{"id":2442,"date":"2026-02-15T18:39:48","date_gmt":"2026-02-15T18:39:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/giantnews.us\/?p=2442"},"modified":"2026-02-15T18:39:48","modified_gmt":"2026-02-15T18:39:48","slug":"u-s-figure-skating-star-ilia-malinin-postpones-press-conference-after-eighth-place-olympic-finish","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/giantnews.us\/?p=2442","title":{"rendered":"U.S. Figure Skating Star Ilia Malinin Postpones Press Conference After Eighth-Place Olympic Finish"},"content":{"rendered":"

U.S. Olympic figure skating star Ilia Malinin unexpectedly postponed his scheduled press conference Saturday, just one day after his shocking eighth-place finish in the men\u2019s free skate at the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics.<\/p>\n

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According to reports, Malinin did not attend his planned media session following Friday night\u2019s dramatic collapse \u2014 a performance that stunned fans and commentators alike. Entering the free skate as the overwhelming gold-medal favorite, the 21-year-old had built a five-point lead in the short program and had dominated international competition for the past two seasons.<\/p>\n

Instead of a coronation, the night unraveled.<\/p>\n

\"Ilia<\/p>\n

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Malinin opened strong with a quad flip but soon settled for a single axel, doubled a planned quad loop, and then fell on a quad Lutz attempt before suffering another fall moments later. He finished with a free skate score of 156.33 \u2014 well below the 200-plus marks he routinely posts and far from the world record 238.24 he set in December. His total score of 264.49 placed him eighth overall, a stunning result for a skater whose personal best stands at 333.81.<\/p>\n

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