US Olympian speaks out after performing ‘illegal’ move that was banned over 50 years ago

Team USA Olympian Ilia Malinin has issued a statement after performing an 'illegal' move that was banned over 50 years ago.

Last week, the 21-year-old pulled off a backflip and somehow managed to land on one leg.

The move had been off-limits in figure skating for almost half a century, after American skater Terry Kubicka became the first to land one at the 1976 Winter Olympics.

More than two decades later, French skater Surya Bonaly brought it back at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, rotating into a one-blade landing.

While the crowd loved it, it's clear the judges did not given that points were deducted because the move was still illegal at the time.

Such a stance changed in 2024 when the International Skating Union legalised the backflip, clearing the way for it to appear at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Team USA ice skating star Ilia Malinin has spoken out after executing a backflip at the 2026 Winter Olympics (Elsa / Staff / Getty Images)

With the rule reversed, Malinin, a double reigning world champion, became the first skater since 1998 to land a backflip at the Games.

While Malinin, who is nicknamed the 'Quad God', did not receive a medal in the men's individual event after finishing eighth overall, he did win gold along with Team USA in the team competition.

The 21-year-old, who took the top spot after the impressive short program, unfortunately fell twice during his free skate and was unable to execute his famed quadruple axel, along with other elements, giving him a score of 156.33 in the free skate and 264.49 overall.

Malinin has since shared a short video on Instagram where he directly addressed the 'vile online hatred attacks' he's been a victim of.

The 21-year-old has taken to Instagram to address the 'online attacks' he's received (Andy Cheung / Contributor / Getty Images)

The athlete captioned the clip: "On the world’s biggest stage, those who appear the strongest may still be fighting invisible battles on the inside.

"Even your happiest memories can end up tainted by the noise."

Malinin went on to share: "Vile online hatred attacks the mind and fear lures it into the darkness, no matter how hard you try to stay sane through the endless insurmountable pressure.

"It all builds up as these moments flash before your eyes, resulting in an inevitable crash."

"This is that version of the story," the Olympian concluded.

The post featured a video of Malinin in flashes of celebration, winning gold at a past ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating and at the 2024 World Figure Skating Championships in Montreal.

Such highlights were then cut with stark black-and-white clips of him distressed with his head in his hands.

Malinin rounded off the caption, teasing 'Coming February 21, 2026'.

The date lines up with the Winter Olympics figure skating exhibition gala, the traditional end-of-Games showcase featuring the medal winners.

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