Snoop Dogg has seen plenty in sports but even he paused at what happened inside the Milano Ice Skating Arena. Serving as the USOPC’s first-ever honorary coach at the 2026 Winter Olympics, the hip hop icon arrived in Italy just days before the Games. But when he saw his countryman known as the “Quad God,” doing his thing on the ice, he couldn’t help but wish he had more hands with which to react.

On February 3, seven-time Grand Prix gold medalist Ilia Malinin was back on the ice for his second day of practice when Snoop Dogg joined rinkside. Malinin soon turned the session into something special, showing off his big-jumping style inside the Milano Ice Skating Arena and even throwing in a backflip as Snoop watched closely. The reaction came instantly.

“Perfect 10, and if I had five more hands I’d be holding them up, too,” Snoop said. The moment didn’t end there though.

The two posed together for photos, clearly enjoying the moment. Interestingly, what caught everyone’s eye was Snoop’s outfit. He was dressed in a long white fur coat with a bold red lining, and under the coat he wore a black T-shirt featuring Ilia’s face.

After that, the pair sat down in the Kiss and Cry section to have an off-ice discussion. After all it is his job as honorary coach to support and promote athletes, inject energy behind the scenes, and be a hype man of sorts.

On top of that, Snoop has been officially confirmed by NBCUniversal to return as part of its Olympics broadcast team in Italy. He will appear on NBC and Peacock during the Games, speak with host Mike Tirico, share his take on competitions, and give viewers a unique, personal look at events and culture around the Winter Olympics. But while Snoop brings the energy, the real star on the ice is waiting to perform.

Ilia Malinin turns big jumps into Winter Olympic Gold hopes

Virginia native Ilia Malinin is the big favorite to win men’s figure skating gold at the 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics. He’s redefined the technical limits of the sport, one quad jump at a time, now capable of landing seven quads in a single free program – the first and only skater to do so when he accomplished it at the 2025 Grand Prix Final.

He has already won the World championship twice, the Grand Prix Final thrice, the Grand Prix gold medal seven times, the Challenger Series gold medal four times, and the U.S national championship four times.

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But even Malinin says it isn’t always easy. “The truth is, sometimes it can feel lonely because you’re the one who has to take control, be in charge, set the stone to find that path…But it’s also an opportunity to inspire others that everyone can follow in your footprints.”

To watch him perform, we still have to wait a little: the men’s team short program is on February 7, free skate on February 8, and the individual event begins on on February 10, with the free skate on February 13.

If he wins, Malinin will be only the eighth American man to take Olympic gold. And if he follows Nathan Chen, who won in 2022, Team USA would have back-to-back men’s Olympic champions for the first time in 40 years.

And he’s got a bit of luck on his side too. The yellow laces he wore during his first and second-day practices were gifted by NHL star Alexander Ovechkin. With his skill, focus, and a touch of luck, Malinin is definitely Team USA’s top hope for gold in the Winter Olympics.