Just over a week into the Winter Olympics, there have already been historic and memorable moments, but nothing came as more of a shock than what unfolded in the men’s free skate final on Friday night.
Entering as the heavy favorite following a strong short program earlier in the week, Team USA’s Ilia Malinin took the ice last. However, his performance quickly unraveled, as he fell twice and failed to execute several key technical elements.
Malinin ultimately finished eighth, missing the podium entirely. In one of the most stunning turnarounds in recent figure skating memory, Kazakhstan’s Mikhail Shaidorov captured gold.
Despite his own disappointment, Malinin was among the first to congratulate Shaidorov after the final scores were announced. In a later interview, he addressed his relationship with Shaidorov and the rest of the field, emphasizing the camaraderie within the sport.
“I actually went up to him and congratulated him,” Malinin said. “I watched him skate from the locker room, and I’m just so proud of him. I heard he didn’t have the best season. We’re all in this sport together, and we’re there for each other. That’s what makes this sport special.
“I think people forget that sometimes. They only see us competing and assume we’re rivals without good relationships. But it’s actually the opposite. There’s joy, motivation, encouragement — we’re like a big family.”
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Malinin’s comments quickly gained traction on X, surpassing one million views and drawing widespread praise for the way he handled defeat on the biggest stage in sports.
“Ilia is a gentleman. I feel bad this happened, but he has handled it with grace. I’m looking forward to seeing more from him. He is phenomenal,” one fan wrote.
Another added, “Without a doubt, he’s a winner. The sportsmanship after his disappointment speaks volumes about the person he is.”
“I was really impressed by his composure and grace to go over and congratulate Shaidorov the way he did,” a third fan commented. “Very classy and says a lot about who he is as a person and athlete.”
One more user wrote, “Seems like a nice, level-headed kid who is massively talented. He doesn’t have to prove anything to anyone — he will be fine.”
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