Ilia Malinin did something incredible moments after his devastating skate — and you might have missed it

It was a moment on the Olympic ice that no one saw coming – one that sent shockwaves across the world.

In one of the biggest upsets in figure skating history, Team USA skating superstar Ilia Malinin fell twice and made several other glaring mistakes, sending the “Quad God” tumbling off the podium.

A star-studded crowd was in stunned silence, and even the competitor who ended up winning gold was shocked when Malinin placed eighth, with the fellow skater covering his hands with his face in disbelief.

The 21-year-old figure skating sensation struggled to find words to describe what happened; the uncharacteristic skate was unlike anything he has done in recent memory.

“I was not expecting that,” Malinin said just moments after he left the ice. “Going into this competition I was so ready. I just felt ready going on that ice. I think maybe that might have been the reason, is I was too confident it was going to go well.”

Malinin finished his final moves with tears streaming down his face. He skated off the ice crying, winding his way through the tunnels beneath the Milano Ice Skating Arena, following the performance that stunned the world.

But before his exit, there was a moment of true class.

And not everyone may have noticed it.

Still reeling from his devastating finish, Malinin embraced gold meal winner Mikhail Shaidorov of Kazakhstan in an incredible show of sportsmanship.

Olympic sportsmanship at its finest. 🙌 #WinterOlympics pic.twitter.com/ZahQr7pnOo

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) February 13, 2026

Olympic figure skater Mariah Bell, a former teammate of Malinin’s, took notice, calliing him a “complete class act.”

“Even though we saw his heartbreak today, it was so incredible for me as a viewer and as a former teammate of his to see him stand up and immediately go congratulate the Olympic champion,” she said.

And social media was moved, too.

“Ilia Malinin is a class act!! Hugs the winner, speaks honestly – such a heartbreaking loss,” @farbiez on X said. “You got yourself huge fans here today!”

U.S. figure skating star Ilia Malinin stumbled through uncharacteristic mistakes in the Olympic free skate. Mariah Bell breaks down what happened during the men’s free skate.

“But this gesture… this is the character and heart of a winner…” user @raemcfarland said.

“True sportsmanship and respect on the ice — what a moment for figure skating!” another user on X said.

Shaidorov is a close friend of Malinin’s, according to the Olympics website.

Shaidorov finished with a career-best 291.58 points, claiming his nation’s first medal of the Games. Following him were Yuma Kagiyama, who earned his second consecutive Olympic silver medal, and Japanese teammate Shun Sato, who took bronze.

As for Malinin, Friday’s skate was his second gold medal shot following his team gold earlier in the competition. A grand finale of sorts for his Winter Olympics.

The American phenom, who has faced a noticeable amount of pressure during the Games, admitted he hadn’t skated like himself heading into the final event.

Both of his skates in the team event were mediocre by only his lofty standards. But he felt much more comfortable during his short program, and it was reflected on the ice, where his score of 108.16 was less than a point off his world-leading mark this season.

But Friday, following his heartbreaking performance, Bell insisted “we’re going to see so much more of him.”