Malinin's Olympic Gold Dream Falters as Press Conference Is Postponed After Eighth-Place Finish
Ilia Malinin, the U.S. men’s figure skating frontrunner, finished eighth in the 2026 Milan Olympics free skate after two falls, totaling 264.49 (156.33 in the program), far from his world-best levels. Mikhail Shaidorov won gold (291.58) with Yuma Kagiyama and Shun Sato taking silver and bronze. The press conference was postponed per journalist Christine Brennan, as Malinin said pre-skate thoughts and Olympic pressure overwhelmed him before his starting pose. While still just 17, he cited the unique mental strain of Olympic expectations backing the missteps that day.