Shocking Olympic Fall from Virginia Native “Quad God”
Image courtesy of TIME.
By Bryan Kotlar
21-year-old Virginia native Ilia Malinin entered the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics as the favorite to win gold in the men’s event. Dubbed the “Quad God,” Malinin is a two-time World champion, three-time Grand Prix Final champion, seven-time Grand Prix gold medalist, four-time Challenger Series gold medalist, and four-time U.S. national champion.
Known for his technical precision and artistry, Malinin already cemented his place in history when he landed the first-ever quad axel in a figure skating competition in 2022. Long considered physically impossible, the four-and-a-half revolution jump was deemed too difficult for human mechanics until Ilia landed it in the U.S. International Figure Skating Classic. Ilia has even teased landing quintuple jumps in practice.
After a mesmerizing performance on February 8, Malinin finished in first place, securing 10 points for Team USA and a gold medal in the team event. His Olympic debut short program and free skate were phenomenal, and Malinin entered the individual competition as the favorite to win gold.
Fast forward to February 13, Malinin came into the free skate in first place after a beautiful and clean, short program. Sitting 5.09 points ahead of the competition, he was in a great position for Olympic glory. And the “Quad God” was ready to make history. With a planned seven quadruple jumps, including the quad axel, the stage was set for Olympic glory.
The last performance of the evening was unexpected and shocked the world. Ilia made uncharacteristic mistakes. He fell twice and finished in eighth place.
When his routine started on Friday, Malinin connected on a quad flip to open, but then settled for a single axel instead of the planned quad. He then did a double loop instead of a quad loop.
He then fell on a quad lutz attempt and fell on another jumping pass shortly after. In the end, he scored a 156.33, notably a distance from the world record of 238.24 he set in December and his routine 200 point mark in the free skate.
“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 reporters after the competition.
“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.”
Mikhail Shaidorov of Kazakhstan won the gold medal, followed by teammates Yuma Kagiyama and Shun Sato of Japan, taking silver and bronze, respectively.
Following the score, Malinin remarked that this would not have happened if he had gone to Beijing. He was left off the 2022 roster at the age of 17 in favor of veterans.
Concerned fans have flooded social media with messages of support after an initial critical response online. Simone Biles has reached out to Malinin. She knows all too well what might be going through his head as she withdrew from Tokyo 2021 due to mental blocks. Biles then returned to win medals in 2024, which Malinin will likely aim for in 2030, but only time will tell.
The pair met on February 17 in Milan. “Seeing someone and talking to someone that has gone through the same thing and validating that… he’s like, ‘Oh my gosh, yes, this is exactly how I feel. This is how to get over it or process it,’” Biles said.
This instance calls for recognition of the importance of mental health discussions in sports. And not just at the Olympic level.
At CUA, there are resources on campus if you need someone to talk to. The Counseling Center provides free confidential sessions for all students. To schedule an appointment, call 202-319-5765 or come to the Counseling Center, located in 315 McMahon Hall.
