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American skating phenom Ilia Malinin, who has also been nicknamed the “Quad God” for his extraordinary jumping ability, failed to medal after being the heavy favorite to win gold, finishing in eighth place in last week’s men’s free skate final.
Simone Biles, the most decorated American Olympic gymnast, knows firsthand what it’s like to compete under pressure on the world stage. Biles revealed that she contacted the fellow American Olympian following his unexpected result on the ice.
“I definitely had a chance to run into him,” the 28-year-old told the “Today” show. “I’ve also sent him messages on Instagram, obviously it’s all been private because I know what he’s going through and I know most athletes maybe can’t relate, and it’s very, very hard to watch.”
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Gymnast Simone Biles of the United States during an interview in the figure skating, men’s single skating and free skating competition at the Milano Ice Skating Arena at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games on February 13, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Tim Clayton/Getty Images)
Malinin dominated the short program early in the competition and entered last Friday leading by more than five points with a score of 108.16. But his performance in the final was quite the opposite. Malinin was forthright about his performance when speaking to NBC afterward, saying simply, “I blew it.” It was a clear mental hurdle from start to finish.
Biles draws on her experience at the Tokyo Olympics, where her career was cut short by “touring.” She said the ordeal prepared her to share advice with Malinin on how to recover.
ILIA MALININ INVITES INTENSE OLYMPIC PRESSURE DAYS AFTER AN UNEXPECTED RESULT
Biles remains hopeful about Malinin’s career prospects in the future and described the figure skater as an “absolute legend.”
“I see him winning after this,” Biles said. “We’re all just cheering him on.”
American gymnast Simone Biles watches during the men’s singles free program during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at the Milano Ice Skating Arena on February 13, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (James Lang/Image Images)
Malinin also told the outlet that he was feeling the weight of expectations ahead of his eventual eighth-place finish.
“Honestly, it’s not a nice feeling,” he said when asked about being under a microscope at the Winter Games. “The most honest way to say it is that there is so much on you, so many eyes, so much attention not just from people, or fans, the media, it’s a lot and it can really take a toll on you if you’re not ready to fully accept it.”
Ilia Malinin of the United States reacts after competing in men’s single skating on the seventh day of the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympic Games at the Milano Ice Skating Arena in Milan, Italy, on February 13, 2026. (Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
Malinin added: “I think that might be one of the mistakes I made going into the free skate: I wasn’t prepared to handle it in its entirety, so I think looking back now I’ll be able to understand how it feels and hopefully I’ll be able to take a well-rounded approach going into the next games.”
Malinin landed a quad flip to start, but then settled for a single axel last week. Followed with a double loop instead of a quad loop. Malinin fell on a quad Lutz attempt and then another jump shortly after. He scored 156.33.
Mikhail Shaidorov of Kazakhstan won gold with a total score of 291.58. Her score of 198.94 in last Friday’s free skate final was also the highest of her career. Yuma Kagiyama of Japan won silver and Shun Sato, Kagiyama’s teammate, took bronze.
