Two world championship titles, 12 consecutive international wins, and still, Ilia Malinin failed to make an impact when it mattered the most. The 21-year-old entered the skating final at the 2026 Winter Olympics with gold-medal hype but was absolutely distraught by the end of his free skate, repeatedly shaking his head. And that disappointment is taking a toll on Malinin as he breaks his silence after losing his Olympic podium dream.

“I’ve kind of said it already. It’s not a pleasant feeling, and I’m still trying to understand exactly what happened,” Ilia Malinin said to NBC. “But it’s done. I can’t change the outcome. Of course, a lot of people would go back and change it if they could. My life has had a lot of ups and downs, and in that moment, everything just felt very overwhelming. I honestly didn’t know how to handle it.”

Malinin fell two times, scoring just 156.33 points, which dropped his rank from no. 1 to no. 8 overall with a total of 264.49 points. This is his first loss since November 2023 and the first time he has finished outside the top three since March 2022. What adds to his misery even more is that he didn’t land a single quad axel during the entire competition.

“I was not expecting that. I felt like going into this competition; I was so ready,” Malinin said. “It honestly just happened. I can’t process what just happened. It happens.”

This loss carries more weight than anything else. Growing up in a family where both his parents were in the Olympics representing Uzbekistan, this loss cuts deep. What adds to it even more is that this performance is nothing close to Malinin’s historic 2022 feat, where he became the first skater in history to land a fully rotated quadruple axel in competition.

He even earned the nickname “Quad God” because of his ability to perform difficult quadruple jumps consistently. So, now you know why losing is such a massive deal for him.

Ilia Malinin knows the weight of pressure this sport brings, but he also acknowledges the love and freedom this sport and the fanbase give him: “Honestly, the support is very special. In this sport, you have the privilege of being not only an athlete but also an artist. But with that comes a lot of pressure—the expectations, the media, everything around it.”

However, with that loss, the world got a new champion.

Ilia Malinin’s loss turned into a historic moment for Mikhail Shaidorov

Even though Ilia Malinin couldn’t live up to the expectations, Mikhail Shaidorov excelled at every single one of them. At just 21, Shaidorov produced a flawless, free skate and brought Kazakhstan its first Winter Olympic gold in more than 30 years.

He posted 291.58 points, which brought Kazakhstan into the spotlight. After the win, it took a while for Shaidorov to believe that he had actually won, especially against one of the remarkable skaters, Ilia Malinin.

“It was very surprising,” adding, “(Malinin is) very important for figure skating.”

Well, it was his calm mindset and five clean quadruple jumps that sealed the deal for him. But with his win, the game also showed true sportsmanship as Malinin praised the new champion.

“I went up to him, and I congratulated him,” Malinin said. “Because watching him skate, I watched him in the locker room. I’m just so proud of him. I heard that he did not have a great season.”

Now, alongside him, Yuma Kagiyama won silver, and Shun Sati won bronze as Japan continues to rise in men’s skating. With this, the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics become a learning curve for Malinin. Let’s wait and see if he is able to bring back his glory next year!