Ilia Malinin writes about ‘inevitable crash’ after Olympic figure skating shock

Guardian Sport

by Guardian sport

February 16, 2026

American was favourite for gold but finished eighth Video hints that experience may be used in routine Ilia Malinin has written about “an inevitable crash” after he missed the podium at the Winter Olympics in one of the biggest shocks in the history of figure skating. The 21-year-old was the overwhelming favourite entering the men’s free skate on Friday in Milan, but he fell twice during his routine. Kazakhstan’s Mikhail Shaidorov won gold and Malinin finished 15th out of 24th in the free skate and eighth overall. Continue reading...

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Originally published on Guardian Sport on 2/16/2026