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Friends Reveal Ilia Malinin’s Hidden World

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Two-time reigning world champion from the United States had looked tentative in his two team competition performances, but he came alive Tuesday (10 February) to hold off Japan’s Kagiyama Yuma.

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Ilia Malinin - Wikipedia

By Scott Bregman

11 February 2026 05:46 GMT+73 min read

The real Ilia Malinin has arrived.

After two somewhat tentative skates – by his otherworldly standards – the two-time and reigning world figure skating champion delivered big time Tuesday evening (10 February) to lead the men’s short program at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026.

Malinin scored a 108.16, ahead of Japan’s Kagiyama Yuma, who earned 103.07. France’s Adam Siao Him Fa rounded out the top three at 102.55.

“I did not think it would be that heavy,” Malinin admitted of the Olympic atmosphere and his nerves in the team event. “I thought that I could come into this like any other competition, but honestly I definitely underestimated it.

“Now that I’ve gotten three performances under Olympic ice, I think that I’ve really tamed the Olympic ice.”

Nicknamed “The Quad God,” the American delivered two clean quadruple jumps – the quad flip and a quad Lutz into a triple toe combination – along with a triple Axel in his routine set to music from The Lost Crown.

The combination was Malinin’s third and final jumping pass – and once he hit it, giving the audience a commanding fist bump – he let loose. The last minute of his dynamic program included his signature Raspberry Twist and backflip to the delight of the crowd inside the Milano Ice Skating Arena.

“I was definitely having fun and I was so excited for it,” said Malinin.

Follow all the Milano Cortina 2026 action on the live blog.

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Ilia Malinin one-on-one: “They think we’re robots” on the ice

Ilia Malinin one-on-one: “They think we’re robots” on the ice

Two-time and reigning world champion in figure skating, Ilia Malinin, can make it look easy out on the ice. It’s anything but that, the Team USA star tells Olympics.com in an exclusive sit-down interview. The American opens up on a variety of topics, including building community among his fellow skaters: “It’s really important that people see that we’re all also human beings.” Watch for more.

As the scores rolled in, though, the 21-year-old was somewhat stoic in the famed Kiss and Cry section, letting coach Rafael Arutyunyan take the celebratory role as he held his index finger to the sky and moved his arm in a circle.

The heavy favourite for gold in Milano, Malinin had already been outscored once here, by Kagiyama in the team event’s short program. If that performance put the gold medal in doubt, Tuesday’s performance went a long way to silencing any doubts.

“For my long program, I’m really going just going to take everything nice and slow,” he said. “One step at a time, and not get too ahead of myself.”

The men’s medals will be decided Friday (13 February) when competition resumes with the free skate.

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“That name should be dead… so why is Blackridge standing in my unit?” They mocked the new girl — until they saw the DEVGRU trident on her arm… and realized she wasn’t there to fit in. She was there to expose a betrayal that could trigger a nuclear trap. The forward base near the Belarus border wasn’t built for drama. It was steel walls, mud-soaked boots, and radios hissing through cold dawns. Task Unit Seven didn’t get surprises. Until she stepped off the transport. Small. Controlled. Eyes that scanned exits before faces. “Name,” Captain Owen Strickland demanded after reading the transfer sheet twice. “Petty Officer Talia Blackridge, sir.” The room shifted. Thirty-six years earlier, a Blackridge had dragged Strickland out of a kill zone. Three years ago, that same man was declared KIA. Flag folded. Funeral attended. File closed.
“That name should be dead… so why is Blackridge standing in my unit?” They mocked the new girl — until they saw the DEVGRU trident on her arm… and realized she wasn’t there to fit in. She was there to expose a betrayal that could trigger a nuclear trap. The forward base near the Belarus border wasn’t built for drama. It was steel walls, mud-soaked boots, and radios hissing through cold dawns. Task Unit Seven didn’t get surprises. Until she stepped off the transport. Small. Controlled. Eyes that scanned exits before faces. “Name,” Captain Owen Strickland demanded after reading the transfer sheet twice. “Petty Officer Talia Blackridge, sir.” The room shifted. Thirty-six years earlier, a Blackridge had dragged Strickland out of a kill zone. Three years ago, that same man was declared KIA. Flag folded. Funeral attended. File closed.

“‘That name should be dead… so why is Blackridge standing in my unit?’ — The Female DEVGRU Operator…

“Say your name,” Captain Owen Strickland ordered. “Petty Officer Talia Blackridge, sir.” The room shifted. Strickland had buried a Blackridge once. A man who pulled him out of a kill zone and was declared KIA years later. Memorial attended. Flag folded. Case closed. Except now his last name was standing in front of him. Alive. Young. Impossible. The team didn’t buy it. They mocked her. Tested her. Threw her into a 12-hour armory breakdown meant to break anyone. She finished it flawlessly. And when her sleeve shifted, they saw it. The trident. DEVGRU. SEAL Team Six. Silence swallowed the room. Strickland stepped closer — and that’s when she said it. “I’m not here to impress you. I’m here to find out who betrayed my father.”
“Say your name,” Captain Owen Strickland ordered. “Petty Officer Talia Blackridge, sir.” The room shifted. Strickland had buried a Blackridge once. A man who pulled him out of a kill zone and was declared KIA years later. Memorial attended. Flag folded. Case closed. Except now his last name was standing in front of him. Alive. Young. Impossible. The team didn’t buy it. They mocked her. Tested her. Threw her into a 12-hour armory breakdown meant to break anyone. She finished it flawlessly. And when her sleeve shifted, they saw it. The trident. DEVGRU. SEAL Team Six. Silence swallowed the room. Strickland stepped closer — and that’s when she said it. “I’m not here to impress you. I’m here to find out who betrayed my father.”

