Ilia Malinin did not win today. In one of the most stunning Olympic upsets in recent figure skating history, the heavy favorite for gold collapsed in the men’s free skate and finished eighth overall at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan.
After leading the short program with a commanding 108.16, Malinin entered the free skate needing only a clean performance to secure gold. Instead, the self-styled “Quad God” delivered a performance marked by uncharacteristic mistakes, including two costly falls and multiple downgraded jumps, as Kazakhstan’s Mikhail Shaidrov surged to claim Olympic gold.
Did Ilia Malinin Win Today? Free Skate Breakdown and Final Scores
The question dominating the sporting world was simple: did Ilia Malinin win today? The answer, emphatically, is no.
Malinin posted a free skate score of 156.33, which ranked 15th in the segment. Combined with his short program total, he finished with 264.49 points, placing eighth overall. It was a dramatic fall from first place and ended his 14-event win streak in shocking fashion.
The free skate began with a planned quadruple axel, the jump that built his legend and earned him the “Quad God” nickname. Instead of landing the historic element, Malinin under-rotated and completed only a single axel. That early error set the tone for a routine that never regained its rhythm.
He later fell twice, including on a quad lutz, with NBC commentators estimating that he lost approximately 72 points across the two falls and related deductions. He also converted a planned quadruple loop into a double and completed only three of his seven intended quadruple jumps.
After his score was announced, Malinin was blunt in his assessment. “I blew it,” he said. “The pressure of the Olympics, it’s really something different.”
Full Figure Skating Results: Who Won the 2026 Men’s Final?
While attention centered on whether Ilia Malinin won today, Mikhail Shaidrov delivered the performance of the afternoon. The Kazakh skater produced a brilliant free skate of 198.64, the highest of the event, lifting him from fifth after the short program to Olympic champion with a total of 291.58.
Japan’s Yuma Kagiyama, who entered second after the short program, secured silver with 280.06 despite a fall of his own in the free skate. Shun Sato completed the podium for Japan, earning bronze with 274.90.
The final top eight standings were as follows:
- Mikhail Shaidrov (Kazakhstan) – 291.58
- Yuma Kagiyama (Japan) – 280.06
- Shun Sato (Japan) – 274.90
- Junhwan Cha (South Korea) – 273.92
- Stephen Gogolev (Canada) – 273.78
- Petr Gumennik (AIN) – 271.21
- Adam Siao Him Fa (France) – 269.27
- Ilia Malinin (USA) – 264.49
Olympic Pressure and a Costly Collapse
Heading into the free skate, Malinin required a score of 183.43 to win gold. He fell nearly 27 points short of that mark. The Olympic spotlight proved unforgiving.
“The pressure of the Olympics really gets you,” Malinin admitted afterward. “It’s almost like I wasn’t aware of where I was in the program.”
His visible frustration was immediate. He placed his face in his hands after completing the routine, aware that the mistakes had likely ended his medal hopes. The fall from first after the short program to eighth overall is among the most dramatic reversals in recent Olympic figure skating finals.
Does Ilia Malinin Leave with an Olympic Medal?
Despite the individual disappointment, Malinin will not leave Milan empty-handed. He captured gold earlier in the Games as part of Team USA in the figure skating team event, finishing second in the team short program and first in the team free skate.
Still, the lingering headline remains: did Ilia Malinin win today? Not in the men’s individual final. Instead, the 2026 Winter Olympics produced a defining upset, with Shaidrov seizing gold and Malinin left to process one of the most shocking outcomes of the Games.
For a skater who redefined technical ceilings with the quadruple axel, the lesson in Milan was stark. Olympic pressure, even for the “Quad God,” remains the ultimate test.
