Replay Lounge 2026 Olympics | Men

[BlissfulSynergy]

He was better than the rest.

(And maybe it was karma for the way he was held down so Ilia Malinin could win in the team FS. Turnabout seems to be fair play.)

Malinin melted under huge pressure, it happened to Yuzuru and Patrick in 2014 (though neither as badly, both had insane pressure going in and one managed to fight through) and Nathan in 2018.

Your opinion. I don't think Ilia 'melted' under pressure. It's not as simple as that. He's been under all kinds of pressure. The team event pressure was huge after Amber did not land in first or second. Ilia pulled that out and helped the U.S. win the gold medal over Japan. So, he is still leaving Milano with gold in his possession. He did not 'melt' under the Olympic pressure in the team event. He was nervous because he's human. But he met that moment.

For the individual event, I think it was the unusual set-up, schedule, and ongoing atmosphere, coupled with the boot issues, constant media blather and intrusion, which I imagine can become wearying after a while all by itself. And then, a long time waiting backstage, watching some guys post very high tech scores. Plus, I think Ilia personally wanted to land the quad-axel, but under the circumstances, he should probably have thought more conservatively. No doubt, he will recover and be fine. This is sport. This is life. His family will help him keep it all in perspective.

Once again, Ilia did not 'melt' under pressure. The build-up, the wait-time, and the self-imposed pressure, perhaps, to deliver his money jump threw him off (he hasn't performed quad-axel all season). The muscle-memory was not in sync. In such moments, the mind can play tricks on the body. Believe it. But that's not 'melting' under pressure. It's more the build-up and the let-down. Added to the unusual event schedule and two-day wait, which never happens at events during the regular season.

Would you call Yuma's fp inconsistencies in Milano and elsewhere 'melting' under pressure. I wouldn't.

 

[TallyT]

Your opinion. I don't think Ilia 'melted' under pressure. It's not as simple as that. He's been under all kinds of pressure. The team event pressure was huge after Amber did not land in first or second. Ilia pulled that out and helped the U.S. win the gold medal over Japan. So, he is still leaving Milano with gold in his possession. He did not 'melt' under the Olympic pressure in the team event. He was nervous because he's human. But he met that moment.

For the individual event, I think it was the unusual set-up, schedule, and ongoing atmosphere, coupled with the boot issues, constant media blather and intrusion, which I imagine can become wearying after a while all by itself. And then, a long time waiting backstage, watching some guys post very high tech scores. Plus, I think Ilia personally wanted to land the quad-axel, but under the circumstances, he should probably have thought more conservatively. No doubt, he will recover and be fine. This is sport. This is life. His family will help him keep it all in perspective.

Once again, Ilia did not 'melt' under pressure. The build-up, the wait-time, and the self-imposed pressure, perhaps, to deliver his money jump threw him off (he hasn't performed quad-axel all season). The muscle-memory was not in sync. In such moments, the mind can play tricks on the body. Believe it. But that's not 'melting' under pressure. It's more the build-up and the let-down. Added to the unusual event schedule and two-day wait, which never happens at events during the regular season.

You seem to take it as a personal insult that I used the word 'melted'. It's simply a statement of fact - I may not like him (in fact, I find his personality and previous statements extremely off-putting) but given that today I also have said Yuzuru, Patrick and Nathan - widely acknowledged as three of the greatest skaters of the ISU period so far - also did so at an Olympics, it's simply what happens.

 

[skatesofgold]

So I was doing the math because I am pretty irked by people saying Ilia is only 21. Well, in 2030, he'll be 25. The only men's singles skater since 1980 who won Olympic gold older than 24 is Scott Hamilton.

 

[BlissfulSynergy]

You seem to take it as a personal insult that I used the word 'melted'. It's simply a statement of fact - I may not like him (in fact, I find his personality and previous statements extremely off-putting) but given that today I also have said Yuzuru, Patrick and Nathan - widely acknowledged as three of the greatest skaters of the ISU period so far - also did so at an Olympics, it's simply what happens.

