Simone Biles sympathises with Ilia Malinin after Olympic nightmare at Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Games - 'I know what he's going through'
By Ben Southby
Published 17/02/2026 at 19:39 GMT
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Ilia Malinin had a men's figure skating final to forget at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games after he fell twice during his routine to finish in a shock eighth position. He did not leave Italy empty-handed after winning gold in the team event, but failed to deliver in the individual event. USA gymnastic legend Simone Biles has said that she has been in touch with the 'Quad God'.
'I'm speechless' - Malinin 'in shock' after Olympic difficulties
Video credit: TNT Sports
Simone Biles says she can relate to what fellow American Ilia Malinin is "going through" after his bid for figure skating gold came crashing down at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games.
Malinin fell twice in the men's final as the 'Quad God' finished eighth overall - a shock result considering he was the overwhelming favourite heading into the competition.
Biles, a seven-time Olympic gold medalist in gymnastics, struggled with the twisties - a mental block causing a disconnection between mind and body, losing spatial awareness mid-air - during the Tokyo Olympic Games and had to pull out of the competition.
She revealed that she has been in touch with Malinin following his struggles at the Games.
"I’ve definitely had a chance to bump into him," Biles told the Today show.
"I’ve sent him messages on Instagram as well. Obviously, it’s all been private because I know what he’s going through and I know most athletes might not be able to relate and it’s really, really hard to watch.
"I see him coming out on top after this. We’re all just cheering for him."
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Malinin suffers Olympics HORROR - 'Can't believe what we've just seen'
Video credit: TNT Sports
Biles, 28, has 11 Olympic medals to her name in total, while she has been a 23-time world champion across multiple gymnastic disciplines.
Malinin, just 21, is already the reigning world champion and was seen fighting back the tears following his routine in the men's final.
He could not add a medal to the team event gold he picked up alongside his USA teammates and felt that he was not ready for the occasion.
"Honestly, it’s not a pleasant feeling," he told the Today show about the amount of attention he received at Milano Cortina.
"The most honest way to say it is just a lot on you, so many eyes, so much attention, not only from people, or fans, media, it’s just so much and it really can get to you if you’re not ready to fully embrace it.
"I think that might be one of the mistakes I made going into that free skate. I was not ready to handle that to a full extent, so I think looking back at that, now I’ll be able to kind of understand how that feels, so I’ll be able to take a full approach leading up to the next games. Hopefully."
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He added: "Going into that day, I felt really confident. I was excited to get out there but, of course, it didn't go the way I wanted it to.
"But we can't look at that now. All I have to do is learn from my mistakes there and push to see how I can improve in the future."
Kazakhstan’s Mikhail Shaidorov secured the gold medal ahead of Japanese duo Yuma Kagiyama and Shun Sato, who took the silver and bronze medals.
Despite the disappointment, Malinin was gracious in defeat.
"All of us figure skaters were out there supporting each other, motivating each other, really pushing each other to keep growing this sport.
"At that moment, I had to process what happened with me, but again, I was just super proud of him."
Watch every event of Milano Cortina 2026 live on discovery+. Available across all subscription plans, starting at £3.99.
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