At the Milan Ice Skating Arena, a nail-biting performance by 21-year-old figure skater Ilia Malinin brought an end to US medal hopes. The Russian-born athlete stepped onto the ice with a determined mindset after a second-place finish in Saturday's qualifying rounds.
Malinin had a strong lead going into Sunday's final discipline, but he wasn't perfect. In fact, his routine required him to steady himself by putting both hands on the ice after a shaky fall. Yet, this was followed by a daring backflip at center ice that left the crowd screaming. His score of 200.03 set him apart from the competition.
Meanwhile, Japan's Shun Sato faced a daunting task to catch up to Malinin's score. Sato scored just short of 194.86 points. In the end, it was not enough for the Japanese skater to secure gold, and US athletes were overjoyed at their teammate's performance.
For his part, Malinin credited his teammates with giving him the support he needed. "Just going in today, I was just so grateful to be a part of this team and knowing that they all were going to support me throughout this program no matter what really gave the confidence to really just calm down and really just get into that flow state," Malinin said.
The US team secured its second consecutive Olympic gold medal in figure skating. With this win, Malinin earned his first career Olympic medal, leaving him with a sense of accomplishment and pride.
Malinin had a strong lead going into Sunday's final discipline, but he wasn't perfect. In fact, his routine required him to steady himself by putting both hands on the ice after a shaky fall. Yet, this was followed by a daring backflip at center ice that left the crowd screaming. His score of 200.03 set him apart from the competition.
Meanwhile, Japan's Shun Sato faced a daunting task to catch up to Malinin's score. Sato scored just short of 194.86 points. In the end, it was not enough for the Japanese skater to secure gold, and US athletes were overjoyed at their teammate's performance.
For his part, Malinin credited his teammates with giving him the support he needed. "Just going in today, I was just so grateful to be a part of this team and knowing that they all were going to support me throughout this program no matter what really gave the confidence to really just calm down and really just get into that flow state," Malinin said.
The US team secured its second consecutive Olympic gold medal in figure skating. With this win, Malinin earned his first career Olympic medal, leaving him with a sense of accomplishment and pride.
! he totally brought the heat to the ice rink 
and that daring backflip was insane 
can't believe he pulled it off without falling again 
his teammates must've given him the ultimate support vibes because it really paid off in the end 
US athletes are on top of their game right now 
gotta give props to shun sato for giving malinin a run for his money though 
. And Shun Sato's score being that much lower than Malinin's... it's hard to see how he could've possibly caught up, especially with a fall in the middle of his routine 
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. And props to Malinin for keeping his cool under pressure - his teammate support must've really helped him get in the zone 
. The US team should be super proud too, they really showed their figure skating skills! 
And Malinin's first Olympic medal? 
so inspiring for the young skaters out there trying to chase their dreams
. and honestly, I'm kinda surprised Japan's Shun Sato even tried to catch up... like, he had a good chance of beating Ilia if he'd just kept his cool 
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. He stepped up his game and nailed that backflip – talk about confidence boost 
. Malinin's got skill for days and it's awesome he gave props to his teammates for their support – that's what matters most 
. He may not have been perfect, but he showed us all how to own the ice 
. I mean, he had a shaky start but he didn't let it get to him and still pulled off that insane backflip 
. And on top of that, he showed sportsmanship by giving credit where it's due 
. Shun Sato from Japan gave it a good try though, and I'm sure he'll come back stronger next time 
️
. can't say much for sato's loss, but i guess you gotta try your best, right?