Kristi Yamaguchi and Brian Boitano’s Message to Ilia Malinin May Have ‘Jinxed’ Him

Brian Boitano and Kristi Yamaguchi know what it’s like to be in the Olympic spotlight. The former Olympics figure skaters have been on the ice for decades, and going into the 2026 Winter Olympics, they had high hopes for Ilia Malinin, the “Quad God.”

But, Malinin buckled in his main event, fell on the ice and is going home from the Winter Games without an individual gold medal. But, the good news is that before the fall, Malinin had already earned has a gold medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics as part of Team USA’s men’s figure skating team, so he’s already an Olympic gold medal winner. He also became the first figure skater in decades at the Olympics to complete a backflip.

Ahead of Malinin’s individual event, Boitano and Yamaguchi made their thoughts known about Malinin, and now, some think they jinxed him.

In an interview with USA Today Sports right before the competition, shared on their official social channels, Boitano and Yamaguchi made it clear that they “felt good” about Malinin for his final run and his chances to take home the gold. That didn’t happen, and it got people commenting online.

“I think we all jinxed him but with pure admiration and good wishes,” one follower said. “I wish these words followed him to the ice,” another added.

“Love you guys and love your confidence. My heart is going mad,” one more added. “I had a great feeling too. He and all his team learned a lesson on arrogance,” one more said.

“I blew it,” Malinin told NBC after his performance in the free skate, according to Yahoo Sports. With the fall, he finished the men’s individual in eighth place.

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Kazakhstan’s Mikhail Shaidorov took the gold, Japan’s Yuma Kagiyama earned the silver and Japan’s Shun Sato took home bronze.

“It’s more like a passion and being able to show how I am as a person, and express myself through my technical abilities or my artistic values,” he said following the short program on Tuesday, February 10, according to NBC News.

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He added, “I always tell people that figure skating is an extension of your personality, and everyone should have that in their skating. That is what can make skating so beautiful and intimate.”