Ilia Malinin Clinches Olympic Team Figure Skating Gold For U.S.
Malinin scored 200.03 on Feb. 8, 2026, landing five quads and a backflip to give the U.S. a 69-68 victory over Japan, official results show.
Overview
Ilia Malinin scored 200.03 in the men’s free skate on Feb. 8, 2026, landing five quadruple jumps and a one-foot backflip to earn 10 points and secure Team USA’s gold, official results show.
The men’s free skate broke a 59-59 tie between the United States and Japan after three days of competition, making the final discipline decisive for Olympic team medals, records show.
U.S. Figure Skating coaches and teammates credited Malinin’s decision to skate both team days, with Malinin saying in a post-medal interview that the performance set him up for the individual event, USA TODAY Sports reported.
The final scoreboard listed United States 69, Japan 68 and Italy 60, reflecting the narrow margin and host-nation podium finish, according to official results.
The individual men’s short program begins Feb. 10 and the free skate concludes Feb. 13, with Malinin scheduled to compete in both events, officials said.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the coverage as a patriotic, celebratory narrative that elevates Ilia Malinin into a heroic figure. They use glowing language ("saved," "Quad God"), prioritize U.S. perspectives and teammates' reactions, foreground dramatic chronology, and omit substantive Japanese or critical viewpoints, producing a triumphalist U.S.-centric story.
Sources (14)
FAQ
The United States scored 69 points to win gold, Japan had 68 points for silver, and Italy finished with 60 points for bronze.
Ilia Malinin scored 200.03 points by landing five quadruple jumps, including a quad flip, quad lutz, quad toe-triple flip, and quad salchow-triple axel, plus a backflip, despite some mistakes.
After three days, the U.S. and Japan were tied at 59-59 points, making the men's free skate the final discipline to break the tie.[2]
Malinin beat Japan's Shun Sato, who landed three quads and scored 194.86 points.
Malinin is scheduled to compete in the individual men's short program on Feb. 10 and free skate on Feb. 13.[2]
History
5 sources- 4 sources
