Ilia Malinin, the American figure skating star known as the "Quad God," didn't compete at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics because he wasn't selected for Team USA.

The Selection Snub

At just 16 years old in 2022, Malinin was a rising talent but lacked the senior-level experience needed for Olympic selection. U.S. Figure Skating prioritized veterans like Nathan Chen, who dominated and won gold in Beijing. Malinin had dazzled with quads in juniors but hadn't yet proven himself consistently at the elite senior level.

Hot Mic Revelation at 2026 Olympics

This backstory exploded into the spotlight during the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina. After a stunning free skate collapse—where Malinin fell twice, skipped planned quads, and lost his gold medal lead—a hot mic caught him lamenting in the kiss-and-cry area: "If they had sent me to Beijing, I wouldn't have skated like that." He later explained to reporters that Olympic experience might have better prepared him for the high-stakes pressure, though he also credited the 2022 snub as motivation to push boundaries, like attempting the quad axel.

Why It Fueled His Rise—and Fall?

  • Motivation Boost : Malinin told CBS pre-2026 that skipping Beijing kept him hungry; without it, he might have quit after nailing early successes.
  • Experience Gap : No prior Games meant 2026 was his Olympic debut at age 21, leading to nerves despite entering the free skate with a five-point lead. Gold went to Kazakhstan's Mikhail Shaidorov (291.58), with Japan's Yuma Kagiyama (280.06) and Shun Sato (274.90) taking silver and bronze.
  • Coach Perspective : Trainer Rafael Arutyunyan, who coached Beijing champ Nathan Chen, emphasized team alignment to support Malinin's boundary-pushing style.

Trending Forum Chatter

Fans on Reddit's r/FigureSkating and r/IliaQuadg0dMalinin have buzzed about this since late 2025, with posts celebrating his Milan qualification turning to heartbreak post-competition. Some speculate overconfidence from his dominant Grand Prix season played a role, while others defend it as a learning curve for the phenom redefining men's skating.

"I blew it... I felt completely prepared, then that happened." – Ilia Malinin post-2026 free skate

TL;DR : Malinin was too young and unproven for the 2022 Team USA roster; the regret surfaced dramatically via hot mic after his 2026 Olympic choke, sparking debates on experience vs. motivation.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.