Ilia Malinin, a 21-year-old figure skater known as the “Quadg0d,” couldn’t explain what happened during his free skate at the Milan Olympics. He lost the gold medal and every other medal he had hoped for after dominating the short program with seven quadruple jumps. Malinin felt overwhelmed by nerves and struggled to land four of his seven quads, including a crucial quad axel that required 4.5 turns. Despite feeling great all day, doubts crept in before the event, making it difficult for him to focus. The collapse was like Russia’s Kamila Valieva’s infamous 2022 Beijing Olympics performance, but with added pressure and expectations of being the best male skater of his time.
Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/olympics/2026/02/13/ilia-malinin-olympics-figure-skating