“‘That name should be dead… so why is Blackridge standing in my unit?’ — The Female DEVGRU Operator…

I begged my landlord for mercy… and accidentally sent the message to a billionaire CEO. The next reply changed my life — and took me to Dubai as his “fiancée.” I hadn’t eaten in two days. My rent was overdue. My cupboard was empty. Even the salt was gone. So I did what pride-hungry people eventually do — I typed a desperate message. Please don’t throw me out. I’m still job hunting. I promise I’ll pay. God will bless you. I hit send. Then I looked at the number. It wasn’t my landlord. It was a stranger. I almost died of shame. Across the city, Damalair Adabio — billionaire, CEO, allergic to nonsense — stepped out of his marble bathroom and opened my message.
I begged my landlord for mercy… and accidentally sent the message to a billionaire CEO. The next reply changed my life — and took me to Dubai as his “fiancée.” I hadn’t eaten in two days. My rent was overdue. My cupboard was empty. Even the salt was gone. So I did what pride-hungry people eventually do — I typed a desperate message. Please don’t throw me out. I’m still job hunting. I promise I’ll pay. God will bless you. I hit send. Then I looked at the number. It wasn’t my landlord. It was a stranger. I almost died of shame. Across the city, Damalair Adabio — billionaire, CEO, allergic to nonsense — stepped out of his marble bathroom and opened my message.

CEO hired a girl to be his fake fiancee—a shared night together & unexpected happened in Dubai TripOuchi’s…

She texted her landlord begging not to be thrown out… and accidentally sent it to a billionaire CEO instead. Minutes later, he offered her $7 MILLION to be his fake fiancée on a Dubai trip — and what happened that night changed everything. Ouchi hadn’t eaten since yesterday. She stood barefoot in her tiny one-room apartment, holding an empty pot like proof that life had officially humbled her. No rice. No beans. No noodles. Even the salt had “relocated.” Then her landlord called. Final warning. Pay this week — or get out. Desperate, fighting tears, she typed a long message begging for more time. She poured in everything — her degree, her job search, her faith, her pride. She hit send. And froze. Wrong number. Not her landlord. A complete stranger. She had just begged someone she didn’t know for mercy. Across the city, billionaire CEO Damalair Adabio stepped out of a marble bathroom into a home that screamed wealth. Betrayed by his PA. Pressured by investors. Invited to a high-stakes Dubai business summit where every powerful man would show up with a stunning partner on his arm. His phone buzzed. He read her message once. Then again. It wasn’t manipulation. It wasn’t a scam pitch. It was raw. Embarrassingly real. “Wrong number,” he muttered… then paused. “Or maybe perfect timing.”
She texted her landlord begging not to be thrown out… and accidentally sent it to a billionaire CEO instead. Minutes later, he offered her $7 MILLION to be his fake fiancée on a Dubai trip — and what happened that night changed everything. Ouchi hadn’t eaten since yesterday. She stood barefoot in her tiny one-room apartment, holding an empty pot like proof that life had officially humbled her. No rice. No beans. No noodles. Even the salt had “relocated.” Then her landlord called. Final warning. Pay this week — or get out. Desperate, fighting tears, she typed a long message begging for more time. She poured in everything — her degree, her job search, her faith, her pride. She hit send. And froze. Wrong number. Not her landlord. A complete stranger. She had just begged someone she didn’t know for mercy. Across the city, billionaire CEO Damalair Adabio stepped out of a marble bathroom into a home that screamed wealth. Betrayed by his PA. Pressured by investors. Invited to a high-stakes Dubai business summit where every powerful man would show up with a stunning partner on his arm. His phone buzzed. He read her message once. Then again. It wasn’t manipulation. It wasn’t a scam pitch. It was raw. Embarrassingly real. “Wrong number,” he muttered… then paused. “Or maybe perfect timing.”

