Simone Biles Offers Support to Ilia Malinin After Olympic Heartbreak

The gymnastics legend faced similar disappointment in 2020 before bouncing back to win gold in 2024.

Published on Feb. 18, 2026

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Simone Biles, the most decorated U.S. Olympic gymnast, has reached out to figure skater Ilia Malinin to offer support after his disappointing performance in the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics. Biles, who faced her own struggles with the 'twisties' at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, knows firsthand the pressure and criticism athletes can face after a setback. Despite Malinin's heartbreak, Biles believes he will bounce back, just as she did by winning gold in Paris in 2024.

Why it matters

Biles and Malinin's stories highlight the mental and emotional challenges elite athletes face, even at the pinnacle of their careers. Their openness about their struggles can help destigmatize discussions around mental health in sports and inspire others to persevere through adversity.

The details

Malinin entered the 2026 Olympics as the favorite to win the men's figure skating individual gold medal, but he faltered in his free skate, plummeting out of medal contention. Biles, who was in Italy as a spectator, reached out to Malinin privately on Instagram to offer support, knowing firsthand what he was going through. Biles faced similar disappointment at the 2020 Olympics when she withdrew from multiple events due to the 'twisties', a mental block that caused her to lose spatial awareness mid-routine. After facing an 'avalanche of pressure and criticism', Biles returned to win gold in the all-around and vault, as well as a silver in the floor exercise, at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

  • Biles reached out to Malinin after his disappointing finish on February 13, 2026.
  • Biles and Malinin met in person and shared a hug on the TODAY show set in Milan on February 17, 2026.

The players

Simone Biles

The most decorated U.S. Olympic gymnast of all time, who faced her own struggles with the 'twisties' at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics before bouncing back to win gold in Paris in 2024.

Ilia Malinin

The figure skater who entered the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics as the overwhelming favorite to win the men's individual gold medal, but faltered in his free skate performance.

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What they’re saying

“I've definitely had a chance to bump into him. I've sent him messages on Instagram as well. Obviously, it's all been private because I know exactly what he's going through, and I know most athletes might not be able to relate.”

— Simone Biles (TODAY)

“It's really, really hard to watch, but he's still an absolute legend, so I see him coming out on top after this, and we're all just cheering for him.”

— Simone Biles (TODAY)

“It really can get to you if you're not ready to fully embrace it.”

— Ilia Malinin (TODAY)

“I think that might be one of the mistakes I made going into that free skate was I was not ready to handle that to a full extent. So I think looking back at that, I know that now I'll be able to kind of understand how that feels, so that way I can take a different approach leading up to the next Games, hopefully.”

— Ilia Malinin (TODAY)

What’s next

Malinin's next shot at Olympic glory will come at the 2030 Winter Olympics in France.

The takeaway

Biles and Malinin's stories demonstrate the immense pressure and mental challenges elite athletes face, even at the pinnacle of their careers. Their openness about their struggles can help destigmatize discussions around mental health in sports and inspire others to persevere through adversity.