S+
Ilia Malinin wept bitterly after his fall. © ANSA / WU HAO

2 Figure skating

Ilia Malinin wept bitterly after his fall. © ANSA / WU HAO

S+Even gods are not invincible.

On Friday evening, after the men's final, I couldn't help but think of Turin 2006. Of Carolina Kostner, just 19 years old at the time, flag bearer at the opening ceremony, the face of those Games. All of Italy projected its hopes onto her – but she couldn't withstand the pressure.

Twenty years later, we witnessed a similar story with Ilia Malinin. From the comfort of your own sofa, perhaps with snacks in hand, it's easy to quickly assess such an evening. But very few understand what goes on inside an athlete when four years of preparation are condensed into just a few minutes. An entire Olympic cycle filled with personal sacrifices and thousands of hours of training – a life geared towards this single moment.

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