MILAN — Ilia Malinin finished his long program in tears, not triumph. In one of the most shockingly devastating performances in Olympic figure skating history, the huge favorite to win the Olympic gold medal in the men’s figure skating competition finished eighth.
Yes, eighth.
The Quad God was eighth.
If anyone ever wondered just how intense Olympic pressure is, well, now we know. Malinin, 21, came into the men’s final with a solid five-point lead. He looked invincible. The other skaters closest to him did not skate well. All Malinin had to do was land just a couple of his patented quadruple jumps and the Olympic gold medal was his.
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