thoughts and memories flood right before I got into my starting pose, and almost, I think, it maybe overwhelmed me a little bit. I’ve been through a lot in my life, a lot of bad and good experiences,” Malinin told NBC Washington after the competition Friday.
“So, I just feel like it’s the pressure of especially being that Olympic gold medal hopeful. It was just something I can’t control now.
“The pressure of the Olympics, it’s really something different, and I think not a lot of people understand that. They only understand that from the inside and going into this competition, especially today, I felt really confident, really good,” he said. “But it really just went by so fast I did not have time to process.”
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Ilia Malinin of the United States reacts to his disastrous routine in which he fell twice during the men’s singles skating-free skating competition at the Milano Ice Skating Arena at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympic Games 2026 Feb. 13, 2026, in Milan, Italy. (Tim Clayton/Getty Images)
When his routine started Friday, 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.
He then fell on a quad Lutz attempt and then fell on another jump shortly after. He scored a 156.33, a far cry from the world record of 238.24 he set in December and the 200-mark he routinely hits in the free skate.
Mikhail Shaidorov of Kazakhstan won the gold with a total score of 291.58, a personal best. His 198.94 score in Friday’s free skate was also the highest of his career.
Yuma Kagiyama of Japan got the silver, and Shun Sato, Kagiyama’s teammate, came away with the bronze.
Malinin, who posts total scores in the 300s regularly, settled for just 264.49. His personal best is 333.81.
Malinin congratulated his Kazakhstani competitor after the event concluded.
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Ilia Malinin of the United States falls during men’s single skating at Milano Ice Skating Arena at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games Feb. 13, 2026, in Milan, Italy. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
While on the bench, Malinin said if he had been in Beijing four years ago, he would not have skated as poorly as he did. Malinin was 17 when he was left off the roster in favor of veterans.
Malinin’s finish sparked widespread disappointment among Team USA and ice skating fans across social media.
‘ Ryan Morik contributed to this report.
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