Scroll down to the end of the article to watch highlights from Ilia Malinin’s Olympic skate.

U.S. Olympic Legends Rally Around Ilia Malinin After Stunning Olympic Upset

MILAN, Feb. 14 — After a shocking eighth-place finish at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, American skating star Ilia Malinin found support from some of the biggest names in U.S. Olympic history.

The 21-year-old double world champion entered the Games as the overwhelming favorite. Riding an undefeated streak of more than two years, many considered him a near certainty for gold. Instead, Friday’s free skate unraveled in dramatic fashion, with two falls and only three of seven planned quadruple jumps landed.

For a skater nicknamed the “Quad God,” the result felt almost surreal.

“One Performance Should Never Define Anyone”

Olympic gold medalist Scott Hamilton, who captured the 1984 Sarajevo title, was among the first to publicly offer encouragement.

“One performance should never define anyone. A good one or a disappointing one,” Hamilton wrote on X. “Ilia Malinin is a class act and someone I greatly admire. As badly as I feel for him tonight, I know he will respond with strength, courage, and dignity. We all love you, Ilia.”

Malinin himself addressed the setback in the early hours of Saturday morning with a candid social media post.

“I blew it,” he wrote. “That’s honestly the first thing that came to my mind was, ‘There’s no way that just happened.’”

He reflected on whether confidence may have worked against him. “I felt ready getting on that ice. That might have been the reason — maybe I was too confident that it was gonna go well.”

Apolo Ohno Praises His Honesty

Eight-time Olympic medalist Apolo Ohno said he admired Malinin’s willingness to take responsibility rather than deflect blame.

“So much hype and the spotlight was bright,” Ohno posted. “But tonight at the moment that mattered most: 8th place. His words: ‘It was definitely mental.’ That’s honesty and ownership. And it takes a lot of courage to say that instead of making excuses.”

Ohno emphasized the psychological toll of Olympic pressure, noting that preparation often focuses on the body but overlooks the mind. “Every Olympics, the ‘destined’ champion faces this moment. A decade of prep. One performance. Ilia is only 21. He’ll be back.”

Gymnastics legend Simone Biles, who has openly discussed her own Olympic struggles under intense pressure, was seen offering supportive applause from the stands at the Milano Ice Skating Arena.

“One of the Greatest Upsets”

Canadian four-time world champion Kurt Browning described the result as one of the most significant upsets in figure skating history.

“Absolutely, it has to be,” Browning said during a CBC broadcast. “When something is almost assumed, it can be dangerous. It’s hard to go out there and fight for it when everyone believes it’s already yours.”

At a watch party at SkateQuest in Virginia — the rink where Malinin trains — family and friends reacted in disbelief when his planned quadruple Axel turned into a single jump.

Headlines quickly followed, with some outlets describing the performance as a stunning collapse. Yet across social media, fans largely responded with empathy.

“Absolutely heartbreaking,” one fan wrote. “I just hope he’s surrounded by love and care.”

The Road Forward

For Malinin, the night marked a painful interruption to a period of historic dominance. But at 21, his career is far from over. His quadruple Axel remains one of the most difficult and groundbreaking elements ever landed in competition.

The Olympic stage can be unforgiving — reducing years of preparation to a single performance. Yet as Hamilton and Ohno reminded him, one result does not define a legacy.

In sport, as in life, resilience often reveals itself most clearly after disappointment. And by all accounts, Ilia Malinin’s story is still being written.

Watch Highlights from the Men’s Free Skate