Simone Biles has a message for Ilia Malinin after his Olympic stumble
Simone Biles is offering words of support to Ilia Malinin following a difficult Olympic moment.
Malinin endured a disappointing outing in the men's figure skating final on Feb. 13 at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
The Team USA favorite, also known as the self-proclaimed "Quad God," fell twice during his free skate program and bailed out of several elements, finishing eighth overall and becoming visibly emotional afterward.
Biles knows that kind of setback firsthand.
At the 2020 Tokyo Games, the gymnast withdrew from the team competition after experiencing "the twisties," a phenomenon in which gymnasts lose their spatial awareness and often feel disconnected with their bodies during their routines, leaving them at risk of injury.
Drawing from her experience, Biles said she reached out to Malinin following his eighth place finish in Milan to offer support and perspective on how to move forward.
"I've definitely had a chance to bump into him," Biles said in a Feb. 17 interview with NBC News. "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."
Despite his disappointment, Biles said she believes Malinin will bounce back, calling him an "absolute legend."
"We're all just cheering for him," she said.