Whatevs. None of us know these athletes personally. Ilia was quoted as saying, as @gsk8 already posted earlier:

"I'm just so proud of [Mikhail]. We're all in this sport together, and we're there for each other. That's what makes this sport special. I think people forget that sometimes. They only see us competing and assume we're rivals without good relationships. But it's actually the opposite. There's joy, motivation, and encouragement. We're like a big family."

 

[4everchan]

oh boy...

where do I even start. I was at work all day and just finished watching the event... I did check in to see the results and posted a couple OMG in the Men's free thread but I hadn't watched..

I have now.

I have read some posts saying this was a terrible event. I disagree in some ways. The three favourites after the short program had issues... that's true. However, there are quite a few skates that were enjoyable. Also, 2 of the 3 guys on the podium had close to clean skates... so there's that. To those who think this event was terrible, it's perhaps because you think that only favourites should win I don't agree with that. The event is good when the top 5-6 have had good skates to get there.

I knew there would be a lot of movement after the SP since it was so close but I didn't expect so much movement from the top 3.

In any case, I will go in order of ranking just so I don't forget my thoughts.

Misha : not my type of skater, empty program, terrible musical selection, so much two foot skating and so little investment in choreography. However, congratulations to him. He struggled earlier in the season and went for a packed program here and landed most of it. If I didn't like the program, there is absolutely no doubt he won this fair and square. Will he be celebrated and remembered as an Olympic champion ? I guess he will follow in the footsteps of his once glorious coach, Alexei Urmanov... who knows what happened to him after his gold medal skate ? I certainly never heard much about him after that... until he showed up as Miahs's coach.

Yuma : one of my favourite skaters but not my favourite skate tonight. Tough evening for him. His 4 salchow is usually so good but when he stepped out of it, I knew it was over for him... well I already knew the results but you know what I mean... The 4 flip was next and this could have changed everything... he had it... the edge didn't hold. So sad. The rest of the program wasn't as bad as I thought from reading so many comments from posters who wanted him off the podium. I am not so sure I'd go that far. He fought. He had a lead. He is still a very amazing skater. I don't think he stole his 4th silver Olympic medal.. I am pretty sure no figure skater has 4 olympic silver medals ( I am pretty aware PLushenko has a better record... I am just pointing out the 4 silvers)

Shun : Strangely, he gets rewarded here but I liked him better in the team event LP I am happy for him but I just cannot help thinking that sport is so weird at times.

Cha : that quad toe is not working and I wish he could do two quad salchows (guessing he cannot do them in combo) because other than that this was the best all around performance of the night. He deserved all the PCS points he received from the judges and without that fall, he would have been close to 90 in PCS and rightly so (he ended up with 87) I'd prefer him to be on the podium but quads have spoken. He only landed one. His second triple axel was q.

Gogo : oh my Gogo ! I am not too surprised by the nearly clean program. Stephen used to be a very steady skater when he was a kid. When he grew up, his jumps were messed up... his back was very damaged etc and he kept popping his jumps. It's so wonderful to see him healthy and consistent. Now, this is figure skating for you : judges have increased his PCS from the team event and the SP drastically. 7.9 to 8.3. This just shows how this sport works with consistency and reputation when it comes to PCS. If Stephen had received similar PCS for his even more involved SP, he would be on the podium. This is the best result for a male skater from Canada since Patrick Chan 12 years ago... It's about time ! Also, I have to say that he is getting more connected with his music and his choreography. I have to bow down to Benoit Richaud for getting him programs that worked for him. Stephen was never one of my favourites but this year, I have enjoyed watching him.

Petr : He is in the Misha category for me. Jumps, very empty program. Unfortunately for him, both his quad salchows were easy to spot as Q (saw them in real time, no need for replay) and his last 3 jumping passes didn't have the power the first 4 had. So, I wasn't too surprised when I saw the protocols about the calls he got. I remember him as a junior. He has improved a lot.

Adam : when I saw the score before watching the skate, I thought he had a disastrous skate. It wasn't all that bad actually. I am not saying it was good because it certainly wasn't but it was the kind of skate where the skater fights and fights and fights and powers the jumps but then doesn't land them well enough to receive positive GOE... and that is costly. He ended up in 7th but with one better landed quad, he may have reached the podium. He was just a bit over 5 points away from that bronze after all. I loved his programs this year... even with the old costumes . I think Adam's choreography is by far the best and most intricate. His energy, his commitment are stellar. I wish he could have done slightly better tonight but that's figure skating.