CEO hired a girl to be his fake fiancee—a shared night together & unexpected happened in Dubai TripOuchi’s…

The avalanche hit without warning — white, violent, unstoppable. When it settled, rifles were missing. Packs were gone. And Claire was nowhere to be found. They dug. They found scraps of her gear. Then their team leader made the call no one wants to make: “She’s dead. We move.” They pulled out with wounded men and a storm closing in — leaving their medic behind. But Claire wasn’t dead. She woke up buried in ice, shoulder shattered, air running out. No radio. No weapon. Just darkness and pressure and the memory of one rule from survival school: panic kills faster than cold. She dug with numb hands until she broke through into a full Arctic storm. And that’s when she heard it. Gunfire. Her Rangers were still out there — taking contact, without their medic. What she did next is the part they don’t put in the official report. Because hours later, through the whiteout, a single figure emerged from the storm… Carrying four Rangers.
The avalanche hit without warning — white, violent, unstoppable. When it settled, rifles were missing. Packs were gone. And Claire was nowhere to be found. They dug. They found scraps of her gear. Then their team leader made the call no one wants to make: “She’s dead. We move.” They pulled out with wounded men and a storm closing in — leaving their medic behind. But Claire wasn’t dead. She woke up buried in ice, shoulder shattered, air running out. No radio. No weapon. Just darkness and pressure and the memory of one rule from survival school: panic kills faster than cold. She dug with numb hands until she broke through into a full Arctic storm. And that’s when she heard it. Gunfire. Her Rangers were still out there — taking contact, without their medic. What she did next is the part they don’t put in the official report. Because hours later, through the whiteout, a single figure emerged from the storm… Carrying four Rangers.

“She’s Dead!” They Abandoned The SEAL Sniper — Then She Emerged Carrying 4 Rangers The rotor wash died,…

“She’s dead.” They left the SEAL sniper under ten feet of Alaskan snow and moved on with the mission… Hours later, in the middle of a whiteout, she walked back into the fight — carrying four Rangers on her shoulders. November 2018. A Ranger platoon out of Joint Base Elmendorf–Richardson lifted into the Brooks Range for a hostage rescue that had to be finished before a blizzard locked the mountains down for days. Attached to them? A Navy medic — Hospital Corpsman First Class Claire Maddox. Quiet. Compact. Instantly underestimated. Some Rangers glanced at her PT scores and made up their minds. The team leader, Staff Sergeant Tyler Kane, kept it professional but distant. “Stay close. Don’t slow us down.” Claire didn’t argue. She checked radios. Tourniquets. Chest seals. IV warmers. Cold-weather meds. She studied wind angles and ridgelines the way other people read street signs. Insertion was clean. The mountain wasn’t. They moved across a knife-edge locals called Devil’s Spine when visibility collapsed into gray static. Then came the sound no one forgets — a deep, hollow crack above them.
“She’s dead.” They left the SEAL sniper under ten feet of Alaskan snow and moved on with the mission… Hours later, in the middle of a whiteout, she walked back into the fight — carrying four Rangers on her shoulders. November 2018. A Ranger platoon out of Joint Base Elmendorf–Richardson lifted into the Brooks Range for a hostage rescue that had to be finished before a blizzard locked the mountains down for days. Attached to them? A Navy medic — Hospital Corpsman First Class Claire Maddox. Quiet. Compact. Instantly underestimated. Some Rangers glanced at her PT scores and made up their minds. The team leader, Staff Sergeant Tyler Kane, kept it professional but distant. “Stay close. Don’t slow us down.” Claire didn’t argue. She checked radios. Tourniquets. Chest seals. IV warmers. Cold-weather meds. She studied wind angles and ridgelines the way other people read street signs. Insertion was clean. The mountain wasn’t. They moved across a knife-edge locals called Devil’s Spine when visibility collapsed into gray static. Then came the sound no one forgets — a deep, hollow crack above them.

“She’s Dead!” They Abandoned The SEAL Sniper — Then She Emerged Carrying 4 Rangers The rotor wash died,…

Naval Station Norfolk was silent except for the click of metal around Lieutenant Kara Wynn’s wrists. The charge? Abandoning her overwatch position during an operation near Kandahar. Prosecutors claimed she “froze.” That because she didn’t fire, three Marines died. The headlines were already brutal: Female SEAL cracks under pressure. In dress whites, Kara didn’t flinch when they called her a coward. Didn’t react when they hinted her record was exaggerated. She just sat there, posture perfect, as the bailiff locked the cuffs. “Standard procedure,” the judge said. The prosecutor smirked. Then the courtroom doors opened. Not a clerk. Not a late observer. A four-star admiral.
Naval Station Norfolk was silent except for the click of metal around Lieutenant Kara Wynn’s wrists. The charge? Abandoning her overwatch position during an operation near Kandahar. Prosecutors claimed she “froze.” That because she didn’t fire, three Marines died. The headlines were already brutal: Female SEAL cracks under pressure. In dress whites, Kara didn’t flinch when they called her a coward. Didn’t react when they hinted her record was exaggerated. She just sat there, posture perfect, as the bailiff locked the cuffs. “Standard procedure,” the judge said. The prosecutor smirked. Then the courtroom doors opened. Not a clerk. Not a late observer. A four-star admiral.

“TAKE THOSE CUFFS OFF—RIGHT NOW.” They Handcuffed a Female SEAL Sniper in Court—Then a Four-Star Admiral Walked In…