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- Feb 14, 2018
Paul won silver. He should have won but he came in 2nd.
2026 Olympics: Men's Free Skate
- Thread starter dorispulaski
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- Dec 22, 2024
What's even more insane is that she would've repeated it again in 2014 when she had even more pressure...prevented only because of #that incident
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- Feb 18, 2014
This is only my take:
Ilia went for a 4A at the beginning of his program. He missed it and couldn't seem to shake it off; to me it looked like he just lost all his focus. Then he had a fall toward the end.
IIRC the fall cost him a ton of points. I'm sure that the others will be able to give you more details.
Sorry about your tech problems!
Replays are on CBC gem, if you VPN to Canada.
With all the US media pressure and constant hyping up of athletes including athletes like Ilia hope NBC will finally learn their lesson after another repeat of Nathen Chen 2018 ( Though i personally think this was worse since Ilia Malinin was in the lead after the short.) NBC needs to let the athletes breathe stop shoving microphones in their face! It doesn't help after a devastating loss! Ilia handled the interview with courage and grace. I'm so proud of him. I hope Ilia goes to Worlds and skates lights out both programs! He needs a redo. I do think that skating in the team event did play a role and what happened. Who knows if it wore him out or not but he was caught between a rock and a hard place he might not have wanted to skate the long program but if the United States were to win he would have to skate the long program. Had he chosen not to skate and the US had gotten silver instead of gold because he didn't skate or they're saying we slipped all the way to bronze well he would have been vilified by the media. I feel like Ilia never got his feet under him he looked nervous every single performance and that's Olympic pressure.
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- Oct 28, 2025
I was watching on my phone, and stopped watching after Yuma's performance, partly because I'm not a great fan of Ilia. However what I did notice was that the colour / texture of the ice had changed noticeably by the time Adam was skating, and even more noticeable with Yuma. It was looking very dull. Also the way the ice was showering from the skates. It was looking very soft, and didn't seem to be be providing the resistance needed for edges. I also noticed in Adam's transitions that he nearly lost his footing twice. I noticed that Yuma also nearly lost his footing twice in his transitions, and he had that sudden flash of shock on his face on one of those as he was clearly not expecting it at all.
I then came onto the forum later and noticed that Mikhail had won gold! So that made me watch Ilia's skate, but not being aware of the result before I watched. Having already thought there was something off with the ice, I was watching a bit more closely. Ilia made so many uncharacteristic mistakes - on things he can do in his sleep, that I'm even more convinced that there was a real issue with the ice for the last few skaters. The ice surface looked anything but shiny ice.
I'm very happy for Mikhail though.
I then came onto the forum later and noticed that Mikhail had won gold! So that made me watch Ilia's skate, but not being aware of the result before I watched. Having already thought there was something off with the ice, I was watching a bit more closely. Ilia made so many uncharacteristic mistakes - on things he can do in his sleep, that I'm even more convinced that there was a real issue with the ice for the last few skaters. The ice surface looked anything but shiny ice.
I'm very happy for Mikhail though.
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- Feb 13, 2018
Usually in the US, a Friday the 13th is just an excuse for people who are already kind of on edge to really behave badly. Hospitals get very busy and psych wards go nuts! It's not the best time to go shopping in heavy traffic, or try making important business or internet-related phone calls. For the skaters in Milan who had to skate today, I can't think why the date would have made any difference. I was shocked to finally get online early evening here and see the Men's FS results. It makes me wonder why the 13th was 'not the day off' instead of tomorrow, Feb 14, in the skating schedule. I doubt Italy pays much atention to our Fri the 13th superstition , though.
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- Feb 19, 2010
The name sounds Italian.
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- May 17, 2021
Well said, @padme21.
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- Feb 13, 2018
I can try that later--I did set up an account. When I tried using it before, the second time it wouldn't even allow me back online. If I can't see any of the Men's FS, that's too bad but is also the least of my concerns right now.
Couldn't comment on the skaters of the last two groups as it was too exciting. Then read all the comments here. Well, it was truly not a competition of high quality, but of big excitement and surprise. So all in all not that bad. Of course it was a huge shock to see how Malinin fell apart too. But he proved to also just be a human being. Shaidorov is the winner one cannot argue about. He just lived up to the moment, without pressure and did what he could. And he did that very well. He won't win PC awards, but that was not necessary here. The surprise of him becoming Olympic champion does not derive from him having been a far-fetched contender, after all he was the vice world champion, but from Malinin being capable of such a meltdown. But this happens. Nobody is safe. I read a comment here lately wondering how it could happen to Nathan back then. Well, now I hope people can value even more what he achieved as since this short program I cannot remember to have seen him missing only one jump in the four years until his Olympic win. Now Malinin has to go this long way and we will see how. This will probably be the most interesting aspect in men's figure skating in the next four years. I don't think he did something wrong particularly. It can be many things that conrtributed to it. The pressure, but also simply that he was not in the shape of the last three years. Happens. It can't last forever. It is unfortunate for him it happened out of all now of course.
