Ilia Malinin Wins First Olympic Gold for Team USA in Figure Skating

21-year-old American figure skater delivers historic performance to secure victory for the U.S. in the team event at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics.

Published on Feb. 8, 2026

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In a nail-biting finish, American figure skater Ilia Malinin clinched the gold medal for Team USA in the figure skating team event at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics. Malinin, a 21-year-old prodigy, delivered a standout performance that included a backflip, a feat never before accomplished in Olympic figure skating history. His score of 200.03 put the U.S. ahead of Japan by a single point, securing the country's first gold medal in the event since the 2022 Beijing Olympics.

Why it matters

Malinin's victory marks a significant moment for U.S. figure skating, which has struggled to produce a dominant men's skater in recent years. His ability to execute technically challenging elements like the backflip has made him a rising star in the sport, and his Olympic gold medal performance solidifies his status as one of the top figure skaters in the world.

The details

Heading into the final discipline of the team event, the U.S. and Japan were tied with 59 points each. Malinin, the last skater for the U.S., needed to deliver a strong performance to secure the gold. Despite a shaky start that saw him put his hands down on the ice, Malinin upped the difficulty of his routine, including the historic backflip, to score 200.03 points, more than 20 points ahead of the second-place Italian skater. This put immense pressure on Japan's Shun Sato, who ultimately fell short of Malinin's score, giving the U.S. the gold medal by a single point.

  • The figure skating team event took place over two days, with qualifying rounds on Saturday and the final competitions on Sunday.
  • Malinin's gold medal-winning performance occurred on Sunday evening, after 10 p.m. local time in Milan.

The players

Ilia Malinin

A 21-year-old American figure skater who has already won a world championship and is known for his ability to execute technically challenging elements like the backflip, a feat never before accomplished in Olympic figure skating history.

Shun Sato

A Japanese figure skater who was the last competitor to take the ice against Malinin in the team event final, needing to outperform the American to secure the gold medal for Japan.

Team USA

The U.S. figure skating team that competed in the team event, including athletes like Madison Chock, Evan Bates, Ellie Kam, Danny O'Shea, Alysa Liu, and Amber Glenn.

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What they’re saying

“If Malinin, the Fairfax, Virginia, native who was born for such a stage — his parents skated at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics — was nervous, it did not show as he bounded on his skates and pumped a fist on his way to the ice during his pre-skate introduction.”

— Andrew Greif, Author (nbcnews.com)

“Malinin might be figure skating's biggest star but he is not invincible. Even despite that backflip, his routine Saturday was only good enough for second behind Japan's Yuma Kagiyama.”

— Andrew Greif, Author (nbcnews.com)

“Glenn, the three-time reigning U.S. champion, said she felt 'guilty' that her third-place finish had lost the U.S. lead in the penultimate competition Sunday, saying she had felt run down by training and unfamiliar with the team-event format.”

— Amber Glenn, Three-time reigning U.S. champion (nbcnews.com)

What’s next

Malinin's gold medal performance is expected to further cement his status as one of the top figure skaters in the world. He will likely be a favorite to win individual gold in the men's event later in the Milan Cortina Olympics.

The takeaway

Ilia Malinin's historic backflip and gold medal-winning performance for Team USA underscores the emergence of a new generation of American figure skating talent capable of challenging the world's best. Malinin's ability to execute technically difficult elements has made him a rising star, and his Olympic triumph marks a significant moment for U.S. figure skating.