Ilia : of course, everyone expected him to win. I did too. He is the best jumper every day of the year except for tonight. He still managed some impressive jumps in this long program but there is one big no no in figure skating : the pop... Well, there is two.. the fall on a pop... and there is actually a third one, a fall on a jump that was supposed to be in combination. In the end, his program without the jumps was exactly what it was... pretty empty. Ilia will learn to "embrace the storm".
A bit of trivia : Ilia now ties him mom with an 8th place finish at the Olympics.

I am about to go on the thread about quads versus artistry and make a post there... because this event is the living proof that there is absolutely way too much focus on quads and it has meant for less interesting programs. The only really good program artistically tonight from the top 8 was Junhwan's. It was also a program with only two quads. However the spins were beautiful, the transition, the choreo sequence. This is why, though I am bummed for Gogo to be so close yet so far away from a medal with his 3 landed quads and honest Rachmaninoff, I wish that Cha would have made it on the podium.

I am looking to seeing these guys at worlds. I predict a lot of movement

 

[BlissfulSynergy]

So I was doing the math because I am pretty irked by people saying Ilia is only 21. Well, in 2030, he'll be 25. The only men's singles skater since 1980 who won Olympic gold older than 24 is Scott Hamilton.

Huh? Why are you irked by people factually stating Ilia's age? None of us know what the future holds for ourselves or for anyone else. Which is why I truly hope the media and ISU and feds will learn something from these results and stop categorizing skaters in terms of who they think are 'podium contenders.' But I doubt the media and sports orgs will learn anything. They tend not to.

Not so long ago, it's likely that none of us could fathom a quad-axel ever being landed, much less witnessing it happen during our lifetimes. Just sayin' ...

 

[skatesofgold]

Huh? Why are you irked by people factually stating Ilia's age? None of us know what the future holds for ourselves or for anyone else. Which is why I truly hope the media and ISU and feds will learn something from these results and stop categorizing skaters in terms of who they think are 'podium contenders.' But I doubt the media and sports orgs will learn anything. They tend not to.

Not so long ago, it's likely that none of us could fathom a quad-axel ever being landed, much less witnessing it happen during our lifetimes. Just sayin' ...

Because it's not that young for an Olympic gold medal contender in figure skating. While men on average have more longevity than the women, it doesn't lead to gold medalists that are in their mid or late 20s. I'm just afraid that Ilia has missed his chance now that reality has sunk in because I like him.

 

[BlissfulSynergy]

I have read some posts saying this was a terrible event

I think the coverage is horrible and terribly awful. This men's fp event was not a great competition because a lot of guys were strangely off. Early on in the event, I noticed that. It was not just the top three.

Of course, a number of other guys performed very well, which was great to see. Especially for me: Shaidorov, Gumennik, Torgy, Gogolev, Cha, et al. And Adam was glorious in the sp.

 

[4everchan]

Also... Misha only received the 5th (well tied with Torgashev) PCS. I wonder if we have ever had an Olympic champion with such "low" PCS before.

I actually know the answer . but yeah.. .just thought I would point that out.
On top of that, his PCS were a bit high tonight... he could have easily received a couple points lower... it's not an issue... doesn't change the results. Just saying.

 

[BlissfulSynergy]

Because it's not that young for an Olympic gold medal contender in figure skating. While men on average have more longevity than the women, it doesn't lead to gold medalists that are in their mid or late 20s. I'm just afraid that Ilia has missed his chance now that reality has sunk in because I like him.

LOL. You can keep being 'afraid.' I doubt that Ilia is 'afraid.' He already indicated that he wants to pursue two more Olympics, which is very possible for him to achieve. Hold onto your hats and your horsies.

 

[skatesofgold]

LOL. You can keep being 'afraid.' I doubt that Ilia is 'afraid.' He already indicated that he wants to pursue two more Olympics, which is very possible for him to achieve. Hold onto your hats and your horsies.