In the end, I was happy about the podium because they all enjoyed it so much. Shaidorov did not seem to understand that he won a medal and later even silver and gold before it did not appear in the results, although it must have been obvious to him seeing the skates. It was nice to see this humble guy not even realizing it in time and maybe not even now. Then what warmed my heart most was seeing Shun Sato crying and Kagiyama being happier for his medal than for his own. Sato in the whole process was so incredibly cute. And then Kagiyama showing him when to step on the podium and how to photograph them. Priceless. Then his coach being so happy. Surely was not the competition we had hoped for regarding quality, but a happier and more heartfelt podium we could not have seen probably. And without a doubt, Shaidorov and Sato deserved to be on this podium. For Cha, Gummenik and Gogolev it will be hard to see how easily they could have gotten a medal, but with hindsight that is often so. In the end, nobody could have expected what happened and it probably also will never happen again, at least not with Malinin.
In the end, I was happy about the podium because they all enjoyed it so much. Shaidorov did not seem to understand that he won a medal and later even silver and gold before it did not appear in the results, although it must have been obvious to him seeing the skates. It was nice to see this humble guy not even realizing it in time and maybe not even now. Then what warmed my heart most was seeing Shun Sato crying and Kagiyama being happier for his medal than for his own. Sato in the whole process was so incredibly cute. And then Kagiyama showing him when to step on the podium and how to photograph them. Priceless. Then his coach being so happy. Surely was not the competition we had hoped for regarding quality, but a happier and more heartfelt podium we could not have seen probably. And without a doubt, Shaidorov and Sato deserved to be on this podium. For Cha, Gummenik and Gogolev it will be hard to see how easily they could have gotten a medal, but with hindsight that is often so. In the end, nobody could have expected what happened and it probably also will never happen again, at least not with Malinin.
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- Oct 23, 2005
If people think this is bad they must not have watched Euros. That was absolutely brutal. It was beyond demoralizing to watch every single skater that is capable of spins and transitions just completely melt down one after the next only for two skaters who jumped a few quads and skated around like there wasn’t any music playing to wind up with medals.
Does the ISU ever consider that maybe doing quad after quad after quad is just easier when you don’t think about transitions, spins, and steps at all whatsoever? Junhwan and Kevin are super talented skaters. If only they hadn’t spent all that time training spins and step sequences as Juniors they might both be jumping 4Lz, 4F and then they could have an OGM.
Someone in Stephen Gogolev’s position who is just starting to improve his spins and choreography…..why should he? Seems like a waste of time when he can just train a 4Lz and win out.
That’s the message the ISU is sending. And if the sport becomes that then I’m out. Because like I said, big air Snowboarding is actually cooler to me than a 4A.
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- Dec 20, 2022
I wonder if Shaidrov calls this a hollow Victory.
Is it a hollow victory due to ilia mistakes and yuma mistakes
Is it a hollow victory due to ilia mistakes and yuma mistakes
No, for sure not. They both competed, they both were not injured or sick or anything. They all had the same conditions to skate to. They both made mistakes and Shaidorov did not. So there is nothing that would devalue his win.
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- Feb 19, 2010
What an absolutely shocking event. I can't remember the last time I experienced something like this. I absolutely believe that Mikhail deserved the win due to his skate, but it pains me greatly to mention his program in the same breath as Olympic gold medal. That is probably the hardest part of this for me to swallow, LOL.
I am very sad for Ilia because although he has never been my favorite, you cannot deny that he has been without question the dominant and most innovative and influential skater in the last quadrennial. And I say that as a huge Yuma fan. And that is probably the understatement of the century
without question I think this will be the biggest upset of this Olympics I cannot imagine anything topping it.
And crazy to think that Gogolev would Place second in the free skate, fifth overall, and ironically, receive higher PCS scores for choreography than the gold medalist, lol. Less than two points out of a metal? Wow. Who would have ever predicted that ahead of time?! I think the judging and marks were Fair all throughout, and though I'm Canadian I actually think he was a tiny bit overmarked - though I'm fine with the result.
I am very sad for Ilia because although he has never been my favorite, you cannot deny that he has been without question the dominant and most innovative and influential skater in the last quadrennial. And I say that as a huge Yuma fan. And that is probably the understatement of the century
without question I think this will be the biggest upset of this Olympics I cannot imagine anything topping it.And crazy to think that Gogolev would Place second in the free skate, fifth overall, and ironically, receive higher PCS scores for choreography than the gold medalist, lol. Less than two points out of a metal? Wow. Who would have ever predicted that ahead of time?! I think the judging and marks were Fair all throughout, and though I'm Canadian I actually think he was a tiny bit overmarked - though I'm fine with the result.
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- Oct 9, 2011
This isn't any link to videos, but Jackie Wong on his podcast does a good recap of today's men's free skate. Hope your tech problems and all get resolved soon Rocker Skating Podcast Video https://www.youtube.com/live/wyJ0SWUwQH4?si=Daw4RJfbpbgbO3RB
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- Jan 31, 2019
She is. Her scores were hugely out of whack with everyone to help Kagiyama and Grassl, and sink Gogolev and Gumennik.
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- Mar 21, 2018
Ilia skated like this before - in his 2022 Worlds free skate. I didn’t think it was pressure then. He had a hard fall on a 4S attempt and just couldn’t regroup and get it out of his head. He said then that he wanted to do well too badly. Fast forward four years. He pops his 4A and couldn’t get it out his head. Except this time I do think he was overwhelmed by pressure. There were nerves in the team event and he started practicing in a different rink from all the other skaters.
Ilia will learn and we’ll see how he copes next season. But he absolutely needs to stay off social media. That is a must.
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