MILAN, Italy – The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo delivered a stark reminder of the immense mental fortitude required to succeed at the highest level of figure skating. While Ilia Malinin, the 21-year-old American dubbed the “Quad God,” arrived as a heavy favorite, his performance in the men’s free skate underscored a critical truth: even the most technically gifted athletes are vulnerable to the pressures of competition. Malinin’s unexpected stumbles cost him a gold medal, opening the door for Mikhail Shaidorov of Kazakhstan to claim a stunning victory.
Malinin’s journey at these Games exemplified the delicate balance between physical prowess and psychological resilience. Having won 14 straight events and boasting a comfortable lead heading into the final night, he appeared poised for Olympic glory. However, two falls during his free skate program dramatically altered his fate, a testament to the sport’s unforgiving nature. The incident sparked a wider conversation about the mental challenges faced by athletes, even those seemingly at the peak of their abilities.
The discussion surrounding Malinin’s performance resonated with Spanish figure skater Euken Alberdi, a 23-year-old bronze medalist at the Spanish Championships who competed against Malinin at the 2022 Junior World Championships. “There was a huge expectation surrounding him,” Alberdi said. “He hadn’t failed in any world championships, he was performing perfectly, he seemed superhuman, and then he faltered on the last day. He’s done us a favor, many skaters, and shown us that even he is human and these things can happen.”
Alberdi, who didn’t qualify for the Olympics, was particularly impressed by Malinin’s early progression. “He impressed me a lot back then. From there it was a ‘boom,’ because he started doing more quadruple jumps than anyone and reached the limit of doing modern jumps that no one had done before,” he explained. Malinin’s innovative ‘backflip’ – a jump involving a backwards rotation – captivated audiences at the Milan Games, but his attempt at the even more complex ‘quadruple axel’ proved to be a turning point.
The quadruple axel, requiring four and a half rotations, is considered the most technically demanding jump in figure skating. Alberdi detailed the mental block Malinin appeared to experience. “He didn’t need to do it, because he had a sizeable advantage and didn’t need to risk it. But in the free program, there was expectation to see if he would attempt it. He went to execute it and mentally blocked, instead of completing four rotations, he only managed one and a half. He lost all the points and it must have been very difficult for him to continue,” Alberdi said.
This incident highlights a fundamental aspect of figure skating: the sport is profoundly mental. “Figure skating is a much more mental sport than it appears,” Alberdi emphasized. “The jumps require a great deal of precision and concentration. If you are even slightly misaligned with the posture you want, or if you have a negative thought, it is very simple to fail.” The margin for error is incredibly slight, and even a fleeting moment of doubt can have significant consequences.
Alberdi himself is currently working on mastering the triple axel, a jump he successfully landed five years ago but now finds challenging. “I’m constantly working on the triple axel, a jump with three and a half rotations that I did five years ago, but now it doesn’t come out and it’s very frustrating,” he confessed. He acknowledges the unpredictable nature of athletic progress. “The learning curve isn’t a diagonal line upwards, it’s a rollercoaster that depends on many factors. Some we control and some we don’t, and ultimately even your mood can be decisive.”
The ability to persevere through setbacks is crucial. “The easy thing is to train when everything is going well, and the complicated thing is when nothing is going as you want. But to achieve success, you have to train both days – on the good days and the bad days, especially the latter, because if it happens in a competition, you as well have to keep going,” Alberdi stated.
Beyond Malinin’s experience, the Olympics showcased the artistry and collaborative nature of the sport. French choreographer Benoit Richaud, known for his unique style, worked with an astonishing 16 skaters from 13 different countries during the Games, providing guidance and shaping their routines. Alberdi noted, “I’ve worked with him, and he’s become very well-known because he has a unique style. In this case, it just happened that he had many skaters, and people were surprised.”
Alberdi, who trains with the Anoeta Izotz Taldea in Spain while also working with coaches in Lausanne, Grenoble, and Lyon, continues to pursue his own Olympic dreams. He credits his early training with Nerea Vázquez at the Anoeta Izotz Taldea for laying the foundation for his skills. He admires skaters like Ilia Malinin and Kevin Aymoz for their technical abilities and artistic expression, and looks to past champions like Nathan Chen and Javier Fernández for inspiration.
Looking ahead, Alberdi’s goals include improving his scores at the Spanish Championships to gain access to World Cups and potentially compete in the European or World Championships. His ultimate ambition remains competing at the Olympic Games. “I want to improve my level to fight for the Spanish Championship and, in four years, the goal is clear: to make my debut at the Games,” he said.
The 2026 Winter Olympics served as a powerful reminder that figure skating is not solely about technical skill. it’s a demanding mental game where even the most gifted athletes can succumb to pressure. Ilia Malinin’s experience, while disappointing, offers a valuable lesson about the human element of sport and the importance of mental fortitude in the pursuit of excellence.
The figure skating season continues with the World Championships scheduled for March 2026. Fans can follow updates and results on the International Skating Union (ISU) website: https://www.isu.org/.
