MILAN – U.S. Figure skater Ilia Malinin, widely considered a gold medal favorite heading into the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, has received an outpouring of support from fellow athletes following his eighth-place finish in the men’s free skate competition. The 21-year-aged’s performance, marked by two falls and a failure to land his signature quadruple axel, dramatically shifted his position from first after the short program.
Among those reaching out to Malinin was seven-time Olympic gymnastics gold medalist Simone Biles, who contacted him after watching his skate from the stands at the Milano Ice Skating Arena. Biles, who experienced her own highly publicized struggles with the “twisties” at the Tokyo 2020 Games, told Olympics.com she “went into protection mode” upon witnessing Malinin’s distress. “I’ve been through that firsthand and so I really went into protection mode,” Biles said. She expressed concern over how the performance would affect Malinin’s mental health and how he would be perceived by the world.
Malinin, known as the “Quad God” for his mastery of quadruple jumps, acknowledged the immense pressure he felt. In a post to social media following the event, he wrote, “On the world’s biggest stage, those who appear the strongest may still be fighting invisible battles on the inside.” He described how even positive memories could be “tainted by the noise” of expectation and the impact of “vile online hatred.”
The support extended beyond Biles. Malinin revealed to NBC’s Mike Tirico that he had also heard from Tom Brady, Steph Curry, and Snoop Dogg. “It’s honestly been a lot of ups and downs and of course, following the free skate, it was a little hard at first and trying to realize what happened and how devastating it really was,” Malinin said. “But, looking back at it, I got so much love, so much support and everyone was there for me.”
Biles’ outreach resonated particularly strongly with Malinin, who told NBC that speaking with someone who understood his experience was “validating.” He described being “honored” and “grateful” for the support, stating, “Hearing it from Simone Biles, you can’t, you know, I can’t fathom that.”
The unexpected outcome at the Olympics has prompted reflection from Malinin on the challenges of performing under intense scrutiny. He told NBC that he views the experience as motivation for the 2030 Winter Olympics in the French Alps. “You learn a lot more from failure,” he said.
The incident has also sparked discussion about the mental health pressures faced by elite athletes. Biles, who traveled to Milan to advocate for athlete mental health, recognized the weight of expectation Malinin carried. The BBC reported that Biles offered support to Malinin after his “shock collapse” during the competition.
