Did you see Ilia Malinin’s figure skating competition for the Olympic gold medal on Friday? The “QuadgOd,” as he calls himself, was a sure bet to win the gold. His other performances were spectacular, and he was the odds-on favorite.
I watched WETA’s evening news before turning to NBC to watch the evening Olympic coverage and in the “spoiler warning” learned of his several falls in the final event and his dismal, fifteenth place finish in that event, resulting in an eighth place finish overall, denying him the gold medal that the whole world thought was his for the asking. I was shocked. I had watched most of the figure skating competition and had become a big fan. He is probably one of the greatest figure skaters ever. My initial reaction was sadness. In fact, knowing the outcome I did not stay up to watch the replay of the event. Too painful. Poor guy, I thought, he will carry this with him for the rest of his life. Blowing the opportunity that was supposed to be his. He will always be remembered for this.
Now I know nothing about this guy or his personality. Anyone who gives himself the name “Quadgod” certainly must have a streak of arrogance. Perhaps his comeuppance could bring that down a notch or two. Or maybe he is mature enough to take this in stride, and to realize that he was never a god but only a mere human who was having a bad day and that the guy who did win the gold deserved it. Still, his meltdown in the 2026 Winter Olympics will surely be in his obituary if it appears in The New York Times 50 or 60 years from now.
But isn’t this what makes sports so addictive, and isn’t this a window into the life we all experience, one day at a time? You never know for sure what is going to happen or when you will get your comeuppance. This is the human condition. Also, life is hard. We humans stumble at times and then we dust off and keep trying. We make mistakes. We blow opportunities. We are brought down to size and then pick ourselves up and start over. What other options do we have? If this experience is a learning moment for Ilia resulting in more humility and wisdom, then it has served its purpose.
Those who learn from their mistakes and failures are the better off for it. Those who do not are doomed to repeat them again.