George Mason University’s Ilia Malinin’s Olympic journey hit an unexpected speed bump on Friday in the men’s individual figure skating final at the Milano Cortina Winter Games. But even as the result stunned fans worldwide, Mason Nation gathered at the Johnson Center with unwavering support for one of its own.
A two-time reigning world champion and the overwhelming gold medal favorite, Malinin fell twice during his free skate and finished eighth overall, marking his first loss since November 2023, and his first time finishing outside the top three since March 2022. Kazakhstan’s Mikhail Shaidorov claimed gold, with Japan’s Yuma Kagiyama and Sato Shun earning silver and bronze.
“Honestly, I’m just speechless. So in shock, I really didn’t know what to expect,” Malinin told reporters afterward. “I’ve been training my whole season to get to this point and skate as best as I can, but it didn’t happen. I’m heartbroken.”
The 21-year-old Vienna native and exploratory studies major in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences had hoped to add an individual medal to the team gold he helped secure for Team USA win earlier in the games.
Like Malinin, the crowd of several hundred enthusiastic students, faculty, and staff at the Johnson Center’s Atrium were stunned, but their pride never wavered.
Kiersten Strassburg, a junior anthropology major from Chesapeake who has followed Malinin’s career for years, remained confident in his future.
“He’s only 21, and he’s still in college,” she said. “He still has his whole career ahead of him. It was disappointing, but I’m not disappointed in him.”
Malinin had entered the free skate with a five-point lead after the short program, poised to potentially become the second consecutive American Olympic champion in men’s figure skating, following Nathan Chen’s victory in Beijing in 2022. His high-risk, high-reward technical arsenal—including the quad axel, which he remains the only skater to have landed successfully in competition—seemed tailored for the Olympic stage.
But Olympic competition can be unforgiving.
“Our hearts hurt for him,” said Cassie Baker, a junior business major at the Costello College of Business.
Graduate student Kat Hines arrived early to secure a prime viewing spot in the atrium. Though the outcome wasn’t what she expected, the moment still mattered.
“It’s pretty amazing that we have an Olympian going here,” said Hines, a Fairfax native and public health major within the College of Public Health. “This gathering shows what kind of community Mason has, and it’s nice to see.”
While the individual medal eluded him, Malinin will return home an Olympic champion through the team event, joining alumni David Verburg, who earned a gold medal as part of Team USA’s 4x400-meter relay squad at the 2016 Rio Summer Games, and Mike Kohn, who earned bronze as a part of USA-2 in the four-men bobsledding at the 2002 Winter Olympics.
But Malinin’s Olympic journey is not over, as he will perform in the popular exhibition gala—the final figure skating event of the games—on Saturday, February 21. He has also committed to defending his world title next month at the 2026 World Championships in Prague.
For Mason Nation, Friday was about more than medals, it was about standing behind a student who has elevated the sport and the university on the world stage. And at just 21, Malinin’s story is far from finished.
“I was around 13 when I realized that I could skate for more than just fun.”
Ilia Malinin