Ilia Malinin delivers under pressure, securing Team USA second straight Olympic figure skating gold
Quad God, meet Olympic glory.
U.S. star Ilia Malinin brought near to his best to the Olympic ice on Sunday (8 February), fighting through a mid-program stumble to help secure Team USA’s second consecutive gold medal in the figure skating team event at the Winter Olympics 2026 in Milan.
After a shaky short program the night prior, the 21-year-old delivered when it mattered most, nailing a program packed with five of his renowned quadruple jumps. His astonishing score of 200.03 broke the overall team tie with Japan.
While the Japanese team claimed the silver medal for a second straight Games, the host nation Italy celebrated an emotional bronze medal in front of an enthusiastic crowd at the Milano Ice Skating Arena.
However, the night was still in the balance after Malinin skated as Japan’s Sato Shun, the final athlete of the night, produced a heart-stirring performance to secure a career-high 194.86, just falling short to Malinin by a handful of points.
The U.S. has become the first team to repeat as champions in the team event, which started at the Winter Olympics in 2014.
The standout emotional moment belonged to Italy’s Matteo Rizzo, who captured the arena’s attention with a brilliant free skate that led to a standing ovation. Rizzo slid on his knees towards his jubilant team—a perfect closure to a memorable day.
This marks Italy’s first Olympic medal in this event.
Earlier that night, the U.S. pairs team of Ellie Kam and Danny O’Shea also showcased their prowess with a strong fourth-place finish in their segment. Meanwhile, singles skater Amber Glenn pushed past a rough performance to finish third, paving the way for a dramatic free skate showdown between Malinin and Sato.
Joining Malinin, Glenn, Kam, and O’Shea as Olympic champions are ice dancers Madison Chock and Evan Bates, alongside rising star Alysa Liu.
More to come in the thrilling saga of figure skating at the Winter Olympics 2026!
