It’s not uncommon for a sport to have one athlete who seems to be levels above the rest, and whose only competition is themselves. Pole vaulting has Mondo Duplantis, gymnastics used to have Simone Biles, and, for the past few years, figure skating has had Ilia Malinin. In the eyes of many, the 21-year-old American was all but certain to win the Olympic gold medal in the men’s singles. Everything was pointing towards a great victory… Until the fickle house of cards crumbled on the final stretch.
Malinin is widely regarded as the best current male figure skater. He is often seen as an elusive benchmark for other athletes, rather than their direct competition. He is known even to those who do not follow the sport. Some recognise him by his nickname “Quad God“, and others for being the first and only skater to land a fully rotated quadruple Axel in competition.
Malinin’s run-up to the 2026 Winter Olympics has been nothing short of impressive. He won the World Championship in both 2024 and 2025 and became a U.S. national champion four times between 2023 and 2026. These are only some of his many competition achievements. Additionally, winning various titles and medals wasn’t the only feat he has managed. The skater is also the current world record holder in the free skate, having received an astonishing 238.24 points at the 2025 Canada Skate International.
With all of Malinin’s successes, it wasn’t hard to understand why many people felt that the other skaters could, at best, fight for the silver and bronze medals. In their eyes, the Olympic gold was already spoken for. The sentiment only grew stronger after Malinin placed first in the short program. Pressure mounted on the American’s shoulders as he stepped onto the ice for the free skate. This time, despite all his experience, he cracked under its weight.
Malinin made multiple mistakes during his program. He omitted a few of his planned jumps, including the famed quadruple Axel, replacing them with other combinations. On top of that, he fell twice, first while performing a quadruple Lutz, and then during a double Salchow. His performance was ranked 15th, but the good score in the short program pulled him up a few places. The man predicted to come home with the gold finished eighth.
In a post-skate interview, Malinin stated:
“Going into this competition, I felt really good. This whole day, I felt very solid, and I just thought that all I needed to do is go out there and trust the process that I’ve always been doing with every competition. But of course, it’s not like any other competition, it’s the Olympics.”
Later on he touched upon the main issue that led to his unexpected loss.
“I’ve been through a lot, and it’s not easy, so being the Olympic gold hopeful is really just a lot to deal with, especially for my age.”
In the end, this is what defeats the best athletes. The pressure put on them to perform up to the people’s expectations is too much for many to handle. Knowing that the eyes of all your compatriots, or perhaps the whole world, are on you, creates a mental barrier that’s incredibly hard to break.
Of course, the supporters aren’t malicious when they talk about their favourite’s abilities. Still, their words carry weight, especially if they are constantly repeated in the sport’s echo chamber. Well-intentioned belief in one’s abilities turns into a sharp sword aimed right towards them.
This is a phenomenon that can be seen all over the world of sports, but that becomes more apparent than ever during events such as the Olympics. Held only once every four years, they put athletes in an incredibly tough position. Underperforming or failing to deliver what the people have come to expect means having to wait years before getting the chance to redeem oneself. And by the time the next Olympics come, the visceral need for redemption will only deepen the already unbelievable pressure.
While going home without the singles medal isn’t what Malinin may have hoped for, it is not the end of his world. The skater is still very young and will therefore get a chance to perform in the 2030 Olympics. On top of that, he is not coming back empty-handed, as he was part of the American team that won the team event. By all measures, he should not feel like he has failed, but with an athlete as competitive and determined, victory is the only satisfactory result.
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