Ilia Malinin postpones press conference a day after eighth-place Olympic finish

U.S. Olympic skater Ilia Malinin did not clasp his scheduled media league Saturday. The league was postponed, according to Christine Brennan. 

The postponement comes 1 time aft Malinin finished eighth successful the men's escaped skate. The American prima was the frontrunner to triumph golden but fell doubly during his performance, shocking fans and pundits. 

Malinin's folly was considered 1 of the astir unexpected stories of the Winter Olympics since helium dominated contention anterior to Friday. 

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Ilia Malinin of the United States competes during the men's escaped skate programme successful fig skating astatine the 2026 Winter Olympics successful Milan, Italy, Feb. 13, 2026. (Ashley Landis/AP Photo)

Malinin revealed his caput became flooded with "thoughts and memories" earlier his performance.

"I conscionable had truthful galore thoughts and memories flood close earlier I got into my starting pose, and almost, I think, it possibly overwhelmed maine a small bit. I've been done a batch successful my life, a batch of atrocious and bully experiences," Malinin told NBC Washington aft the contention Friday. 

"So, I conscionable consciousness similar it's the unit of particularly being that Olympic golden medal hopeful. It was conscionable thing I can't power now.

"The unit of the Olympics, it's truly thing different, and I deliberation not a batch of radical recognize that. They lone recognize that from the wrong and going into this competition, particularly today, I felt truly confident, truly good," helium said. "But it truly conscionable went by truthful accelerated I did not person clip to process." 

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Ilia Malinin of the United States reacts to his disastrous regular successful which helium fell doubly during the men's singles skating-free skating contention astatine the Milano Ice Skating Arena astatine the Milano Cortina Winter Olympic Games 2026 Feb. 13, 2026, successful Milan, Italy. (Tim Clayton/Getty Images)

When his regular started Friday, Malinin connected connected a quad-flip to commencement but past settled for a azygous axel. He past had a treble loop alternatively of a quad loop.

He past fell connected a quad Lutz effort and past fell connected different leap soon after. He scored a 156.33, a acold outcry from the satellite grounds of 238.24 helium acceptable successful December and the 200-mark helium routinely hits successful the escaped skate.

Mikhail Shaidorov of Kazakhstan won the golden with a full people of 291.58, a idiosyncratic best. His 198.94 people successful Friday's escaped skate was besides the highest of his career.

Yuma Kagiyama of Japan got the silver, and Shun Sato, Kagiyama's teammate, came distant with the bronze.

Malinin, who posts full scores successful the 300s regularly, settled for conscionable 264.49. His idiosyncratic champion is 333.81.

Malinin congratulated his Kazakhstani rival aft the lawsuit concluded.

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Ilia Malinin of the United States falls during men's azygous skating astatine Milano Ice Skating Arena astatine the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games Feb. 13, 2026, successful Milan, Italy. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

While connected the bench, Malinin said if helium had been successful Beijing 4 years ago, helium would not person skated arsenic poorly arsenic helium did. Malinin was 17 erstwhile helium was near disconnected the roster successful favour of veterans.

Malinin's decorativeness sparked wide disappointment among Team USA and crystal skating fans crossed societal media. 

Fox News' Ryan Morik contributed to this report.

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