American Ilia Malinin was the overwhelming favorite to win gold in the men’s singles event after opening a commanding five-point lead in the short program.
However, when it came time for the free skate, Malinin fell twice and did not fully complete other elements of his typically unbeatable routine, finishing a disappointing eighth place.
“I blew it,” Malinin said on the broadcast after the event. “That’s honestly the first thing that came to my mind, there’s no way that just happened. I was preparing the whole season, I felt so confident with my programs, so confident with everything. That happened. I have no words, honestly.”
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Malinin admitted the pressure of the Olympics was just too much to bear.
“I felt really good this whole day, going really solid, and I just thought that I all I needed to do was go out there and trust the process that I’ve always been doing with every competition,” he said. “But of course, it’s not like any other competitions, it’s the Olympics.”
While Malinin addressed the pressure of the Olympics, fans are placing the ultimate blame on NBC for depicting Malinin as a nearly unbeatable foe. They harkened back to the coverage of figure skater Nathan Chen and gymnast Simone Biles as examples of the network’s decision.
“Nathan Chen 2018, Simone Biles 2021, and now Ilia Malinin 2026. NBC STOP BRANDING ATHLETES AS UNBEATABLE,” said one Twitter account.
“Nathan in 2018, Simone in 2021, and now ilia in 2026. When will NBC learn that when you make one person the star of all your programming, you put them under enormous mental pressure and set them up for failure,” offered another account.
“NBC should’ve learned from Simone to not put so much pressure on athletes. And the immediate interview is so…” questioned another.
“You’d think after Simone Biles in Tokyo the media would have learned their lesson regarding putting an enormous amount of pressure to an athlete. NBC literally made him almost the face of these games. Also, who interviews an athlete right before they compete?” questioned a fourth.
Mikhail Shaidorov of Kazakhstan won gold in the event.
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