Ilia Malinin, nicknamed the "Quad God" for his quadruple jumps, entered the men's Olympic figure skating free skate on Friday as the overwhelming favorite after winning his previous 14 competitions, including two world championships. During his routine, he fell twice and made additional errors, finishing eighth with 264.49 points—his worst score in nearly four years. Kazakhstan's Mikhail Shaidorov won gold with 291.58 points, Kazakhstan's first medal of these Games.
After his performance, Malinin told reporters that negative thoughts and memories flooded his mind before his routine began, and that the Olympic pressure was unlike anything he'd experienced. He had earlier won gold in the team event. In the days following, Malinin reposted several emotional messages on TikTok, some expressing exhaustion and frustration. Fans responded with supportive messages. He was later seen attending the pairs competition on Sunday.
Malinin will perform in Saturday's exhibition gala—an unusual inclusion for an eighth-place finisher, as these events typically feature only medalists. He also plans to compete at the world championships in Prague in March, where he will attempt to win his third consecutive world title.