Ilia Malinin just left the entire figure skating world stunned during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics Exhibition Gala on February 21. After a heartbreaking collapse from medal contention to 8th place in the men’s individual event—plagued by two falls and botched quad jumps—the “Quad God” came roaring back like a man possessed, turning the ice into his personal revenge stage. Skating to NF’s hard-hitting track “FEAR,” he wore a grey hoodie with “FEAR” printed upside down across the chest—a blatant middle finger to online trolls, media pressure, and every doubt that tried to break him.
The routine was pure fire: a razor-sharp quad right out of the gate, then an explosive chain of backflips—including his legendary one-footed landing—that sent the Milano Ice Skating Arena into absolute chaos. Malinin didn’t just skate—he performed: punching the air to “swat away” toxic notifications, crouching under imaginary camera flashes like he was facing down inner demons, then unleashing raw, cathartic emotion in the climax. The crowd was on its feet screaming; he ended in tears, arms wide, soaking in the thunderous ovation. Earlier, he even threw in more jaw-dropping backflips during Team USA’s group number.
No individual medal this time, but Malinin still helped deliver gold for the U.S. in the team event. Now he’s openly in full “revenge mode” for the 2030 Winter Olympics in the French Alps: “Revenge is waiting for me—and I’m coming back stronger than ever.” With unmatched quad mastery and unbreakable mental steel, Ilia Malinin isn’t walking away defeated—he’s walking away dangerously motivated. The figure skating world better get ready: 2030 is going to be the Quad God’s ultimate comeback story.
