Ilia Malinin Shines in Emotional Olympic Figure Skating

Thu Feb 12 2026 01:17:51 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

USA's Ilia Malinin leads the men's competition with an outstanding performance despite fierce competition and emotional tributes during the Winter Olympics.

Ilia Malinin captivated the audience with a breathtaking routine in the men's short program at the Winter Olympics, securing the top spot on the leaderboard. Alongside emotional performances from American skater Maxim Naumov, who paid tribute to his late parents, and Spanish skater Tomas-Llorenc Guarino Sabate's whimsical Minion routine, the event showcased a mixture of athletic excellence and poignant moments. Malinin's performance is set against a backdrop of high expectations and personal battles, setting the stage for an intense free skate showdown.

From the astonishing to the emotional to the downright bizarre, the Olympic figure skating men's short program on Tuesday night had it all.

But the star once again was the USA's Ilia Malinin, who stormed to the top of the leaderboard with a stunning routine featuring a quad flip and quad lutz - two of the hardest techniques in the sport.

Although he did not quite land the quad axel which has earned him the nickname 'Quad God', it put him top of the short program with a score of 108.16.

And unlike in the team event, where he made errors and was somewhat style over substance, this was an ominously clean routine from the 21-year-old – and he even threw in a backflip for good measure.

Japan's Yuma Kagiyama, generally regarded as Malinin's biggest competitor for first, is more than five points behind after slipping on his triple axel.

Kagiyama is second on 103.07, while France's Adam Siao Him Fa impressed with a score of 102.55. Daniel Grassl, the best hope for hosts Italy of another medal on the ice, sits fourth with 93.46.

But all eyes are on Malinin as he strives for individual Winter Olympic gold. He has not been beaten in competition for almost two and a half years.

And after recording more than 200 points in the team event free skate – the second half of the men's event - which secured the USA team gold on Sunday, few would bet against him here.

He entered the rink ready for a fight, shadowboxing at the camera. And he brought the fight to his rivals.

The battle will be concluded on Friday evening in the free skate, where Malinin will be the 24th and last man to compete.

In a contrast of emotions, American skater Maxim Naumov, competing just a year after a tragic plane crash claimed the lives of his parents, delivered a heartfelt performance. Naumov skated in memory of his late parents and expressed how important it was for him to make them proud. His score of 85.65 earned him a spot in the top 24.

Spanish skater Tomas-Llorenc Guarino Sabate performed a whimsical routine inspired by the Minions but faced technical difficulties that led to a disappointing score of 69.80, missing the qualification for the next round. Despite the setback, he received a warm send-off from the crowd, acknowledging his unique presence on the ice.