Simone Biles draws on Olympic setback to support Ilia Malinin after 'Quad God's' gold bid unravels

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American skating phenom Ilia Malinin, who has also been dubbed the "Quad God" for his extraordinary leaping ability, failed to medal after being the heavy favorite to win gold, finishing in eighth place in last week’s men’s free skate final.

Simone Biles, the most decorated U.S. Olympic gymnast, knows firsthand what it’s like to compete under pressure on the world stage. Biles revealed that she contacted the fellow American Olympian in the aftermath of his unexpected result on the ice.

"I’ve definitely had a chance to bump into him," the 28-year-old told the "Today" show. "I’ve sent him messages on Instagram as well, obviously, it’s all been private because I know what he’s going through and I know most athletes might not be able to relate, and it’s really, really hard to watch." 

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Gymnast Simone Biles of the United States during an interview at the Figure Skating, Men's Singles Skating-Free Skating competition at the Milano Ice Skating Arena at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympic Games 2026 on Feb. 13th, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Tim Clayton/Getty Images)

Malinin dominated the short program earlier in the competition and entered last Friday leading by more than five points with a score of 108.16. But his performance in the final was the polar opposite. Malinin was blunt about his performance when speaking to NBC afterward, saying simply, "I blew it." It was a clear mental hurdle from start to finish.

Biles draws from her experience at the Tokyo Olympics, where her run was cut short by the "twisties." She said the ordeal equipped her to share advice with Malinin on how to recover. 

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