Ilia Malinin's Olympic Flop Tops List of Biggest U.S. Disappointments

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

Ilia Malinin, the heavily favored U.S. men's figure skater nicknamed the "Quad God," shockingly fell to eighth place in the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, putting his performance among the biggest disappointments in American Olympic history. Malinin's stumbles and failures to land key jumps overshadowed his earlier team event gold medal, as Kazakhstan's Mikhail Shaidorov took home the individual gold.

Why it matters

Malinin's collapse at the Olympics is particularly devastating given his status as a rising star and heavy favorite to win gold. His failure to medal is a major letdown for U.S. fans and raises questions about the country's ability to produce consistent Olympic champions in figure skating, a sport where the U.S. has historically struggled to match the dominance of countries like Russia.

The details

Malinin, 18, was expected to dominate the men's singles competition after a dominant performance in the team event earlier in the Games. However, he was unable to land a critical quadruple lutz jump and suffered another fall, dropping him well out of medal contention despite leading after the short program. His eighth-place finish was a shocking result for the skater who had been dubbed the "Quad God" for his mastery of the sport's most difficult jumps.

• Malinin helped the U.S. win gold in the team event early in the 2026 Winter Olympics.
• Malinin's shaky performance in the men's singles competition dropped him to eighth place overall.