Ilia Malinin to Compete in Men's Figure Skating Short Program Qualifiers

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American figure skating superstar Ilia Malinin will compete in the short program qualifiers at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy on Tuesday. Malinin, the favorite to win the gold medal in the individual event, will have to wait until late in the day to take the ice as he is scheduled to skate second-to-last in the final group of 29 competitors.

Why it matters

Malinin is one of the biggest stars of the U.S. figure skating team and is expected to be a top contender for the gold medal in the individual competition. His performance in the short program qualifiers will be closely watched as he looks to build momentum towards the medal round.

The details

The men's figure skating short program qualifiers will begin at 6:30 p.m. local time in Milan (12:30 p.m. ET) with the first group of 5 skaters. Malinin is scheduled to take the ice at 10:31 p.m. local time (4:31 p.m. ET) as the second-to-last skater in the final group of 6. The other two American men competing are Maxim Naumov, who skates at 12:44 p.m. ET, and Andrew Gorgashev, who skates at 2:31 p.m. ET.

• The men's figure skating short program qualifiers begin at 6:30 p.m. local time in Milan (12:30 p.m. ET).
• Ilia Malinin is scheduled to skate at 10:31 p.m. local time in Milan (4:31 p.m. ET).
• Maxim Naumov skates at 12:44 p.m. ET.
• Andrew Gorgashev skates at 2:31 p.m. ET.

What’s next

The top skaters from the short program qualifiers will advance to the medal round, where Malinin will look to secure the gold medal for the United States.