Ilia Malinin Breaks His Silence After Alysa Liu’s Historic Olympic Gold And Hints At A Major Future Decision
The Winter Olympic Games have come to represent both the highest highs and the most difficult moments of Ilia Malinin’s career.
He opened the competition riding a wave of momentum, with “Quad God” commercials airing nonstop as he helped carry Team USA past Japan to claim gold in the figure skating team event.
Just one week later, the tone shifted dramatically. Malinin found himself staring up at the arena lights in Milan, searching for answers after a devastating free skate in the men’s individual event. A program that began with him in commanding first place unraveled, sending him down the standings to an eighth-place finish.
Despite the disappointment and the wave of criticism that followed, Malinin has remained a constant presence for his American teammates since the conclusion of his own event.
He could be seen cheering during the pairs event, the women’s short program, and especially on Thursday night, when Alysa Liu delivered the skate of her life to capture Olympic gold.
Liu entered the women’s free skate sitting in third place, viewed largely as an outside contender. Within the span of an hour, however, she transformed from dark horse to Olympic champion, pairing flawless technical execution with striking artistry.
Olympic broadcast cameras later captured Malinin completely caught off guard, springing to his feet as he clapped and shouted in celebration for his close friend.
He was visibly beaming as Liu secured the first individual women’s figure skating gold medal for Team USA in more than two decades.
While his individual competition in Italy has concluded, Malinin’s Olympic journey isn’t quite finished. Alongside his fellow American skaters, he is set to appear at the Olympic Exhibition Gala on Saturday, the traditional farewell performance honoring the athletes and the crowd that supported them throughout the Games.
