Ilia Malinin capped his first Olympic appearance with a bold high-fashion moment on the ice, wearing $1,290 jeans from Balmain during the Figure Skating Exhibition Gala on February 23, 2026.
The 21-year-old American delivered his final performance of the Games in trompe l’oeil black-and-white runway jeans paired with a dark gray $90 hoodie from NF, featuring the word “Fear” printed upside down across the chest, a nod to his exhibition program set to “Fear.”
Ahead of the Gala, Malinin told NBC, “I have something pretty special planned. And I think that … I hope I can bring lots of emotion and lots of energy to the rink,” he concluded.
During the routine, Malinin thrilled the crowd with two backflips. This included one during a group skate alongside fellow Team USA members, though he opted not to attempt the quadruple axel, the jump that earned him the nickname “Quad God,” in his final Olympic outing.
Malinin competed in both the short program and free skate of the team event, helping the United States capture gold. In the men’s singles competition, however, he fell short of the podium despite entering as one of the favorites.
Related: Team USA’s Heartfelt Tribute To Johnny Gaudreau After Olympic Victory
The Exhibition Gala ultimately marked his final skate of the 2026 Winter Olympics, bringing his debut Olympic campaign to a close.
Ilia Malinin Attributes Men’s Singles Result To Mental Pressure Despite Team Gold Contribution
Ilia Malinin’s Olympic campaign included a gold medal in the team event, where he delivered both required programs for Team USA. His performances contributed to the United States’ top finish in that competition.
In the individual men’s singles event, he did not win a medal. Afterward, he cited the unique mental demands of the Olympics as a factor. “I think it was definitely mental,” he said. “It’s not like any other competition.”
During a press conference, he expanded on that assessment. “I think people only realize the pressure in the nerves that actually happen from the inside, so it was really just something that overwhelmed me and I just felt like I had no control.”
In Case You Missed: QB1 To Party Planner: Patrick Mahomes Hits Peppa Pig Theme Park For Sterling’s 5th
He closed his Olympic run with the team gold medal and his exhibition performance on February 23, 2026.
