The Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina, Italy, brought utter disappointment and devastation for acclaimed figure skater Ilia Malinin on Friday.

What was supposed to be a heralded gold medal performance went awry as the 21-year-old from Virginia had several falls and miscues on the ice. The phenom known as “Quad God” experienced multiple issues in his attempts to impress, after previously holding what looked like a decent lead over second place.

The result for Malinin was an eighth-place finish, leaving him off the podium, while others celebrated. Kazakhstan’s Mikhail Shaidrov claimed gold, with Japan’s Yuma Kagiyama and Shun Sato taking silver and bronze, respectively.

Malinin appeared disappointed after his loss, but despite his frustration, he congratulated Shaidrov with a moment of humility and sportsmanship. Former and current Olympians are taking notice, sending messages about the United States skater’s performance and failure to medal.

MILAN, ITALY – FEBRUARY 13: Ilia Malinin of Team United States falls over in the Men’s Single Skating on day seven of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter O… | Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images

That includes Team USA skier Mikaela Shiffrin, who has been preparing for her next events at these Winter Olympics. Shiffrin hasn’t hesitated to congratulate other Olympians or send encouraging, supportive messages about their wins and losses.

On her official Instagram Story Saturday morning, she shared an Olympics video of Malinin reacting to his loss and explaining what he might have done differently. Beneath that post-performance clip, Shiffrin shared a powerful message.

“The Olympics ask us to take a real risk on the world stage. One that requires courage and vulnerability to erroneous judgment and narratives built on a limited understanding of what the sport truly demands. And it all matters in the story of becoming the best version of ourselves. We love deeply because we know loss,” she wrote.

“We feel the pain of defeat because we’ve tasted triumph. Heartbreak and victory live right next door. Disappointment and gratitude often co-exist. Ilia, we’ve got your back. Proud of you!” Shiffrin wrote.

Shiffrin experienced her own disappointment earlier in these Olympics. While competing in the women’s downhill combined event for skiing, her performance cost her and teammate Breezy Johnson a medal.

Johnson, who won gold individually in a previous skiing event, set the stage for Shiffrin to put together a slalom run in the combined that would’ve potentially claimed gold, or at the very least bronze. Instead, they finished fourth and just off the podium.

Shiffrin will have more chances to earn a medal as she competes in several more events at these Olympics. While Malinin will have to wait four years to compete again at the Olympics in France, she realizes that his journey is far from over.

Source: newsweek