2026 Winter Olympics

[makam]

That’s what I was thinking. Ilia did have Olympic experience just days ago, and he did well. Did he need the quad axel to win?

I'm sure he probably wanted to be the first in history to land it at an Olympics. They don't name it after you, but they do remember it.

I haven't seen it (on a little vacay) but I know with Amber Glenn, it feels like she focuses her whole being on the triple axel and forgets she has the rest of the program to skate. But Amber probably needs the 3A to be in the medal talk, Illia didn't need the 4A but probably just wanted it bad.

 

[Nickp]

Nathan Chen had the same high expectations as Ilia Malinin going into the 2018 Olympics he finished in 5th place Chen came back in the 2022 Olympics and won gold

 

[RichardL]

Yeah, the reverse happened to Chen: messed up the short and then won the free to finish top 5 from 17th I think. Malinin will be back, but this free skate will be a huge part of the narrative around him until he has a chance to try again.

 

[JDB]

I've liked the drone footage so far. But I don't like it on big air broadcasts. The perspective is too disorienting.

 

[arabiandoublefront]

Nathan Chen had the same high expectations as Ilia Malinin going into the 2018 Olympics he finished in 5th place Chen came back in the 2022 Olympics and won gold

Nathan was three years younger in 2018 than Ilia is now. Competing at your second Olympics at 22 is different than at 25. Ilia would really have to defy the odds to win in 2030, given the last time a 25-year-old won was Scott Hamilton in 1984. The demands of the sport are so much greater now and it's not like Ilia has been without injuries up to this point. They just haven't kept him out of a major competition yet. To be honest, if I was Ilia, I think the best thing to do right now it take it a year at a time. Do not think about 2030.

 

[Denn]

Yeah, the reverse happened to Chen: messed up the short and then won the free to finish top 5 from 17th I think. Malinin will be back, but this free skate will be a huge part of the narrative around him until he has a chance to try again.

Amazing that, with 3 of the top 4 having such troubles, if Chen (or really anyone) had done that this week, his Free Skate was so good in 2018, he might have won silver.

 

[Big_rock_show]

Ilia said in an interview that he got lost in his program and couldn’t get back in it. You could see that in his face. I hope he doesn’t feel like he let the world down. That’s so much pressure!

I miss the years where the US was competitive in snowboarding! It’s still so fun to watch, but the scene has really changed over the last 20 years.

Hockey has been so fun to watch! I’m holding my breath for a US women’s gold a little bit

 

[rlayt]

From The Athletic:

 

[RedBirdie]

Hockey has been so fun to watch! I’m holding my breath for a US women’s gold a little bit

Unless the Canadians suddenly remember how to play hockey, I think the US has that gold all but in the bag. Usually Canada finds another gear for an Olympic year, but they lost all 4 rivalry series games against the US leading up to these games. Their loss to the US in the round robin was shocking--that was way more than just Marie Philip Poulin being out with injury.

 

[Rich]

So happy Jordan Stolz has been able to keep it together.

 

[JDB]

 

[Indy]

OMG that poor person! But also that's hilarious and I watched it a half dozen times

 

[Big_rock_show]

Unless the Canadians suddenly remember how to play hockey, I think the US has that gold all but in the bag. Usually Canada finds another gear for an Olympic year, but they lost all 4 rivalry series games against the US leading up to these games. Their loss to the US in the round robin was shocking--that was way more than just Marie Philip Poulin being out with injury.

I hope they have it in the bag, but anyone can have a bad day on the wrong day! So I hope you’re right!

 

[Big_rock_show]

I’m glad this is on the internet

 

[Sasha]

I hope they have it in the bag, but anyone can have a bad day on the wrong day! So I hope you’re right!

As a Canadian, I hope you're right. But it's not looking good for us.