Ilia Malinin fell apart in the men’s free skate, tumbling from near lock to win the gold medal to eighth place after a disastrous performance Friday. Although he clinched the gold medal in the team competition with a clutch free program, he also put two hands down on a jump. Malinin dominated the short program, giving himself a five-point lead going into Friday’s free program. Malinin debuted the historic skill four years ago, soon after he was left off the 2022 Olympic team at age 17. He finished second at the U.S. championships but was skipped over for the Olympic team in favor of more internationally experienced competitors.

Source: Los Angeles Times February 13, 2026 23:53 UTC