I'm not saying he won't make it. I'm saying individual gold is unlikely.

 

[TT_Fin]

And guess what is main subject about men's skating in press here and what is almost overlooked by telling it in just one sentence.

For some reason I like Mikhail's program. His first part of the program is just jumping, I admit, but I think his 3A-eule-4s is historical. And when the stsq starts the program starts to live.

What never "disappointeds" in FS: People's favorites are always underscored and not-favs oversocred. People, escpecially ones who watch only big competitions, often forget that final results are combined scores of two different programs. I think active forum members here understand this, but not the many of those who comment in social media. Yuma was sixth in free, but the cap in the short was enough. He made mistakes but they was more elements than those mistakes to get points. The differences in TES was so much. I think usually judging has been generous in Olympics, and many times top skaters are saved by PCS, deserved or not, but this time judging IMO it was strict and fair.

 

[BlissfulSynergy]

I'm not saying he won't make it. I'm saying individual gold is unlikely.

Hmm... Settle down and hold on. It's gonna be a long four years. Nothing is ever promised. Like I said, what we average people can't contemplate, great athletes can and do achieve.

 

[skatesofgold]

Hmm... Settle down and hold on. It's gonna be a long four years. Nothing is ever promised. Like I said, what we average people can't contemplate, great athletes can and do achieve.

lt's statistics.

 

[4everchan]

I am not sure why anyone needs to think about what will happen in 4 years from now... Let's wait and see who wants to continue or not first. Some skaters push through injury to get to the end of a cycle but are not willing to do 4 more years. Some want an education. Some want to step away from the pressure. Can we give these athletes some space and time ? Also, in this sport, the favourites of today are not necessarily going to be the same in 4 years. So why worry so much about it now ?

 

[BlissfulSynergy]

Also... Misha only received the 5th (well tied with Torgashev) PCS. I wonder if we have ever had an Olympic champion with such "low" PCS before.

I actually know the answer . but yeah.. .just thought I would point that out.
On top of that, his PCS were a bit high tonight... he could have easily received a couple points lower... it's not an issue... doesn't change the results. Just saying.

Yeah, I pointed out earlier the fact that none of the pcs in the fp were in the 9s. Only the top three skaters in the sp received 9s for pcs.

 

[4everchan]

Yeah, I pointed out earlier the fact that none of the pcs in the fp were in the 9s. Only the top three skaters in the sp received 9s for pcs.

that's a good thing because the judges used to give them away like candy. However, it's also a sign that there is an unbalance with jumps and the rest.

 

[skatesofgold]

I am not sure why anyone needs to think about what will happen in 4 years from now... Let's wait and see who wants to continue or not first. Some skaters push through injury to get to the end of a cycle but are not willing to do 4 more years. Some want an education. Some want to step away from the pressure. Can we give these athletes some space and time ? Also, in this sport, the favourites of today are not necessarily going to be the same in 4 years. So why worry so much about it now ?

Because it's better than thinking about how disappointed I've been since the team event. At this point, 2026 is a wash for me. I don't care who wins pairs or women's.

 

[BlissfulSynergy]

lt's statistics.

Which has little to do with what great athletes can and do accomplish. Statistically speaking, no human being was ever expected to land a quad-axel, especially not in our lifetime.

Kudos to Yuzuru Hanyu who dedicated himself to proving it was possible. Double kudos to Ilia Malinin for being inspired by Hanyu's efforts to actually achieve the impossible in amazing fashion. So amazing that some people still don't want to give Ilia due credit, but rather enjoy tearing him down.

 

[skatesofgold]

Which has little to do with what great athletes can and do accomplish. Statistically speaking, no human being was ever expected to land a quad-axel, especially not in our lifetime.

Kudos to Yuzuru Hanyu who dedicated himself to proving it was possible. Double kudos to Ilia Malinin for being inspired by Hanyu's efforts to actually achieve the impossible in amazing fashion. So amazing that some people still don't want to give Ilia due credit, but rather enjoy tearing him down.

Hanyu was only 23 when he won his second gold.